929 at the Shtiebel: I Chron 19

(א) וַֽיְהִי֙ אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מׇת נָחָ֖שׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜יד אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד ׀ עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמִּי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛יד מַלְאָכִ֖ים לְנַחֲמ֣וֹ עַל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֩אוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜יד אֶל־אֶ֧רֶץ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֛וֹן אֶל־חָנ֖וּן לְנַחֲמֽוֹ׃

I Chronicles 19:1-2

(1) Sometime afterward, Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. (2) David said, “I will keep faith with Hanun son of Nahash, since his father kept faith with me.” David sent messengers with condolences to him over his father. But when David’s courtiers came to the land of Ammon to Hanun, with condolences,

Scenario 1:
Your father the king has just died. You, Hanun, are now ruler of Ammon.

David, the king of a nearby territory, has recently defeated several other nearby kingdoms and has a large military force.
David sends a group of his men to your kingdom upon the death of your father.

Instructions:
Work through this scene, with the following roles:

- Hanun, new king of Ammon

- Hanun's advisor(s)

- David's messenger(s)/courtier(s)

Be ready to share how it went when we are back in the larger group!

דברי הימים א י״ט:ג׳-ד׳

(ג) וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֜וֹן לְחָנ֗וּן הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤יד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַחֲמִ֑ים הֲלֹ֡א בַּ֠עֲב֠וּר לַחְקֹ֨ר וְלַהֲפֹ֤ךְ וּלְרַגֵּל֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ בָּ֥אוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (ד) וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֤י דָוִיד֙ וַֽיְגַלְּחֵ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַד־הַמִּפְשָׂעָ֑ה וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃

I Chronicles 19:3-4

(3) the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, “Do you think David is really honoring your father just because he sent you men with condolences? Why, it is to explore, to subvert, and to spy out the land that his courtiers have come to you.” (4) So Hanun seized David’s courtiers, shaved them, and cut away half of their garments up to the buttocks, and sent them off.

Scenario 2:

You are king of a territory, fresh off some military victories.

You hear that Nahash, king of the Ammonities, who had once shown a great kindness to you, has died.

You send a group of messengers to the new king, Hanun, son of Nahash, to express your condolences.

The new king is distrustful of your motives, captures your messengers, and shaves their beards off and cuts off their garments at the buttocks, humiliating them.

Instructions:

Work through this scene, focusing on David's initial motives and reactions, with the following roles:

- King David

- David's messenger(s)

- David's advisor(s)

Be ready to share how it went when we are back in the larger group!

דברי הימים א י״ט:ה׳-ח׳

(ה) וַיֵּלְכוּ֩ וַיַּגִּ֨ידוּ לְדָוִ֤יד עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁים֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵח֔וֹ עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃ {ס} (ו) וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י הִֽתְבָּאֲשׁ֖וּ עִם־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חָ֠נ֠וּן וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֜וֹן אֶ֣לֶף כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף לִשְׂכֹּ֣ר לָ֠הֶ֠ם מִן־אֲרַ֨ם נַהֲרַ֜יִם וּמִן־אֲרַ֤ם מַֽעֲכָה֙ וּמִצּוֹבָ֔ה רֶ֖כֶב וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃ (ז) וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ לָהֶ֡ם שְׁנַ֩יִם֩ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֜לֶף רֶ֗כֶב וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ וְאֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י מֵידְבָ֑א {ס} וּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֗וֹן נֶֽאֶסְפוּ֙ מֵעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ {ס} (ח) וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כׇּל־צָבָ֖א הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃

I Chronicles 19:5-8

(5) When David was told about the men, he dispatched others to meet them, for the men were greatly embarrassed. And the king gave orders, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then you can return.” (6) The Ammonites realized that they had incurred the wrath of David; so Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 silver talents to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. (7) They hired 32,000 chariots, the king of Maacah, and his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. The Ammonites were mobilized from their cities and came to do battle. (8) On learning this, David sent out Joab and the whole army, [including] the professional fighters.

דברי הימים א י״ט:ט״ו-י״ט

(טו) וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּֽי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנ֣וּסוּ גַם־הֵ֗ם מִפְּנֵי֙ אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑ירָה וַיָּבֹ֥א יוֹאָ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס} (טז) וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֗ם כִּ֣י נִגְּפוּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים וַיּוֹצִ֣יאוּ אֶת־אֲרָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְשׁוֹפַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ (יז) וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗יד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֣א אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם וַיַּעֲרֹ֨ךְ דָּוִ֜יד לִקְרַ֤את אֲרָם֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃ (יח) וַיָּ֣נׇס אֲרָם֮ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜יד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י וְאֵ֛ת שׁוֹפַ֥ךְ שַֽׂר־הַצָּבָ֖א הֵמִֽית׃ (יט) וַיִּרְא֞וּ עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥ימוּ עִם־דָּוִ֖יד וַיַּעַבְדֻ֑הוּ וְלֹֽא־אָבָ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן עֽוֹד׃ {ס}

I Chronicles 19:15-19

(15) And when the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before his brother Abishai, and withdrew into the city. So Joab went to Jerusalem. (16) When the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers to bring out the Arameans from across the Euphrates; Shophach, Hadadezer’s army commander, led them. (17) David was informed of it; he assembled all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came and took up positions against them. David drew up his forces against Aram; and they fought with him. (18) But the Arameans were put to flight by Israel. David killed 7,000 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 footmen; he also killed Shophach, the army commander. (19) And when all the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they submitted to David and became his vassals. And the Arameans would not help the Ammonites anymore.