Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

Wherefore Hanon shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and cut away their garments from the buttocks to the feet, and sent them away.

And Hanun took David's servants, and had them shaved, and their raiment cut off in the midst, as far as the hip, and sent them away.

And Hanun taketh the servants of David, and shaveth them, and cutteth their long robes in the midst, unto the buttocks, and sendeth them away.

Why Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

So Hanun took David's servants, and cutting off their hair and the skirts of their robes up to the middle, sent them away.

So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their hips, and sent them away.

And so Hanun shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and he cut away their tunics from the buttocks to the feet, and he sent them away.

And cut off their garments in the midst - Usque ad eorum, pudenda. So the Targum, Jarchi, and others; leaving exposed what nature and decency require to be concealed. See on 2-Samuel 10:4 (note).

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and (c) shaved them, and cut off their (d) garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.
(c) They shaved off half of their beards, (2-Samuel 10:4).
(d) To put them to shame and villany, while the ambassadors should have been honoured: and because the Jews used to wear side garments and beards, they thus disfigured them, to make them odious to others.

shaved them--not completely, but only the half of their face. This disrespect to the beard, and indecent exposure of their persons by their clothes being cut off from the girdle downwards, was the grossest indignity to which Jews, in common with all Orientals, could be subjected. No wonder that the men were ashamed to appear in public--that the king recommended them to remain in seclusion on the border till the mark of their disgrace had disappeared--and then they might, with propriety, return to the court.