The Meaning of 2 Samuel 10:2 Explained

2 Samuel 10:2

KJV: Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

YLT: and David saith, 'I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did with me kindness;' and David sendeth to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father, and the servants of David come in to the land of the Bene-Ammon.

Darby: And David said, I will shew kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

ASV: And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  David,  I will shew  kindness  unto Hanun  the son  of Nahash,  as his father  shewed  kindness  unto me. And David  sent  to comfort  him by the hand  of his servants  for his father.  And David's  servants  came  into the land  of the children  of Ammon. 

What does 2 Samuel 10:2 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 10:1-19 - The Penalty Of Rejecting Kindness
A Jewish tradition tells us that Nahash, Hanun's father, had shown kindness to David by sheltering one of his brothers, when the king of Moab treacherously massacred the rest of the family. Civility is the daughter of Piety. The son had inherited his father's throne but not his spirit. He was misled by foolish advisers to offer a gross insult, not only to the ambassadors, but to the king and nation whom they represented.
Let us, however, contrast our Lord's dealings with those who ill-treated Him in the person of His disciples. When they had been refused by a certain village of the Samaritans, they appealed for fire from heaven; but Jesus reminded them that the dispensation in which Elijah had lived was past. The disciples were the children of a new age, and the only fire with which they could deal was that of love, Luke 9:54, etc. Yes, and afterward the baptism of the Holy Spirit was given to Samaria, perhaps to those very villages, Acts 8:1-40. It used to be said that the best way to secure the tenderest kindness of the great and saintly Archbishop Leighton was to show him a discourtesy. He had not followed his great Master in vain. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 10

1  David's messengers, sent to comfort Hanun are villainously treated
6  The Ammonites, strengthened by the Syrians, overcome by Joab and Abishai
15  Shobuch, making a new supply of the Syrains at Helam, is slain by David

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 10:2 mean?

And said David I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash as showed his father to me kindness so sent David to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father And came servants of David into the land of the sons of Ammon
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶעֱשֶׂה־ חֶ֣סֶד ׀ עִם־ חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־ נָחָ֗שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח דָּוִ֧ד לְנַחֲמ֛וֹ בְּיַד־ עֲבָדָ֖יו אֶל־ אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֔ד אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֶעֱשֶׂה־  I  will  show 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
חֶ֣סֶד ׀  kindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
חָנ֣וּן  Hanun 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָנוּן  
Sense: son of Nahash and king of Ammon who dishonoured David’s ambassadors and lost the subsequent war with David.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נָחָ֗שׁ  of  Nahash 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָחָשׁ  
Sense: a king of the Ammonites during the time of king Saul.
עָשָׂ֨ה  showed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אָבִ֤יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
עִמָּדִי֙  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִמָּד  
Sense: with.
חֶ֔סֶד  kindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח  so  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
דָּוִ֧ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְנַחֲמ֛וֹ  to  comfort  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
בְּיַד־  by  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עֲבָדָ֖יו  of  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֶל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אָבִ֑יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עַבְדֵ֣י  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
דָוִ֔ד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֶ֖רֶץ  into  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בְּנֵ֥י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּֽוֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.