Reference: MOABITES
American
Descendants of Moab the son of Lot, Ge 19:30-38. The land of Moab lay east and southeast of the Dead Sea, and chiefly south of the river Arnon. At one period, however, it extended north as far as the Jabbok, and for a long time the region beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho retained the name of "the plains of Moab," Nu 22:1; De 1:5; 29:1; Jos 13:32. The Moabites had dispossessed a race of giants called Emin, De 2:11, and had themselves been expelled by the Amorites from the territory north of the Arnon, Nu 21:13,26; Jg 11:13-18, which was again conquered by Moses, and assigned to the tribe of Reuben. On the approach of Israel from Egypt, the Moabites acted with great inhumanity, Nu 22-24; De 2:8-9; and though God spared them from conquest, he excluded them and their seed even to the tenth generation form the peculiar privileges of his people, De 23:3-6. They were gross idolaters, worshipping Chemosh and Baal-peor with obscene rites, Nu 25; 2Ki 3:27. See MOLOCH. At times, as in the days of Ruth, there was peace between them and Israel; but a state of hostility was far more common, as in the time of Eglon, Jg 3:12-30; of Saul, 1Sa 14:47; of David, 2Sa 8:2,12; of Joram and Jeroboam, 2000'>2Ki 3:13,20; 14:25. They aided Nebuchadnezzar against the Jews, 2Ki 24:2; Eze 25:6-11; and after these began to be carried captive, appear to have regained their old possessions north of the Arnon, Isa 15-16. The Jewish prophets recorded many threatenings against these hereditary enemies of God and his people, Nu 24:17; Ps 60:12; 83:6; Jer 25:9-21; 48; Am 2:1-3; and all travelers concur in attesting the fulfillment of these predictions. Desolation and gloom, brood over the mountains of Moab, and its fruitful valleys are for the most part untilled. It is under Turkish government, but is inhabited chiefly by migratory Arabs, Zep 2:8-9. Few travelers have ventured to traverse it in modern times. They describe it as abounding in ruins, such as shattered tombs, cisterns walls, temples, etc., proving that it was once densely populated. See "KEITH ON PROPHECY."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
But Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man left in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth. read more. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him that we may preserve the generation of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night; and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the next day that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in and lie with him that we may preserve the generation of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Benammi; the same is the father of the sons of Ammon unto this day.
From thence they removed and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the borders of the Amorite; for Arnon is the border of Moab between Moab and the Amorite.
For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken out of his hand all his land unto Arnon.
And the sons of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan in front of Jericho.
I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near by; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the sons of Seth.
on this side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses resolved to declare this law, saying,
And when we passed by our brethren, the sons of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of their land for a possession because I have given Ar unto the sons of Lot for an inheritance.
which also were accounted giants as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water in the way when ye came forth out of Egypt and because they hired against thee Balaam, the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. read more. Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam, but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee because the LORD thy God loved thee. Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
This is what Moses distributed in inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan of Jericho, eastward.
And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. And he gathered unto him the sons of Ammon and of Amalek and went and smote Israel and took the city of palm trees. read more. So the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud, the son of Gera, a son of Jemini, a man, who had his right hand impeded, and by him the sons of Israel sent a present unto Eglon, the king of Moab. But Ehud had made himself a two-edged sword of a cubit length, and he girded it under his clothing upon his right thigh. And he brought the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had offered the present, he sent away the people that had brought the present. But he, himself turned again from the graven images that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word for thee, O king, who then said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him, and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word from God unto thee. Then he arose out of his seat. But Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon's belly; in such a manner that the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly, and the excrement came out. Then Ehud went forth through the porch and shut the doors of the parlour upon him and locked them. When he was gone out, his slaves came; and when they saw that the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Peradventure he covers his feet in his summer chamber. And having waited until they were confounded and he had not opened the doors of the parlour; therefore, they took a key and opened them; and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. But while they had waited, Ehud escaped and passed beyond the graven images and escaped unto Seirath. And as he entered in, he blew the shofar in the mountain of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. Then he said unto them, Follow after me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands. And they went down after him and took the fords of the Jordan towards Moab and did not let anyone pass. And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all fat, and all men of war, and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subjected that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.
And the king of the sons of Ammon replied unto the ambassadors of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and unto the Jordan; now, therefore, restore those lands again peaceably. Then Jephthah sent ambassadors again unto the king of the sons of Ammon, read more. saying unto him, Thus hath Jephthah said, Israel did not take land from Moab, nor land from the sons of Ammon, but Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea and came to Kadesh. Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land. But the king of Edom would not hear them. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not consent either; therefore Israel abode in Kadesh. Then they went along through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the side of the rising of the sun to the land of Moab; they pitched their camp on the other side of Arnon and did not enter within the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab.
So Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab and against the sons of Ammon and against Edom and against the kings of Zobah and against the Philistines; and wherever he turned himself, he troubled them.
He also smote those of Moab and measured them with a line, causing them to lie down on the ground, and he measured them with two lines, with one to put to death and the other full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's slaves, bringing presents.
of the Syrians and of the Moabites and of the sons of Ammon and of the Philistines and of Amalekites and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
Then Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, No, for the LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
And it came to pass in the morning, when the present was offered, that water came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.
He restored the borders of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he had spoken by the hand of his slave Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gathhepher.
And the LORD sent against him armies of the Chaldees and armies of the Syrians and armies of the Moabites and armies of the sons of Ammon and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his slaves the prophets.
Through God we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
behold, I will send and take all the families of the north wind, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my slave, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about and will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. And I will cause them to lose the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. read more. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment; and these Gentiles shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, that I will visit upon the king of Babylon and upon that people their own evil, said the LORD and upon the land of the Chaldeans and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have spoken against it, with all that is written in this book, prophesied by Jeremiah against all the Gentiles. For many Gentiles and great kings shall serve themselves of them also; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands. For thus hath the LORD God of Israel said unto me: Take the wine cup of this fury from my hand and cause all the Gentiles, to whom I send thee, to drink of it. And they shall drink and be moved and become mad, before the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup from the LORD's hand and made all the Gentiles to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me, unto Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah and to its kings and to its princes, that I might place them into desolation, into astonishment, and into hissing, and into a curse, as this day, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his slaves and to his princes and to all his people, and to all the mingled people and to all the kings of the land of Uz and to all the kings of the land of the Philistines and to Ashkelon and to Gaza and to Ekron and to the remnant of Ashdod, to Edom and to Moab and to the sons of Ammon,
For thus hath the Lord GOD said; Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in thy soul with all thy despite upon the land of Israel, behold, therefore I will stretch out my hand upon thee and will deliver thee unto the Gentiles as a spoil, and I will cut thee off from among the peoples, and I will destroy thee from among the countries; I will pluck thee out; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. read more. Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because Moab and Seir said, Behold, the house of the LORD is like unto all the Gentiles submitted to Babylon, therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the desirable lands of Bethjeshimoth and Baalmeon and Kiriathaim, unto the sons of the east against the sons of Ammon and will give them in possession that the sons of Ammon may not be remembered any more among the Gentiles. I will also execute judgments in Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Thus hath the LORD said: For three transgressions of Moab and for the fourth, I will not convert her because she burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime; but I will send fire in Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab shall die in tumult, with shouting and with the sound of the shofar: read more. and I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof and will slay all the princes thereof with him, said the LORD.
I have heard the reproaches of Moab, and the revilings of the sons of Ammon, by which they have dishonoured my people and magnified themselves over their border. Therefore as I live, said the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, even a field of nettles and saltpits and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my Gentiles shall inherit them.