דברי הימים א, פרק י״ט, פסוק ד׳

Hanun's treatment of David's messengers was a calculated act of public humiliation, designed to be as offensive and degrading as possible [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The punishment carried a deep symbolic meaning. Because the Ammonite leaders suspected these men were spies sent to uncover the vulnerabilities, or the "nakedness," of the land, Hanun retaliated with a literal interpretation of their fears. By exposing the actual physical nakedness of the messengers, he sent a clear message that their supposed plot had been discovered, turning their shame into a public spectacle [חומת אנך].

To achieve this, Hanun first targeted their faces. Relying on parallel historical accounts, commentators explain that he did not shave them completely, but rather shaved off exactly half of their beards. This deliberate asymmetry was chosen to maximize the insult, creating a ridiculous appearance that was entirely impossible to hide [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, חומת אנך].

After disfiguring their faces, Hanun ruined their clothing. He took their long, formal uniforms and cut them perfectly in half [מצודת דוד]. The garments were severed right at the hip joint, the area where the movement of the legs begins [רלב״ג, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators, supported by parallel historical records, is that this specific cut was meant to expose their most private areas, both front and back [רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג]. Stripped of their dignity and their protective clothing, the messengers were forced to make their journey home completely exposed and profoundly humiliated.