2 Samuel 10:4

Contextual Overview

¹ And it came to pass after this, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. ¹ Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. ¹ And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. ¹ When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son Hanun became king after him. ¹ Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him. ¹ And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. ¹ It happened after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ¹Now it happened later that [Nahash] the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. ¹ After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ¹ Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Naas, kyng of the sones of Amon, diede; and Anoon, his sone, regnede for hym. And Dauid seide,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and shaved: The beard is held in high respect and greatly valued in the East: the possessor considers it as his greatest ornament; often swears by it; and, in matters of great importance, pledges it; and nothing can be more secure than such a pledge; for its owner will redeem it at the hazard of his life. The beard was never cut off but in mourning, or as a sign of slavery. It is customary to shave the Ottoman princes, as a mark of their subjection to the reigning emperor. The beard is a mark of authority and liberty among the Mohammedans. The Persians who clip the beard, and shave above the jaw, are reputed heretics. They who serve in the seraglios have their beards shaven, as a sign of servitude; nor do they suffer them to grow till the sultan has set them at liberty. Among the Arabians, it is more infamous for anyone to appear with his beard cut off, than among us to be publicly whipped or branded; and many would prefer death to such a punishment. Leviticus 19:27, 1 Chronicles 19:3, 1 Chronicles 19:4, Psalms 109:4, Psalms 109:5, Isaiah 15:2

cut off: Isaiah 20:4, Isaiah 47:2, Isaiah 47:3, Jeremiah 41:5

Reciprocal: Isaiah 50:6 - my cheeks

Cross-References

Numbers 24:24
But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction."

Numbers 24:24
Those who go out from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber; And he also will perish forever.

Numbers 24:24
But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, And he also shall come to destruction.

Numbers 24:24
Ships will sail from the shores of Cyprus and defeat Assyria and Eber, but they will also be destroyed."

Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict Eber, and he will also perish forever."

Numbers 24:24
And ships [shall come] from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

Numbers 24:24
But ships [shall come] from the coast of Kittim, They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber; He also shall come to destruction.

Numbers 24:24
"But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And shall afflict Asshur (Assyria) and Eber; So they (the victors) also will come to destruction."

Numbers 24:24
Thei schulen come in grete schippis fro Ytalie, thei schulen ouercome Assiries, and thei schulen distrie Ebrews, and at the last also thei hem silf schulen perische.

Numbers 24:24
And -- ships [are] from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants,.... His ambassadors:

and shaved off one half of their beards; that is, he ordered them to be shaved off; than which a greater indignity could not have been well done to them and to David, whom they represented, since the Israelites shaved not their beards, and were very careful of preserving them; for had it been the custom to shave, they might have shaved off the other half, and then they would not have appeared so ridiculous; and with other people it has been reckoned a very great punishment as well could be inflicted, and as great an affront as could well be offered, to mar a man's beard, or shave it off in whole or in part p. The Lacedemonians, as Plutarch q relates, when any fled from battle, used, by way of reproach, to shave off part of their beards, and let the other part grow long; and with the Indians, as Bishop Patrick observes from an ancient writer, the king used to order the greatest offenders to be shaven, as the heaviest punishment he could inflict upon them; but what comes nearest to the case here is what the same learned commentator quotes from Tavernier, who in his Indian Travels tells us, that the sophi of Persia caused an ambassador of Aurengzeb to have his beard shaved off, telling him he was not worthy to wear a beard, and thereupon commanded it should be shaved off; which affront offered him in the person of his ambassador was most highly resented by Aurengzeb, as this was by David:

and cut off their garments in the middle, [even] to their buttocks; and as they wore long garments in those countries, without any breeches or drawers under them, those parts by these means were exposed to view which modesty requires should be concealed r; so that they must be put to the utmost shame and confusion:

and sent them away; in this ridiculous manner, scoffing and leering at them no doubt; that since they came with compliments of condolence, it was proper they should appear in the habit of mourners, with their beards shaved, and their garments rent; cutting of garments, and standing in them from morning tonight, was a punishment of soldiers with the Romans, when they offended s.

p Apollon. Vit. Philostrat. l. 7. c. 14. q In Agesitao. r "Dimidiasque nates Gallica palla tegit". Martial. s Valer. Maxim. l. 2. c. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In 1 Chronicles 19:4, more concisely “shaved.” Cutting off a person’s beard is regarded by the Arabs as an indignity equal to flogging and branding among ourselves. The loss of their long garments, so essential to Oriental dignity, was no less insulting than that of their beards.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 10:4. Shaved off the one half of their beards — The beard is held in high respect in the East: the possessor considers it his greatest ornament; often swears by it; and, in matters of great importance, pledges it. Nothing can be more secure than a pledge of this kind; its owner will redeem it at the hazard of his life. The beard was never cut off but in mourning, or as a sign of slavery. Cutting off half of the beard and the clothes rendered the men ridiculous, and made them look like slaves: what was done to these men was an accumulation of insult.