Lexical Summary
Moab: Moab
Original Word:מוֹאָב
Part of Speech:proper name, of a people and territory
Transliteration:Mow'ab
Pronunciation:moh-AV
Phonetic Spelling:(mo-awb)
KJV: Moab
NASB:Moab, Moabites, Moab's
Word Origin:[from (her (the mother's)) father]
1. Moab, an incestuous son of Lot
2. also his territory and descendants
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Moab
From a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and'ab; from (her (the mother's)) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants -- Moab.
see HEBREW'ab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom a prefixed syllable and
abDefinitiona son of Lot,also his desc. and the territory where they settled
NASB TranslationMoab (168), Moab's (1), Moabites (12).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
,
180 (MI1, 2, 5, 6, 12, 20 ; AssyrianMa°aba, Ma°bu, Mu°âba, etc., SchrCOT Glossary, and onGenesis 19:37 DlPar. 294 f., 296; — on etymology compare LagBN 90 Anm., NeSK 1892, 573, GrayProp.N.25); —Genesis 19:37 178t.;2 Samuel 8:12; ; —
Genesis 19:37.
Moab:
= nation of which Lot's son is represented as ancestorGenesis 19:37;Numbers 21:29;Numbers 22:3 (twice in verse);Amos 2:1,2;Jeremiah 48:1,230t.Jeremiah 4:8 + often; having a king,Numbers 21:26;Numbers 22:4,10;Judges 3:12;1 Samuel 12:9 +.
= territory of MoabNumbers 21:11,13 (twice in verse);Numbers 21:15 +;Genesis 36:25;Numbers 15:20;Ruth 1:1,2,6 (twice in verse);Ruth 1:22;Ruth 2:6;Ruth 4:3;1 Chronicles 1:46;1 Chronicles 8:8;Deuteronomy 1:5;Deuteronomy 28:69;Deuteronomy 32:49;Deuteronomy 34:5,6;Judges 11:15,18 (twice in verse);Jeremiah 48:24,33;Deuteronomy 2:8;Numbers 22:1;Numbers 26:3,63;Numbers 31:12;Numbers 33:48,49,50;Numbers 35:1;Numbers 36:13;Deuteronomy 34:1,8;Joshua 13:32.
Topical Lexicon
Origin and Ancestral LineageGenesis 19:36-37 records the shameful birth of Moab from the incestuous union of Lot and his elder daughter: “Thus both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter gave birth to a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today”. From the outset the nation bore the memory of its compromised beginnings, a background that Scripture repeatedly recalls (Deuteronomy 2:9;Psalm 60:8).
Land and Geography
Moab occupied the high, fertile plateau east of the Dead Sea, bounded by the Arnon River on the north and extending southward toward the Zered. Principal towns included Ar (Numbers 21:15), Dibon (Numbers 21:30), Kir-hareseth (2 Kings 3:25), Medeba (Joshua 13:9), and Heshbon (Isaiah 15:4). Control of northern cities such as Heshbon fluctuated between Moab and the Amorites and later Israel, while the more secure southern strongholds formed “the plains of Moab” opposite Jericho (Numbers 22:1). The King’s Highway skirted its eastern edge, positioning Moab for both trade and conflict.
Early Encounters with Israel
1. Refusal of Passage: When Israel neared Canaan, Moab denied hospitality (Deuteronomy 23:3-4), hiring Balaam to curse the people (Numbers 22–24).
2. Seduction at Peor: Moabite women enticed the men of Israel into immorality and idolatry (Numbers 25:1-3), bringing a deadly plague (Numbers 25:9).
3. Covenant Restriction: “No Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 23:3), underscoring the seriousness of their opposition, yet not excluding individual converts who embraced Israel’s God (cf. Ruth).
The Period of the Judges
Moab dominated Israel for eighteen years under King Eglon until Ehud’s daring deliverance (Judges 3:12-30). The narrative highlights God’s sovereignty over oppressors and His readiness to raise up unlikely saviors.
The Book of Ruth
During a Bethlehem famine, Elimelech’s family sojourned “to live for a while in the land of Moab” (Ruth 1:1). Ruth the Moabitess abandoned her people and gods, confessing, “Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Her faith led to marriage with Boaz and placement in Messiah’s lineage (Matthew 1:5). Ruth stands as a striking counter-example to the national hostility of Moab, showing that grace transcends ancestry.
United and Divided Kingdoms
• Saul fought the Moabites (1 Samuel 14:47).
• David sheltered his parents in Moab while fleeing Saul (1 Samuel 22:3-4) but later subdued Moab and imposed tribute (2 Samuel 8:2).
• After Solomon’s death, Moab regained independence; King Mesha’s rebellion against Israel appears both in2 Kings 3 and the Mesha Stele (circa 840 BC), an important extrabiblical confirmation of biblical history.
• Moab joined a coalition against Jehoshaphat but was miraculously defeated (2 Chronicles 20).
• Subsequent kings of Judah and Israel alternately warred with or exploited Moab’s resources, especially its abundant sheep (2 Kings 3:4).
Prophetic Oracles
1.Isaiah 15–16: Swift devastation of Moab’s cities and a lament over its pride; yet a plea to send tribute to Zion anticipates future refuge under David’s throne (Isaiah 16:5).
2.Jeremiah 48: A lengthy denunciation climaxing in the verdict, “Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he has defied the LORD” (Jeremiah 48:42). Still, the prophecy closes with hope: “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days” (Jeremiah 48:47).
3.Ezekiel 25:8-11,Amos 2:1-3,Zephaniah 2:8-11: Further condemnations for contempt and cruelty toward Judah. These texts combine moral accountability with an assurance that no Gentile power falls outside God’s redemptive plan.
Moab in Later Scripture
During the exile, Moab’s fortunes declined under Babylonian expansion. Post-exilic references (Nehemiah 13:1-3) revisit Deuteronomy’s ban when intermarriage resurfaces, illustrating Israel’s struggle to maintain covenant distinctiveness.
Archaeological Notes
The Mesha Stele (discovered 1868) recounts Moab’s revolt against Israel and dedication of spoils to Chemosh, paralleling2 Kings 3. Place-names and the divine title YHWH appear on the stele, corroborating biblical geography and the historical interplay of Moab and Israel.
Theological and Redemptive Themes
1. Divine Sovereignty over Nations: God raises, disciplines, and judges nations according to His righteous standards (Jeremiah 48:10-11).
2. The Danger of Pride: “We have heard of Moab’s pride—how very proud he is” (Isaiah 16:6). Moab’s downfall warns all peoples against exalting themselves above God.
3. Grace to Outsiders: Ruth embodies the inclusion of a Moabite into the covenant community, prefiguring Gentile inclusion in Christ.
4. Holiness of God’s People: Israel’s catastrophic compromise at Peor illustrates the need for vigilance against cultural seduction (1 Corinthians 10:8 cites this event for church admonition).
5. Eschatological Hope: Prophetic hints of restored fortunes (Jeremiah 48:47) foreshadow the universal reach of Messiah’s reign (Isaiah 11:14;Romans 15:12).
Ministry Applications
• Mission: Ruth motivates outreach, showing that even those from hostile backgrounds can become devoted worshipers of the true God.
• Moral Purity:Numbers 25 warns against blending sexual immorality with idolatry—an enduring pastoral concern.
• Humility: Moab’s pride and resulting ruin encourage believers to walk humbly, relying on God rather than military might or ancestral heritage.
• Trust in God’s Deliverance: The defeat of Moabite coalitions inJudges 3 and2 Chronicles 20 encourages faith amid overwhelming threats.
• Hope in Judgment: Prophetic oracles assure that God’s judgments are tempered with offers of mercy, modeling a balanced proclamation of both warning and grace.
Key References for Study
Genesis 19:30-38;Numbers 21:13-15, 22–25;Deuteronomy 2:8-9;Deuteronomy 23:3-6;Judges 3:12-30;Ruth 1–4;1 Samuel 14:47;2 Samuel 8:2;2 Kings 3;Isaiah 15–16;Jeremiah 48;Ezekiel 25:8-11;Amos 2:1-3;Zephaniah 2:8-11.
Moab’s 181 scriptural appearances trace a trajectory from inglorious origin through seasons of power, opposition, judgment, and promised restoration—each stage illuminating God’s justice, mercy, and the unfolding of His redemptive plan culminating in Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמוֹאָ֔ב בְּמוֹאָ֣ב ׀ במואב וּבְמוֹאָ֖ב וּלְמוֹאָ֥ב וּמִמּוֹאָב֙ וּמוֹאָ֔ב וּמוֹאָ֛ב וּמוֹאָ֜ב וּמוֹאָב֙ ובמואב ולמואב ומואב וממואב לְמוֹאָ֔ב לְמוֹאָ֖ב לְמוֹאָ֡ב לְמוֹאָ֣ב לְמוֹאָב֙ למואב מוֹאָ֑ב מוֹאָ֔ב מוֹאָ֖ב מוֹאָ֗ב מוֹאָ֛ב מוֹאָ֜ב מוֹאָ֞ב מוֹאָ֣ב מוֹאָ֤ב ׀ מוֹאָ֥ב מוֹאָ֧ב מוֹאָֽב׃ מוֹאָב֒ מוֹאָב֙ מוֹאָב֩ מואב מואב׃ bə·mō·w·’āḇ bemoAv bəmōw’āḇ lə·mō·w·’āḇ lemoAv ləmōw’āḇ mō·w·’āḇ moAv mōw’āḇ ū·ḇə·mō·w·’āḇ ū·lə·mō·w·’āḇ ū·mim·mō·w·’āḇ ū·mō·w·’āḇ ūḇəmōw’āḇ ulemoAv ūləmōw’āḇ ūmimmōw’āḇ umimoAv umoAv ūmōw’āḇ uvemoAv
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