HANUN

(Haʹnun) [He Has Shown Favor; He Has Been Gracious].

1. Son of and successor to the throne of Nahash the king of Ammon. Because of the loving-kindness Nahash had exercised toward him, David sent messengers to comfort Hanun over the loss of his father. But Hanun, convinced by his princes that this was merely a subterfuge on David’s part to spy out the city, dishonored David’s servants by shaving off half their beards and cutting their garments in half to their buttocks and then sent them away. When the sons of Ammon saw that they had become foul smelling to David because of the humiliation meted out to his messengers, Hanun took the initiative to prepare for war and hired the Syrians to fight against Israel. In the ensuing conflicts the Ammonites and the Syrians were completely defeated by Israel; David subjected the surviving Ammonites of Rabbah to forced labor.​—2Sa 10:1–11:1; 12:26-31; 1Ch 19:1–20:3.

2. One who, with the inhabitants of Zanoah, repaired the Valley Gate and part of the wall of Jerusalem.​—Ne 3:13.

3. “The sixth son of Zalaph”; he did repair work on the wall of Jerusalem.​—Ne 3:30.