When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return."I'll admit to being curious on how this exactly played out. How did David find out what had happened? Did one of their number come ahead to give the bad news, accepting his shame as part of the duty? Or did they send a messenger ahead; and if so, did they do it because they were embarrassed, or just to get the news to David faster?
As in the previous chapter, David again shows kindness to those who he could lord over. He could have made them come report in person, regardless of their shame. He could have gone to see them personally, which would also embarrass them. But instead he sent word that they could stay away until their beards had grown, restoring their dignity. He knew what he needed to know, and he didn't need to hear it from them personally to know what needed to be done, nor because his vanity demanded a direct report.
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