2 Samuel 10 tells the story of a conflict between the Israelites and the Ammonites. The chapter begins with the death of the Ammonite king and David sending messengers to express condolences to his son and successor, Hanun. However, the Ammonite nobles convince Hanun that David's intentions are not genuine, and they advise him to treat David's messengers with suspicion. Following their advice, Hanun humiliates David's messengers by shaving off half of their beards and cutting their garments.
Humiliated, the messengers return to David, who instructs them to stay in Jericho until their beards have grown back. Meanwhile, the Ammonites realize the severity of their actions and gather a large army, hiring mercenaries from surrounding nations to assist them. Upon learning of this, David sends Joab, the commander of his army, to engage the Ammonites in battle.
As the battle begins, the Ammonites and their allies face a significant defeat at the hands of Joab and the Israelite army. Recognizing their loss, the Ammonites flee, and the mercenaries also retreat to their own lands. Afterward, the Ammonites regroup and prepare for another battle, gathering an even larger army.