The Moabites, descendants of Moab, the son of Lot and his elder daughter (Genesis 19:37), were a people who frequently found themselves in opposition to the Israelites throughout biblical history. The relationship between Israel and Moab is marked by hostility, conflict, and occasional periods of uneasy peace.

Early Hostility and Balaam's Curse

The Moabites first appear in the biblical narrative during Israel's wilderness wanderings. As the Israelites approached the Promised Land, they camped in the plains of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab, perceived Israel as a threat and sought to curse them through the prophet Balaam. Despite Balak's intentions, God intervened, and Balaam ended up blessing Israel instead of cursing them (Numbers 22-24). This incident highlights the Moabites' initial hostility towards Israel, driven by fear and a desire to protect their own territory.

Seduction and Idolatry at Peor

The Moabites further antagonized Israel by leading them into sin. Moabite women seduced the Israelite men, leading them to worship Baal of Peor. This act of seduction and idolatry provoked the Lord's anger, resulting in a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Numbers 25:1-9). This event underscores the Moabites' role in attempting to undermine Israel's covenant relationship with God.

Military Conflicts and Subjugation

Throughout the period of the Judges and the monarchy, the Moabites were frequently in conflict with Israel. During the time of the Judges, Eglon, the king of Moab, oppressed Israel for eighteen years until he was assassinated by Ehud, a judge raised by God to deliver Israel (Judges 3:12-30). This cycle of oppression and deliverance illustrates the ongoing enmity between the two nations.

Under King Saul, Israel fought against Moab (1 Samuel 14:47), and during King David's reign, the Moabites were subdued and became his servants, bringing tribute to Israel (2 Samuel 8:2). Despite this subjugation, the Moabites continued to resist Israelite dominance whenever possible.

Prophetic Denunciations

The prophets of Israel frequently denounced Moab for their pride and hostility. Isaiah prophesied the downfall of Moab, describing their pride and arrogance as reasons for their impending judgment (Isaiah 16:6-14). Similarly, Jeremiah pronounced a lengthy oracle against Moab, predicting their destruction and desolation (Jeremiah 48). These prophetic denunciations reflect the ongoing animosity and the moral and spiritual failings attributed to Moab.

Moab in the Later Periods

In the later periods of Israel's history, the Moabites continued to be a thorn in Israel's side. During the reign of Jehoram, king of Israel, Moab rebelled against Israelite control, leading to a coalition of Israel, Judah, and Edom marching against them (2 Kings 3:4-27). The Moabite Stone, an archaeological artifact, provides additional historical context, commemorating the Moabite King Mesha's rebellion against Israel.

Cultural and Religious Differences

The persistent hostility between Moab and Israel can be attributed to significant cultural and religious differences. The Moabites worshiped Chemosh, a god detestable to the Israelites (1 Kings 11:7), and their practices often stood in stark contrast to the worship of Yahweh. This religious divergence fueled the animosity and conflict between the two nations.

Legacy and Lessons

The Moabites' consistent hostility towards Israel serves as a reminder of the challenges Israel faced from surrounding nations. Despite occasional periods of peace and intermarriage, as seen in the account of Ruth, a Moabitess who became an ancestor of King David (Ruth 1:4, 4:13-22), the overarching narrative is one of enmity and conflict. The Moabites' interactions with Israel highlight the broader theme of Israel's struggle to maintain faithfulness to God amidst external pressures and temptations.Psalm 83:6
The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 25:8
Thus said the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like to all the heathen;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Historical Books.
... years of rest after the oppression of the Moabites. ... the people under the successive
kings, always adding, at ... his son Rehoboam into two hostile nations begins ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... and the crime of the Moabites, rebuked in ... heathen empires overflowed the land, Israel
always formed only a ... 7:4, 5, where, as objects of hostile visitation, are ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

The Last Farewell in the Presence of the one Hundred and Fifty ...
... Moreover, the Moabites and Ammonites must not even be ... among the passengers, who have
always been fighting ... I unite and join together the hostile occupants of ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xlii the last farewell.htm

Chapter xix
... two neighbouring nations, a hostile fabrication and ... 2:9 surely indicate that Israel
always maintained a ... these brother nations, especially toward the Moabites. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xix.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... of the skirmishes between the parties of hostile hordes of ... Just as Israel shall not
always remain Jezreel, Lo ... to exclude the Ammonites and Moabites is founded ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

The Prophet Amos.
... 2 Kings 3. viz., the vengeance which the Moabites took for ... review, Adonai precedes,
the Mazorets have always given to ... is here an emblem of hostile overflowing. ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet amos.htm

And ii.
... my bowels" by "bowels of the Moabites,""a view ... indicates the stations by which the
hostile army advances ... But, in doing so, he always chooses places, whose ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

Paul Before the Council.
... of their rivals, whom they were always eager to ... and were actuated by the same hostile
sentiments towards ... as in the case of the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxvi paul before the.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... Bedawins from the East, sheikhs of the Midianites, Moabites, and Ammonites"all ... to
time by raids in which the children of Israel did not always come off ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... The Egyptian Histories, although of so hostile a disposition ... ??glom [2038] king of
the Moabites for eighteen ... And Pythagoras the Great always applied his mind ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

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