But his courteous act was misinterpreted. The Ammonites hated the true God and were the bitter enemies of Israel. The apparent kindness of Nahash to David had been prompted wholly by hostility to Saul as king of Israel. The message of David was misconstrued by Hanun's counselors. They "said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?" It was by the advice of his counselors that Nahash, half a century before, had been led to make the cruel condition required of the people of Jabesh-gilead, when, besieged by the Ammonites, they sued for a covenant of peace. Nahash had demanded the privilege of thrusting out all their right eyes. The Ammonites still vividly remembered how the king of Israel had foiled their cruel design, and had rescued the people whom they would have humbled and mutilated. The same hatred of Israel still prompted them. They could have no conception of the generous spirit that had inspired David's message. When Satan controls the minds of men he will excite envy and suspicion which will misconstrue the very best intentions. Listening to his counselors, Hanun regarded David's messengers as spies, and loaded them with scorn and insult.

Men Davids venlighed blev opfattet forkert. Ammonitterne hadede den sande Gud og var israelitternes bitre fjender. Nahasjs tilsyneladende venlighed over for David skyldtes udelukkende hans fjendskab til Israels konge Saul. Hanuns rådgivere misforstod fuldstændig Davids budskab. De sagde "til deres herre Hanun: "Tror du virkelig, det er for at hædre din fader, at David sender bud og viser dig deltagelse? Mon ikke det er for at udforske og udspejde byen og ødelægge den, at David sender sine folk til dig?" Det var på sine rådgiveres foranledning, at Nahasj et halvt århundrede tidligere havde stillet så frygtelige betingelser til befolkningen i Jabesj i Gilead, da ammonitterne havde belejret byen, og indbyggerne bad om fred. Ved den lejlighed betingede Nahasj sig ret til at stikke det højre øje ud på alle indbyggerne. Ammonitterne havde endnu i frisk erindring, hvorledes Israels konge krydsede deres onde plan og reddede de mennesker, som de ville have ydmyget og gjort fortræd. De var stadig opfyldt af det samme had til Israel. Det faldt dem slet ikke ind, at Davids motiver var ædle. Når Satan overtager kontrollen over menneskesindet, skaber han had og vækker mistanke, så at menneskene misforstår selv de bedste motiver. Hanun stolede på sine rådgivere, betragtede Davids sendebud som spioner og overøste dem med hån og foragt.