The Ammonites, descendants of Lot through his younger daughter, were a people frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Their territory was located east of the Jordan River, in what is now modern-day Jordan. Throughout biblical history, the Ammonites often found themselves in conflict with the Israelites. Despite their kinship with the Israelites, the Ammonites were frequently hostile, leading to numerous prophetic declarations against them.

Prophetic Context

The Ammonites, like many of the nations surrounding Israel, were subject to prophetic pronouncements due to their actions against God's chosen people. The prophets of Israel, under divine inspiration, foretold the fate of these nations, including the Ammonites, often as a consequence of their enmity and idolatry.

Subjection to Babylon

The subjection of the Ammonites to Babylon is a significant theme in the prophetic literature. The prophet Jeremiah, in particular, speaks directly to the fate of the Ammonites in the context of the Babylonian expansion under King Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah's Prophecy

Jeremiah 27:2-6 provides a broader context of the Babylonian dominance over the nations, including the Ammonites. God instructs Jeremiah to make a yoke and send it to the kings of Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, Tyre, and Sidon, symbolizing their impending subjugation to Babylon. The passage reads:

"This is what the LORD said to me: 'Make for yourself a yoke out of leather straps and put it on your neck. Send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a message for their masters, saying that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: By My great power and outstretched arm, I have made the earth and the men and beasts on the face of it, and I give it to whom I please. So now I have placed all these lands under the hand of My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I have even made the beasts of the field subject to him.'"

This passage indicates that the Ammonites, along with other nations, would be brought under the dominion of Babylon as part of God's sovereign plan.

Ezekiel's Prophecy

Ezekiel also prophesies against the Ammonites, highlighting their impending judgment. In Ezekiel 25:4 , the prophet declares:

"Therefore, I will indeed hand you over to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents in your midst. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk."

This prophecy underscores the complete subjugation and desolation that the Ammonites would experience at the hands of foreign powers, including the Babylonians.

Historical Fulfillment

The historical fulfillment of these prophecies is evidenced by the eventual conquest and domination of the Ammonite territory by Babylon. The Ammonites, like many other nations of the region, were unable to withstand the military might of Nebuchadnezzar's forces. Their subjugation served as a testament to the accuracy of the prophetic word and the sovereignty of God over the nations.

Conclusion

The prophetic declarations concerning the Ammonites' subjection to Babylon serve as a reminder of the divine justice and the fulfillment of God's word through His prophets. The Ammonites' fate, as foretold by Jeremiah and Ezekiel, illustrates the broader theme of God's control over the rise and fall of nations, emphasizing the importance of obedience and reverence towards the Almighty.Jeremiah 25:9-21
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, said the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 27:3,6
And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
... not here before us any special predictions, such as ... 2.regulations are laid down
respecting the order in ... dangerous enemies, the Aramites and Ammonites; in Psalm ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessing of jacob upon.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... and Astyages"The fortifications of Babylon and the ... his efforts to the subjection
of the other ... with provincial governors, augural predictions, consultation of ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

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