Topical Bible: Homicide: Felonious: Ammonites

◄ Homicide: Felonious: Ammonites ►

Topical Encyclopedia

The Ammonites, descendants of Lot through his younger daughter (Genesis 19:38), were a frequent adversary of the Israelites throughout biblical history. Their interactions with Israel often involved acts of aggression and violence, including instances of felonious homicide. The Ammonites' hostility towards Israel is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, reflecting their role as both a literal and spiritual adversary to God's chosen people.

One of the most notable instances of Ammonite aggression is recorded in the book of Judges. Jephthah, a judge of Israel, confronted the Ammonites when they waged war against Israel. The Ammonites claimed that Israel had taken their land during the Exodus, a claim Jephthah refuted by recounting Israel's peaceful passage through the wilderness and their rightful conquest of the land from the Amorites, not the Ammonites (Judges 11:12-27). Despite Jephthah's attempts at diplomacy, the Ammonites persisted in their aggression, leading to a conflict in which Jephthah, empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, defeated them (Judges 11:29-33).

The Ammonites' felonious acts are further exemplified during the reign of King Saul. Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead, threatening to gouge out the right eye of every Israelite as a disgrace upon all Israel (1 Samuel 11:1-2). This act of intended mutilation and murder was thwarted by Saul, who rallied the Israelites and delivered a decisive victory against the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:11).

In the time of King David, the Ammonites again demonstrated their violent tendencies. After the death of Nahash, David sought to show kindness to Hanun, Nahash's son, but his gesture was misinterpreted as espionage. In response, Hanun humiliated David's envoys, leading to a war in which the Ammonites hired Aramean mercenaries to fight against Israel. David's forces, led by Joab, ultimately defeated the Ammonites and their allies (2 Samuel 10:1-19).

The Ammonites' felonious actions are not limited to physical violence but extend to spiritual and moral corruption. They worshiped the god Molech, to whom they offered child sacrifices, a practice that was an abomination to the Lord (Leviticus 18:21; 1 Kings 11:7). This idolatry and the associated acts of murder were condemned by the prophets, who warned of divine judgment against the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:1-6; Ezekiel 25:1-7).

Throughout the biblical narrative, the Ammonites serve as a symbol of the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. Their repeated acts of felonious homicide against Israel highlight the broader spiritual battle between the forces of darkness and the people of God. The Ammonites' ultimate downfall serves as a testament to God's justice and the protection He affords to those who remain faithful to Him.

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Amos 1:13-15
Thus said the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
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