Single lesson
David's Messengers and the War with Ammon
2 Samuel 10:1–19; 1 Chronicles 19:1–19
This lesson helps children follow the account from David’s kind message to a growing war. Students will trace the choices people made, notice the results, and hear Joab’s call to courage, mutual help, and trust in God.
Before you teach
In both 2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19, Nahash king of Ammon dies and Hanun becomes king. David sends servants to comfort Hanun because Nahash had shown kindness to him. Ammonite leaders suspect David’s motives, and Hanun badly shames David’s servants. After that, Ammon gathers outside help and Israel prepares for battle.
Students will be able to retell the main order of events in 2 Samuel 10:1–19 and 1 Chronicles 19:1–19, identify key choices and outcomes, and explain that the passage shows suspicion and hostile actions leading to conflict while Joab calls for courage under Yahweh.
Welcome: Kind message or suspicious message?
5 minBegin by telling the children that David wanted to show kindness to Hanun after Hanun’s father died. Ask them to listen for what David chose, what Hanun’s leaders said, and what happened next. Explain that “comfort” here means coming to show care after a death. Then read the opening verses aloud.
2 Samuel 10:1, 2 Samuel 10:2, 1 Chronicles 19:1, 1 Chronicles 19:2
Read and explain: A kind act is misread
7 minRead the next part slowly. The princes tell Hanun to see David’s servants as spies, not comforters. Hanun humiliates the servants by shaving them and cutting their garments. David responds by caring for the ashamed men and telling them to stay at Jericho until their beards grow. Point out the chain of choices and results.
2 Samuel 10:3, 2 Samuel 10:4, 2 Samuel 10:5, 1 Chronicles 19:3, 1 Chronicles 19:4, 1 Chronicles 19:5
Discuss: Trouble grows into battle
6 minExplain that Ammon sees it has become odious to David and then hires or gathers outside fighters. David sends Joab and the mighty men. Joab finds enemies in front and behind, so he divides the army with Abishai. Show the children that Joab plans carefully and asks for mutual help if one side is overpowered.
2 Samuel 10:6, 2 Samuel 10:7, 2 Samuel 10:8, 2 Samuel 10:9, 2 Samuel 10:10, 2 Samuel 10:11, 1 Chronicles 19:6, 1 Chronicles 19:7, 1 Chronicles 19:8, 1 Chronicles 19:9, 1 Chronicles 19:10, 1 Chronicles 19:11, 1 Chronicles 19:12
Make and respond: Sequence the choices
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards for the story: David sends comforters, Hanun listens to suspicious advice, servants are humiliated, Ammon gathers help, Joab divides the army, the enemy flees, David fights again, peace follows. As they place the cards in order, ask which choices led to peace and which led to greater trouble.
2 Samuel 10:2, 2 Samuel 10:3, 2 Samuel 10:4, 2 Samuel 10:6, 2 Samuel 10:9, 2 Samuel 10:13, 2 Samuel 10:17, 2 Samuel 10:19, 1 Chronicles 19:2, 1 Chronicles 19:3, 1 Chronicles 19:4, 1 Chronicles 19:6, 1 Chronicles 19:10, 1 Chronicles 19:14, 1 Chronicles 19:17, 1 Chronicles 19:19
Closing: Courage, help, and God’s will
4 minRead Joab’s words together. Highlight three ideas from the text: be courageous, help one another, and leave the outcome with Yahweh. Finish by noting that after another battle led by David, the Syrians stop helping Ammon and make peace. Invite each child to say one event from the account in the correct order.
2 Samuel 10:12, 2 Samuel 10:17, 2 Samuel 10:18, 2 Samuel 10:19, 1 Chronicles 19:13, 1 Chronicles 19:17, 1 Chronicles 19:18, 1 Chronicles 19:19
Questions to explore
What did David intend to do for Hanun, and what did the princes say David’s servants were really doing?
Compare David’s words about showing kindness and comfort with the princes’ claim that the servants came to search, spy out, and overthrow.
2 Samuel 10:2, 2 Samuel 10:3, 1 Chronicles 19:2, 1 Chronicles 19:3
How did David respond when his servants were humiliated?
Look for the verses that say the men were ashamed or humiliated and notice David’s practical instruction for their return.
2 Samuel 10:5, 1 Chronicles 19:5
What does Joab tell Abishai to do, and what does he say about Yahweh?
Listen for both parts of Joab’s speech: helping each other in battle and trusting Yahweh to do what seems good to him.
2 Samuel 10:11, 2 Samuel 10:12, 1 Chronicles 19:12, 1 Chronicles 19:13
Make, think or respond
Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Write or draw eight story moments from the passage on separate cards.
- Mix the cards and work together to place them in the order the account gives.
- Read the matching verses as each card is placed.
- Ask children to circle one choice on a card and say what happened because of it.
This activity helps children follow the order of 2 Samuel 10:1–19 and 1 Chronicles 19:1–19 and notice how choices in the passage lead to outcomes.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the cards in advance with simple pictures and use six main events instead of eight.
- For older or stronger readers, let them compare the wording in 2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19 and list what each passage clearly says.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, please help us be kind, wise, courageous, and ready to help others. Teach us to trust you as we do what is right. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
2 Samuel 10
1 After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2 David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.
7 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.
8 The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.
10 The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
12 Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what seems good to him.”
13 So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
14 When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
15 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.
16 Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head.
17 David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.
18 The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there.
19 When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.
1 Chronicles 19
1 After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2 David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”
4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 Then some people went and told David how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of the mighty men.
9 The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose some of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.
11 The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
12 He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.
13 Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.”
14 So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him.
15 When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and called out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer leading them.
17 David was told that, so he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, came to them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrian men seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand footmen, and also killed Shophach the captain of the army.
19 When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.