Lexical Definition

‎חָנוּן‎ Chânûwn (khaw-noon') Hanun ^N:N-M-P
from ‎חָנַן‎; favored

Hanun.

• § Hanun = "gracious"
• Chanun, the name of an Ammonite and of two Israelites

1) son of Nahash and king of Ammon who dishonoured David's ambassadors and lost the subsequent war with David
2) a man who, with the people of Zanoah, repaired the ravine gate in the wall of Jerusalem
3) the 6th son of Zalaph, who also assisted in the repair of the wall of Jerusalem, apparently on the east side

Extended Information

• A man of the Ammonites living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.10.1
• son of: Nahash (נָחָשׁ)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎חָנוּן‎ (favoured; compare Assyrian –anunu, king of Gaza COT on 2Kgs 15:29); —

1. an Ammonite king 2Sam 10:1; 2Sam 10:2; 2Sam 10:3; 2Sam 10:4; 1Chr 19:2 (twice in verse); 1Chr 19:3; 1Chr 19:4; 1Chr 19:6.

2. Jewish chiefs, contemporaries of Nehemiah:
a. Neh 3:18.
b. Neh 3:30.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Ammonite king • An Ammonite king who mistreated David's envoys.

King living at the time of United Monarchy

Hanun, the Ammonite king, mistreated David's envoys, leading to a war between the Ammonites and Israel.

• An Ammonite king living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.10.1;
• only referred to as Hanun חָנוּן;
• a son of Nahash נָחָשׁ.

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 (2 Samuel 10:1-2; 1 Chronicles 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 (2 Samuel 10:3-4; 1 Chronicles 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 (2 Samuel 10:5-7; 1 Chronicles 19:6-7). Hanun, realizing his mistake, hired Syrian mercenaries to help him fight against Israel (2 Samuel 10:6; 1 Chronicles 19:6-7). However, the Israelite army, led by Joab and Abishai, defeated the Ammonites and their Syrian allies (2 Samuel 10:8-14; 1 Chronicles 19:8-15). The conflict continued, and David himself later joined the battle, capturing the Ammonite capital, Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:26-31; 1 Chronicles 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.

All entries for Hanun: חָנוּן

Related Profiles:

• Nahash (father)