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?”
Parallel translations
- WEB But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”
- KJV 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?
- NKJV And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”
- NASB But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?”
- NLT the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ammon's princes wrongly accuse David's envoys of being spies, poisoning Hanun against him. It shows how suspicion distorts genuine kindness.
Overview
The Ammonite officials misinterpret David's goodwill as espionage and persuade Hanun to treat the envoys with contempt. Their cynical suspicion provokes a needless war. Scripture often warns that those who assume evil in others reap conflict; here misjudged kindness leads to disastrous consequences.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Sam 29:9Achish replied, “I know that you are as pleasing in my sight as an angel of God. But the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’
- Judg 18:2So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
- 1 Sam 29:4But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?
- 1 Cor 13:5–7It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
- Gen 42:9–18Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
- Judg 18:8–10When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
- Josh 2:1–3Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- Judg 1:23–24They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),
- 1 Kgs 12:8–11But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
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The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
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Original language
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