The Ammonites were a people descended from Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot by his younger daughter, as recorded in Genesis 19:38: "The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today." The territory of the Ammonites was located east of the Jordan River, in the region that is now part of modern-day Jordan. This area was characterized by its rugged terrain and fertile lands, which were well-suited for agriculture and livestock.

The primary city of the Ammonites was Rabbah, also known as Rabbath-Ammon, which is present-day Amman, the capital of Jordan. This city is mentioned in several biblical passages, including 2 Samuel 12:26, where Joab fought against Rabbah and captured the royal city. The territory of the Ammonites was bordered by the territories of the Moabites to the south and the Israelites to the west. The Jabbok River served as a significant geographical marker, often delineating the boundary between Ammonite and Israelite lands.

Throughout biblical history, the Ammonites were frequently in conflict with the Israelites. In Judges 11, Jephthah, a judge of Israel, led a campaign against the Ammonites, who had oppressed the Israelites for eighteen years. The Ammonites claimed that the Israelites had taken their land when they came out of Egypt, but Jephthah refuted this by recounting Israel's journey and the divine command not to disturb the land of the Ammonites (Judges 11:12-28).

The Ammonites also played a role during the reigns of the Israelite kings. In 1 Samuel 11, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead, leading to Saul's first military victory as king of Israel. Later, during King David's reign, the Ammonites insulted David's envoys, leading to a war in which David's forces, under Joab, defeated the Ammonites and their allies (2 Samuel 10).

The prophets frequently spoke against the Ammonites, condemning their actions and predicting their downfall. In Jeremiah 49:1-6, the prophet declares judgment against Ammon for seizing Israelite territory and worshiping the god Milcom. Similarly, Ezekiel 25:1-7 prophesies against the Ammonites for their rejoicing over the destruction of the temple and the exile of the Israelites.

Despite their frequent hostilities, the Ammonites were not entirely excluded from God's redemptive plan. In Deuteronomy 23:3, the law initially excluded Ammonites from the assembly of the Lord, yet the book of Ruth highlights the inclusion of Moabites, a related people, through Ruth's faithfulness. This suggests a broader theme of redemption and inclusion for those who turn to the God of Israel.

The territory of the Ammonites, with its strategic location and historical significance, played a crucial role in the biblical narrative, illustrating the complex relationships between the Israelites and their neighboring peoples.Numbers 21:24
And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon to Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
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Deuteronomy 2:19
And when you come near over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give you of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.
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Joshua 12:2
Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelled in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
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Joshua 13:10,25
And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon;
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Judges 11:13
And the king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even to Jabbok, and to Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
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The Nations of the South-East
... days; their cities were captured by the invading Ammonites, and they themselves
massacred or absorbed into the conquerors. To the north the territory of Ammon ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

Joshua's Conquest.
... The territory naturally falls into three divisions: (a) Judah or Judea which is
in ... on the northeast, and on the east and southeast, the Ammonites, Moabites and ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter viii joshuas conquest.htm

Chapter xiv
... Since it lay in Ammonite territory, it could well have been Rabba of the Ammonites
(cf. De 3:11), as Keil suggests; for this was apparently the capital city. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiv.htm

Accordingly, Saul, Having Been First Anointed by Samuel with the ...
... him, refusing to acknowledge his authority, and had joined themselves to the Ammonites. ...
Accordingly, an army was led into the territory of the enemy, the king ...
/.../chapter xxxiii accordingly saul having.htm

Whether the Judicial Precepts Regarding Foreigners were Framed in ...
... with whom their relations had been hostile, such as the Ammonites and Moabites ... use
of the people themselves, to whom the city with its territory was destined to ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the judicial precepts regarding.htm

Canaan
... invasion, the Amorite king Sihon had robbed Moab of its territory and founded his ...
Even the Israelites and Ammonites are called "Hittites" by an Assyrian king. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Israelites
... the same sense as the rest of his brethren; no territory was assigned ... Moabites and
Midianites, Ammonites and Bedawin, even the king of distant Mesopotamia, had ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

In the Last Chapter we Confined Ourself to the Old Testament, in ...
... goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites[hellip]
then ... true that the Italian pontiffs have ruled over a wide territory, yet it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the last chapter we.htm

The Pioneer's Influence Upon a Nation's Ideals.
... earlier stories stands as the traditional ancestor of the Moabites and Ammonites. ...
of the second millenium BC moved westward into the territory of Palestine. ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study v the pioneers influence.htm

From Megiddo to Carchemish, 608-605.
... Necoh was not invading Judah, but crossing Philistine territory and a Galilee which ...
with some of his own Chaldeans, troops of Moabites, Ammonites and Arameans. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 from megiddo to carchemish.htm

Who were the Ammonites? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Jephthah? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about child sacrifice? | GotQuestions.org

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