Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 11:1-2 (New Century Version)

¹ About a month later Nahash the Ammonite and his army surrounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

² But he answered, “I will make a treaty with you only if I’m allowed to poke out the right eye of each of you. Then all Israel will be ashamed!”

This is a tough treaty. Nahash – an Ammonite – is attacking a city in Gilead. He will make a treaty and spare the city on one little condition:

He gets to poke out the right eye of every person there.

I did a little research on this one. There doesn’t seem to be any great ancient cultural item here. The only affect would be that Nahash would gain the reputation of someone whom you would not want to insult, make angry, or be on his bad list. Plus, the people of the city, with all their right eyes removed, would look awful to anyone they met.