1 Chronicles 19:4
◄  1 Chronicles 19:4  ►
New International Version (©2011)
So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

New Living Translation (©2007)
So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.

English Standard Version (©2001)
So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away;

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
So Hanun took David's emissaries, shaved them, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.

International Standard Version (©2012)
So Hanun arrested David's delegation, shaved off their beards, cut off their clothes at the waist line, and sent them away in disgrace.

NET Bible (©2006)
So Hanun seized David's servants and shaved their beards off. He cut off the lower part of their robes so that their buttocks were exposed and then sent them away.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
So Hanun took David's men, shaved them, cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Therefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.

American King James Version
Why Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

American Standard Version
So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore Hanon shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and cut away their garments from the buttocks to the feet, and sent them away.

Darby Bible Translation
And Hanun took David's servants, and had them shaved, and their raiment cut off in the midst, as far as the hip, and sent them away.

English Revised Version
So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

Young's Literal Translation
And Hanun taketh the servants of David, and shaveth them, and cutteth their long robes in the midst, unto the buttocks, and sendeth them away.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:1-19 David's wars. - The history is here repeated which we read 2Sa 10. The only safety of sinners consists in submitting to the Lord, seeking peace with him, and becoming his servants. Let us assist each other in a good cause; but let us fear lest, while made instruments of good to others, we should come short of salvation, through unbelief and sin.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - The classical scholar will not fail to be reminded, so far as the shaving here spoken of is concerned, of the account contained in Herodotus, 2:121. The parallel place makes the resemblance close, in that it tells us that "one-half of their beards" was shaved. To shave them was an affront to their customs, dignity, and religion: to shave them half added mockery; and to cut off half their garments completed the tale of ignominious and contemptuous insult (Isaiah 20:4). The beard was held almost in reverence by Easterns.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4, 5. shaved them—not completely, but only the half of their face. This disrespect to the beard, and indecent exposure of their persons by their clothes being cut off from the girdle downwards, was the grossest indignity to which Jews, in common with all Orientals, could be subjected. No wonder that the men were ashamed to appear in public—that the king recommended them to remain in seclusion on the border till the mark of their disgrace had disappeared—and then they might, with propriety, return to the court.

1 Chronicles 19:4 Parallel Commentaries

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David's Messengers Disgraced
…3But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Think you that David does honor your father, that he has sent comforters to you? are not his servants come to you for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4Why Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. 5Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. …

1 Chronicles 19:3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven't his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?"
1 Chronicles 19:5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, "Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back."