2 Samuel 10:4
Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
David sent his servants to Hanun as ambassadors with a message of sympathy on the death of Nahash, intending to show kindness to Hanun as Nahash had shown kindness to him when he was a fugitive from Saul. Nahash's earlier kindness had come only from hostility to Saul as king of Israel, for the Ammonites hated the true God and were bitter enemies of Israel and could have no conception of a generous spirit. Hanun believed his counselors that the servants were spies sent to search the city and overthrow it, and therefore loaded them with scorn and insult and sent them away. The shaving of half their beards and cutting of their garments to expose them was that scornful insult.
The insult shows that when Satan controls minds he excites envy and suspicion that misconstrue the very best intentions, and the same hatred that once moved Nahash to demand the right eyes of Jabesh-gilead still prompted the Ammonites. God permitted the Ammonites to carry out the evil purposes of their hearts without restraint so that their real treacherous character might be revealed to David, for it was not His will that Israel enter into a league with this treacherous heathen people. In ancient times as now the office of ambassador was held sacred, and by the universal law of nations any indignity to a representative of his sovereign demanded prompt retaliation. Knowing the insult would surely be avenged, the Ammonites prepared for war and from jealousy of David's increasing power formed an unprovoked coalition.