“Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.”
Cross references: : 2 Sam. 10:1
“And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.”
Because Nahash received David and his company, when Saul persecuted him he would now show pleasure to his son for the same.
“But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? Thinkest: Heb. In thine eyes doth David, etc”
Thus the malicious ever interpret the purpose of the godly in the worst sense.
“Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.”
To put them to shame and villainy, whereas the ambassadors ought to have been honored: and because the Jews used to wear side garments and beards, they thus disfigured them, to make them odious to others. They shaved off the half of their beards, 2 Sam. 10:4 .
“And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah , and out of Zobah. odious: Heb. to stink”
Which were five in all. Or, had made themselves to be abhorred of David. 2 Sam. 10:6 , 8
“So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.”
Which was a city of the tribe of Reuben beyond Jordan.
“Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.”
He declareth that where the cause is evil, the courage cannot be valiant, and that in good causes men ought to be courageous, and commit the success to God.
“But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen , and killed Shophach the captain of the host.”
For this place, read 2 Sam. 10:18 .