1 Chronicles 19:1-3

David’s Campaign against the Ammonites

19:1 Later King Nahash of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him. 19:2 David said, “I will express my loyalty ¹  to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father was loyal ²  to me.” So David sent messengers to express his sympathy over his father’s death. ³  When David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to visit Hanun and express the king’s sympathy, ⁴  19:3 the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? ⁵  No, his servants have come to you so they can get information and spy out the land!” ⁶ 

[19:2]  ¹ tn Heb “do loyalty.”

[19:2]  ² tn Heb “did loyalty.”

[19:2]  ³ tn Heb “to console him concerning his father.”

[19:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the servants of David came to the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him.”

[19:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”

[19:3]  ⁶ tc Heb “Is it not to explore and to overturn and to spy out the land (that) his servants have come to you?” The Hebrew term לַהֲפֹךְ (lahafakh, “to overturn”) seems misplaced in the sequence. Some emend the form to לַחְפֹּר (lakhpor, “to spy out”). The sequence of three infinitives may be a conflation of alternative readings.