The Moabites, descendants of Moab, the son of Lot and his elder daughter (Genesis 19:37), were a people who lived in the region east of the Dead Sea. Throughout biblical history, the Moabites had a complex and often adversarial relationship with the Israelites. Despite this, there were specific divine instructions given to the Israelites regarding their conduct towards the Moabites, particularly concerning the prohibition against spoiling or plundering them.

The Israelites were explicitly commanded not to harass or provoke the Moabites to war. In Deuteronomy 2:9, the LORD instructed Moses, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession." This directive was rooted in the familial connection between the Israelites and the Moabites, as both were descendants of Terah, Abraham's father.

The Moabites, however, were not always friendly towards Israel. During the Exodus, they refused to provide bread and water to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). This act of hostility led to a divine decree that no Moabite could enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation. Despite this, the Israelites were still bound by God's command not to spoil them.

The relationship between the Israelites and Moabites is further complicated by the account of Balaam, a prophet hired by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse Israel. Instead, God compelled Balaam to bless Israel (Numbers 22-24). This incident underscores the divine protection over Israel and the futility of Moab's attempts to harm God's chosen people.

In the period of the Judges, the Moabites oppressed Israel for eighteen years until Ehud, a judge raised by God, delivered Israel from Moabite domination (Judges 3:12-30). Despite such conflicts, the Israelites were not given divine sanction to spoil the Moabites, reflecting a divine boundary respecting the Moabites' territorial inheritance.

The account of Ruth, a Moabitess, further illustrates the complex relationship between the two peoples. Ruth's loyalty to her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi, and her subsequent marriage to Boaz, an Israelite, highlights the potential for harmony and integration between the two groups. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David, demonstrating God's providential inclusion of a Moabite within the lineage of Israel's greatest king and, ultimately, the Messiah (Ruth 4:13-22).

The prohibition against spoiling the Moabites serves as a testament to God's sovereign allocation of lands and His respect for familial ties, even amidst historical enmity. This command reflects a broader biblical principle of respecting God's ordained boundaries and recognizing His overarching plan for all nations.Deuteronomy 2:9
And the LORD said to me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give you of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 11:15
And said to him, Thus said Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... whose Assyrian name is unknown to us; it was at all events a military station on
the road to Nineveh, along which the king returned victorious with the spoil. ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

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