Hanun חָנוּן
An Ammonite king who mistreated David's envoys.
Who is Hanun in the Bible?
Hanun was the king of Ammon during the reign of King David of Israel, mentioned in 2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19. After his father Nahash died, David sent envoys to express condolences to Hanun, but the new king's advisors convinced him that David's messengers were spies (2Sa.10.1-2; 1Ch.19.1-2). In response, Hanun gravely insulted the envoys by shaving half their beards and cutting their garments short, a severe violation of diplomatic protocol (2Sa.10.3-4; 1Ch.19.3-4). This humiliation provoked David to wage war against the Ammonites, with Hanun hiring Syrian mercenaries in a failed attempt to defend his kingdom (2Sa.10.5-7; 1Ch.19.6-7). Hanun's story illustrates how pride and poor judgment can lead to devastating consequences, as his rejection of David's goodwill gesture resulted in military defeat and the weakening of Ammon.
Biography
Hanun was the king of the Ammonites during the reign of King David of Israel. He is mentioned in 2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19. After the death of Hanun's father, Nahash, who had shown kindness to David, David sent envoys to express his sympathy to Hanun (2Sa.10.1-2; 1Ch.19.1-2). However, Hanun's advisors convinced him that David's envoys were spies, so Hanun humiliated them by shaving off half of their beards and cutting their garments short (2Sa.10.3-4; 1Ch.19.3-4). This act was a grave insult and a violation of diplomatic protocol. When David heard about this, he was outraged and prepared for war against the Ammonites (2Sa.10.5-7; 1Ch.19.6-7). Hanun, realizing his mistake, hired Syrian mercenaries to help him fight against Israel (2Sa.10.6; 1Ch.19.6-7). However, the Israelite army, led by Joab and Abishai, defeated the Ammonites and their Syrian allies (2Sa.10.8-14; 1Ch.19.8-15). The conflict continued, and David himself later joined the battle, capturing the Ammonite capital, Rabbah (2Sa.12.26-31; 1Ch.20.1-3). Hanun's mistreatment of David's envoys and the resulting war highlight the importance of diplomatic relations and the consequences of disrespecting allies in the ancient Near East.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical books2 Samuel 4 verses
- 2 Samuel 10:1
"Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son Hanun."
- 2 Samuel 10:2
"And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to console Hanun concerning his father. But when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,"
- 2 Samuel 10:3
"the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Has not David instead sent his servants to explore the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?”"
- 2 Samuel 10:4
"So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away."
1 Chronicles 4 verses
- 1 Chronicles 19:2
"And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,"
- 1 Chronicles 19:3
"the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”"
- 1 Chronicles 19:4
"So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away."
- 1 Chronicles 19:6
"When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | חָנוּן |
Hanun
nored. Because of this indignity, David waged a war against him, which caused the Ammonites to lose their independence (2Sa 10:1 ff; 1Ch 19:1).
(2) One of the six sons of Zalaph who assisted in repairing the East wall of Jerusalem (Ne 3:30).
(3) One of the inhabitants of Zanoah who repaired the Valley Gate in the wall of Jerusalem (Ne 3:13).
Byron H. Dement
Hap (a Saxon word for "luck, chance") is the translation of miqreh, "a fortuitous chance," "a lot" (Ru 2:3, the King James Version "Her h