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
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The older daughter had a son, whom she named Moab. He was the ancestor of the present-day Moabites.
The people of Israel sent messengers to the Amorite king Sihon to say: Let us go through your country. We will not go through any of your fields or vineyards or drink any of the water from your wells. We will stay on the king's highway until we have passed through your territory. read more. Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his troops and came out into the desert to attack Israel. When Sihon's troops came to Jahaz, they fought against Israel. Israel defeated them in battle and took possession of their land from the Arnon Valley to the Jabbok River. They stopped at the border of the Ammon because it was fortified. The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns. They settled in the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. King Sihon ruled from Heshbon after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge. That is why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon: Come and rebuild Heshbon, King Sihon's capital city! His armies marched out like fiery flames, burning down the town of Ar and destroying the hills along the Arnon River. You Moabites are done for! Your god Chemosh deserted your people. They were captured, taken away by King Sihon the Amorite. We completely defeated Moab. The towns of Heshbon and Dibon, of Nophah and Medeba are ruined and gone. After the Israelites settled in the Amorite territory,
Moses said to the judges of Israel: Each of you put to death those men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.
Look, these women caused the Israelites, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against Jehovah in the matter of Peor. Thus the congregation of Jehovah experienced the plague.
Then Jehovah said to me: 'Do not trouble the people of Moab, the descendants of Lot. And do not start a war with them. I gave them the city of Ar, and I am not going to give you any of their land.'
Moses continued: Cross over the Arnon River. I will help you defeat Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon and his country. Possess his land and engage him in battle. From this day forward I will make all the people and nations through out the earth afraid of you. They will hear reports about you and tremble and be in anguish because of you. read more. I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth to King Sihon of Heshbon with the following offer of peace: If you allow us to travel through your country, we will go straight through and will not leave the road. We will pay you in silver for the food we eat and the water we drink. Please let us go through, as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us. We will keep going until we cross the Jordan River into the land Jehovah our God is giving us.' King Sihon of Heshbon would not allow us to pass through. Jehovah your God made him stubborn and overconfident in order to hand him over to you, as he has now done. Then Jehovah said to me: 'I make King Sihon and his land helpless before you. Capture his land and occupy it.' Sihon came out with all his men to fight us near the town of Jahaz, and Jehovah our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and all his people. We captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom. We killed everyone. We took the livestock and everything else of value.
This is because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt. It is because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
Their coast was from Aroer that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba, Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, read more. And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the mount of the valley, And Beth-peor, and Ashdoth-pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth, All the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses killed with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, who were dukes of Sihon, living in the country.
To the one half tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but he gave the other half to Joshua among their brothers on this side Jordan westward. Joshua sent them a way to their tents and he blessed them.
The people of Israel sinned against Jehovah again. Because of this Jehovah made King Eglon of Moab stronger than Israel. Eglon joined the Ammonites and the Amalekites. They defeated Israel and captured Jericho, the city of palm trees. read more. The Israelites were subject to Eglon for eighteen years. Then the Israelites cried out to Jehovah. So he sent someone to free them. This was Ehud, a left-handed man, who was the son of Gera, from the tribe of Benjamin. The people of Israel sent Ehud to King Eglon of Moab with gifts for him. Ehud made himself a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long. He fastened it on his right side under his clothes. He took the gifts to Eglon, who was a very fat man. When Ehud gave him the gifts, he told the men who carried them to go back home. But Ehud turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal, went back to Eglon, and said: Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you. So the king ordered his servants: Leave us alone! Then they all went out. The king was sitting there alone in his cool room on the roof. Ehud went over to him and said: I have a message from God for you. The king stood up. With his left hand Ehud took the sword from his right side and plunged it into the king's belly. The whole sword went in, handle and all, and the fat covered it up. Ehud did not pull it out of the king's belly, and it stuck out behind, between his legs. Ehud went outside, closed the doors behind him, locked them. Then he left. The servants came and saw that the doors to the upstairs room were locked. They only thought that the king was inside, relieving himself. They waited as long as they thought they should. When he still did not open the door, they took the key and opened it. There lying dead on the floor was their master. Ehud got away while they were waiting. He went past the carved stones and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived there in the hill country of Ephraim, he blew a trumpet to call the people of Israel to battle. Then he led them down from the hills. He said to them: Follow me! Jehovah has given you victory over your enemies, the Moabites. So they followed Ehud and captured the place where the Moabites were to cross the Jordan. They did not allow anyone to cross. They killed about ten thousand of the best Moabite soldiers. None of them escaped. That day the Israelites defeated Moab. There was peace in the land for eighty years.
This was his answer: It is not true that Israel took away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon.
Do you think you are better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever challenge Israel or fight with them?
After Saul became king of Israel, he fought all his enemies everywhere: the people of Moab, of Ammon, and of Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. He was victorious wherever he fought.
David went from there to Mizpah in Moab. He said to the king of Moab: Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.
King David attacked the Philistines again. He defeated them and ended their control over Methegammah. He defeated the Moabites. He made the prisoners lie down on the ground and put two out of every three of them to death. So the Moabites became his subjects and paid taxes to him.
These nation included: Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the goods taken from Zobah's King Hadadezer, son of Rehob.
Solomon loved many women. They were of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.
Then Solomon put up a high place for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, in the mountain near Jerusalem. And for Molech, the disgusting god worshipped by the children of Ammon.
Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He ruled in Samaria for twelve years.
He took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country.
Elisha died and they buried him. Now in the spring of the year, armed bands of Moabites frequently came, overrunning the land.
Jehovah sent raiding parties of Babylonians, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah as Jehovah predicted through his servants the prophets.
When the Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were very angry.
They joined in worshiping the god Baal while they were at Peor. They ate what was sacrificed to the dead.
The Lord Jehovah says: 'Because Moab and Seir say, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,
Jehovah said: I will not withdraw punishment for the many transgressions of Moab. He burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. I will send a fire to Moab, and it will devour the palaces of Kerioth. Moab will die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet! read more. I will destroy her ruler and government officials along with him, said Jehovah.
I have heard the reproach of Moab and the taunting by the children of Ammon. They have reproached my people. They behave arrogantly at the border. Just as I live, said Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, Moab will be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah. They will be possessions of nettles and salt pits. They will be deserted forever! My people will plunder them and the remnant of my nation will take possession of their land. read more. They will have this instead of their pride. This is because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah of Hosts. Jehovah will fill them with fear for he will starve (emaciate) all the gods of the earth! Men will worship him, each one from his place, even the coastlands of the nations.