David, Hanun ben Nahash, and the Debt Owed for Loyalty

(Gen. 20:1:) THEN ABRAHAM JOURNEYED FROM THERE. It is written (in Prov. 27:10): DO NOT FORSAKE YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR FATHER'S FRIEND. This refers to Hanun ben Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, as it is said (in II Sam. 10:1): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS THAT NAHASH THE KING OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON DIED; and (ibid., vs. 2): THEN DAVID SAID: I WILL DEAL KINDLY WITH HANUN BEN NAHASH. R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Eleazar ben Pedat: And what kindness had Nahash done with David, that he said (ibid.) AS HIS FATHER DEALT KINDLY WITH ME? Rather, when David fled from Saul, David and all his father's house went to Moab. He said to them: Receive my father's house, as it is said (in I Sam. 22:4): AND HE BROUGHT THEM BEFORE THE KING OF MOAB; and (ibid., vs. 3): AND HE SAID TO THE KING OF MOAB: LET MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER COME OUT, PRAY, WITH YOU. And they received them. Once David had left, the king of Moab arose and killed David's father, his mother, and his brothers. None of them survived except one, as it is said (in I Chron. 27:18): BELONGING TO JUDAH, ELIHU, OF THE BROTHERS OF DAVID. R. Levi the Priest bar Halafta said that none of them survived except one. And how was Elihu saved? Rather, he fled from the king of Moab and went to Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, who received him. The king of Moab sent and said to Nahash: Has, perhaps, one of David's brothers come to you? He said to him: No. And he guarded him until David came. Therefore David said: I WILL DEAL KINDLY WITH HANUN BEN NAHASH. When David's messengers came to Hanun, the princes of the children of Ammon said to him (in II Sam. 10:3): IS DAVID HONORING YOUR FATHER IN YOUR EYES, THAT HE HAS SENT COMFORTERS TO YOU? Do not trust David! Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, warns him concerning us; it is written in His Torah (in Deut. 23:4): AN AMMONITE OR A MOABITE SHALL NOT ENTER THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LORD, and it is written (ibid., vs. 7): YOU SHALL NOT SEEK THEIR PEACE OR THEIR WELFARE. The Holy One, blessed be He, warns him, yet he nullifies the words of his God and says: I WILL DEAL KINDLY WITH HANUN BEN NAHASH? (II Sam. 10:3:) IS IT NOT IN ORDER TO SEARCH OUT THE CITY? Immediately (ibid., vs. 4): HANUN TOOK DAVID'S SERVANTS AND SHAVED OFF HALF OF THEIR BEARDS. And the Holy Spirit cries out: YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR FATHER'S FRIEND. And so too Jehoram ben Jehoshaphat: once he became king, he killed all his brothers, as it is said (in II Chron. 21:4): AND JEHORAM ROSE UP OVER THE KINGDOM OF HIS FATHER AND STRENGTHENED HIMSELF AND KILLED ALL HIS BROTHERS.