Reference: Moab, Moabites
Hastings
Moab occupied the lofty table-land to the east of the Dead Sea. It was bounded on the E. by the Arabian desert, on the S. by the land of Edom, on the W. by the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley. Its N. boundary fluctuated at different periods between the Arnon and an indistinct line some distance north of Heshbon. This table-land is elevated some 3000 feet above the level of the Mediterranean, and 4300 feet above the Dead Sea. It is traversed by three deep valleys, the middle one of which, the Arnon, is the deepest, and is often mentioned in the Bible. The northern portion consists of broad stretches of rolling country, the reddish soil of which is fertile, while in the southern portion more hills are found, and the deep wrinkles interfere more with agriculture. In the winter months the rainfall is adequate, and renders the country very desirable in comparison with the deserts on its border.
In the earliest times known to us this land was called Lotan (Egyp. Ruten), or Lot. The narrative of Ge 19, which makes Lot (wh. see) the father of Moab, apparently means that the Moabites settled in this land of Lot. The meaning of Moab is undetermined. The etymology of Ge 19:37 (Septuagint) is not philological, and modern guesses are uncertain.
The narrative of Ge 19 shows that the Israelites recognized the Moabites as their kinsmen. That they really were such, their language, religion, and customs, so far as known to us, also testify. Probably, then, the Moabites came with the wave of Aram
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And the elder bare a son and called him Moab, which is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, "Let us go through thy land; We will not turn into thy fields nor into thy vineyards, neither drink of the water of the wells: but we will go along by the common way, until we be past thy country." read more. And Sihon would give Israel no license to pass through his country, but gathered all his people together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. And he came to Jahaz and fought with Israel. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and conquered his land, from Arnon unto Jabbok: even unto the children of Ammon. For the borders of the children of Ammon are strong. And Israel took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites: in Heshbon and in all the towns that long thereto. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites which Sihon had fought before with the king of the Moabites, and had taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say: "Go to Heshbon and let the city of Sihon be built and made ready! For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the city of Sihon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites and the men of the hills of Arnon! Woe be to thee, Moab! O people of Chemosh, ye are forlorn! His sons are put to flight and his daughters brought captive unto Sihon, king of the Amorites! Their light is out, from Heshbon unto Dibon! And we made a wilderness even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba!" And thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, "Go and slay those men that joined themselves unto Baal- Peor."
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD by the reason of Peor: and there followed a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Then the LORD said unto me, 'See that thou vex not the Moabites, neither provoke them to battle, for I will not give thee of their land to possess: because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot to possess.'
'Rise up, take your journey and go over the river Arnon. Behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite king of Heshbon, and his land. Go to, and conquer and provoke him to battle. This day I will begin to send the fear and dread of thee upon all nations that are under all ports of heaven: so that when they hear speak of thee, they shall tremble and quake for fear of thee.' read more. Then I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 'Let me go through thy land. I will go always along by the high way and will neither turn unto the right hand, nor to the left. Sell me meat, for money, for to eat; and give me drink, for money, for to drink: I will go through by foot only - as the children of Esau did unto me, which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar - until I be come over Jordan, into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.' But Sihon, the king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him; for the LORD thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart tough because he would deliver him into thy hands as it is come to pass this day. And the LORD said unto me, 'Behold, I have begun to set Sihon and his land before thee: go to and conquer, that thou mayest possess his land.' Then both Sihon and all his people came out against us unto battle at Jahaz. And the LORD set him before us, and we smote him and his sons and all his people. And we took all his cities the same season, and destroyed all the cities with men, women, and children and let nothing remain, save the cattle only we caught unto ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we took:
because they met you not with bread and water in the way when ye came out of Egypt, and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor, the interpreter of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
And their coasts were from Aroer that lieth on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that lieth in the river, and all the plain about Medeba, Heshbon, and all her towns that lie in the plain: Dibon Bamothbaal and Bethbaalmeon; read more. Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath; Kiriathaim, Sibmah and Zerethshahar in mount Emak; and Bethpeor and the springs of Pisgah, and Bethjeshimoth; and all the cities in the plain. And all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the lords of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the lords of Sihon, and the inhabiters of the country.
Unto the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses gave possession in Bashan: and unto the other half thereof gave Joshua with their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And also when Joshua sent them away unto their tents and blessed them,
And then the children of Israel went to again, and committed wickedness in the sight of the LORD. And then the LORD hardened Eglon the king of the Moabites, against the children of Israel, because they had committed wickedness before the LORD. And this Eglon gathered unto him the children of Ammon, and the Amalekites, and went and smote the children of Israel, and conquered the city of palm trees. read more. And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of the Moabites eighteen years. And then they cried unto the LORD. And the LORD stirred them up a saver, Ehud the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, a man that could do nothing handsomely with his right hand. And when the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of the Moabites, Ehud made him a two-edged dagger of a span long, and girded it under his garment upon his right thigh; and brought the present unto Eglon the king of the Moabites. As for Eglon, he was a very fat man. And when he had delivered the present, he let the people go that had carried the present, and he himself turned back from the idols at Gilgal, and caused to say thus: "I have a secret thing to tell thee, O king." And the king commanded to keep silence, and all they that stood about him went out from him. And Ehud came in unto him in a summer parlor, of which he had several unto himself alone, and said, "I have a message unto thee from God." And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly, so that the hilt went in also, and the fat closed upon the hilt: for he drew not the dagger out of his belly. And filthiness departed from him. But Ehud gat him out at the back door, and put to the door after him, and locked it. When he was gone out, his servants came and looked. And behold, the doors of the parlor were locked. And they said, "Ah, he is doing of his easement in his summer chamber." And when they had tarried till they were ashamed, for no man did the doors of the parlor open: then they took a key and opened them. And behold, their lord was fallen down dead upon the earth. But Ehud escaped while they tarried, and was gone beyond the idols and escaped into Seirah. And when he was come, he blew a trumpet in mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel went down with him off the hill and he before them. And he said unto them, "Follow me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites into your hands." And they descended after him and took the passages of Jordan from the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over. And they slew of the Moabites, the same time, upon a ten thousand men, all nobles, and men of might: that there escaped not a man, and so the Moabites were subdued that day, under the hands of Israel: and the land had rest eighty years.
and said unto him, "Thus sayeth Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.
And thereto art thou better than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab? Did he strive with Israel or fight against thee,
And so Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side: against the Moabites; against the children of Ammon; against the Edomites; against the kings of Zobah; and against the Philistines.
And David went thence to Mizpeh in the land of Moab, and said unto the king of Moab, "Let my father and mother, I pray thee, have their abiding with you, till I know what God will do with me."
After that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took the bridle of bondage out of their hands. And he beat the Moabites and measured them with a line, making them lie along the earth; so that he brought two parts of them to death, and let one part live. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and paid tribute.
of the Syrians, the Moabites, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
But king Solomon loved many outlandish women: the daughter of Pharaoh, and of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites,
After that, Solomon built an altar for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon.
Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign upon Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and continued twelve years.
And then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the walls. And there came so great wrath upon Israel, that they departed from him and returned to their own land.
When Elisha was dead and buried the soldiers of the Moabites came into the land, the year following.
And the LORD sent upon him men of war out of Chaldea, out of Syria, out of the Moabites, and from the children of Ammon: and sent them into Judah to destroy it, according to the saying of the LORD which he spake by his servants the Prophets.
But when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that they had begun to stop up the gaps, they were very wroth;
They joined themselves unto Baal-Peor, and ate the offerings of the dead.
"'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as Moab and Seir do say, 'As for the house of Judah, it is but like as all other Gentiles be,'
Thus sayeth the LORD, 'For three and four wickednesses of Moab, I will not spare him: because he burnt the bones of the king of Edom to ashes. Therefore will I send a fire into Moab, which shall consume the palaces of Kerioth: so that Moab shall perish with a noise and the sound of a shawme. read more. I will root out the judge from among them, and slay all his princes with him,' sayeth the LORD.
I have heard the despite of Moab, and the blasphemies of the children of Ammon: how they have shamefully intreated my people, and magnified themselves within the borders of their land. Therefore as truly as I live, sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodom, and Ammon as Gomorrah: even dry thorn hedges, salt pits and perpetual wilderness. The residue of my folk shall spoil them, the remnant of my people shall have them in possession. read more. This shall happen unto them for their pride, because they have dealt so shamefully with the LORD of Hosts' people, and magnified themselves above them. The LORD shall be grim upon them, and destroy all the goods in the land. And all the Isles of the Heathen shall worship him, every man in his place.