Topical Encyclopedia
The Ammonites were a Semitic people closely related to the Israelites, descending from Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot and his younger daughter, as recorded in
Genesis 19:38: "The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today." The Ammonites settled east of the Jordan River, in the region that is present-day Jordan, with their capital at Rabbah (modern-day Amman).
Historical ContextThe Ammonites frequently appear in the Old Testament as adversaries of Israel. Their territory was located to the northeast of Moab and east of the Israelite tribes of Gad and Reuben. The Ammonites were known for their fortified cities and were often in conflict with the Israelites over land and resources.
Relations with IsraelThe relationship between the Ammonites and the Israelites was complex, marked by both conflict and periods of peace. In
Judges 11, Jephthah, a judge of Israel, led a campaign against the Ammonites who had oppressed Israel for eighteen years. Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites is recorded in
Judges 11:33: "He struck them down from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith—twenty cities in all—and as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites."
The Ammonites also played a role during the reign of King Saul. In
1 Samuel 11, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead, leading Saul to rally the Israelites and defeat the Ammonites, thus solidifying his kingship.
Religious PracticesThe Ammonites worshiped the god Milcom (also known as Molech), a deity to whom they offered child sacrifices, a practice condemned by the Israelites. In
1 Kings 11:7, it is noted that King Solomon, influenced by his foreign wives, built a high place for Milcom: "At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites."
Prophetic OraclesThe prophets of Israel often pronounced judgment against the Ammonites for their idolatry and hostility towards Israel. In
Jeremiah 49:1-6, the prophet speaks against the Ammonites, declaring that their land will be desolate and that they will face judgment for their actions. Similarly,
Ezekiel 25:1-7 prophesies against the Ammonites for their rejoicing over the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
Post-Exilic PeriodAfter the Babylonian exile, the Ammonites continued to be a thorn in the side of the returning exiles. Nehemiah faced opposition from Tobiah the Ammonite, who sought to hinder the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (
Nehemiah 2:10, 4:3). Despite this opposition, the Israelites successfully completed the reconstruction.
LegacyThe Ammonites eventually faded from the historical record, assimilating into other cultures and losing their distinct identity. Their interactions with Israel, however, are preserved in the biblical narrative, serving as a testament to the complex relationships between the ancient Near Eastern peoples.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The usual name of the descendants of Ammon, the son of Lot (
Genesis 19:38). From the very beginning (
Deuteronomy 2:16-20) of their history till they are lost sight of (
Judges 5:2), this tribe is closely associated with the Moabites (
Judges 10:11;
2 Chronicles 20:1;
Zephaniah 2:8). Both of these tribes hired Balaam to curse Israel (
Deuteronomy 23:4). The Ammonites were probably more of a predatory tribe, moving from place to place, while the Moabites were more settled. They inhabited the country east of the Jordan and north of Moab and the Dead Sea, from which they had expelled the Zamzummims or Zuzims (
Deuteronomy 2:20;
Genesis 14:5). They are known as the Beni-ammi (
Genesis 19:38), Ammi or Ammon being worshipped as their chief god. They were of Semitic origin, and closely related to the Hebrews in blood and language. They showed no kindness to the Israelites when passing through their territory, and therefore they were prohibited from "entering the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation" (
Deuteronomy 23:3). They afterwards became hostile to Israel (
Judges 3:13). Jephthah waged war against them, and "took twenty cities with a very great slaughter" (
Judges 11:33). They were again signally defeated by Saul (
1 Samuel 11:11). David also defeated them and their allies the Syrians (
2 Samuel 10:6-14), and took their chief city, Rabbah, with much spoil (
2 Samuel 10:14;
12:26-31). The subsequent events of their history are noted in
2 Chronicles 20:25;
26:8;
Jeremiah 49:1;
Ezek. 25:3, 6. One of Solomon's wives was Naamah, an Ammonite. She was the mother of Rehoboam (
1 Kings 14:31;
2 Chronicles 12:13).
The prophets predicted fearful judgments against the Ammonites because of their hostility to Israel (Zephaniah 2:8;Jeremiah 49:1-6;Ezek. 25:1-5, 10;Amos 1:13-15).
The national idol worshipped by this people was Molech or Milcom, at whose altar they offered human sacrifices (1 Kings 11:5, 7). The high places built for this idol by Solomon, at the instigation of his Ammonitish wives, were not destroyed till the time of Josiah (2 Kings 23:13).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) A fossil cephalopod shell related to the nautilus. There are many genera and species, and all are extinct, the typical forms having existed only in the Mesozoic age, when they were exceedingly numerous. They differ from the nautili in having the margins of the septa very much lobed or plaited, and the siphuncle dorsal. Also called serpent stone, snake stone, and cornu Ammonis.
Strong's Hebrew
5985. Ammonith -- anAmmonite woman... 5984, 5985. Ammonith. 5986 . an
Ammonite woman. Transliteration: Ammonith Phonetic
Spelling: (am-mo-neeth') Short Definition: Ammonitess. Word Origin fem.
...2586. Chanun -- "favored," two contemporaries of Nehemiah, also an...
... Chanun. 2587 . "favored," two contemporaries of Nehemiah, also anAmmonite king.
Transliteration: Chanun Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-noon') Short Definition: Hanun...
7629. Shobi -- appar. anAmmonite prince
... appar. anAmmonite prince. Transliteration: Shobi Phonetic Spelling: (sho-bee')
Short Definition: Shobi.... anAmmonite prince NASB Word Usage Shobi (1). Shobi....
8100. Shimath -- anAmmonite woman
... 8099, 8100. Shimath. 8101 . anAmmonite woman. Transliteration: Shimath
Phonetic Spelling: (shim-awth') Short Definition: Shimeath....
1185. Baalis -- perhaps "son of delight," anAmmonite king
... 1184, 1185. Baalis. 1186 . perhaps "son of delight," anAmmonite king.
Transliteration: Baalis Phonetic Spelling: (bah-al-ece') Short Definition: Baalis....
4511. Minnith -- a place inAmmonite territory
... 4510, 4511. Minnith. 4512 . a place inAmmonite territory. Transliteration:
Minnith Phonetic Spelling: (min-neeth') Short Definition: Minnith....
6768. Tseleq -- anAmmonite hero of David
... 6767d, 6768. Tseleq. 6769 . anAmmonite hero of David. Transliteration:
Tseleq Phonetic Spelling: (tseh'-lek) Short Definition: Zelek....
2900. Tobiyyahu -- "Yah is my good," three Israelites, also an...
... "Yah is my good," three Israelites, also anAmmonite. Transliteration: Tobiyyahu
or Tobiyyah Phonetic Spelling: (to-bee-yaw') Short Definition: Tobiah....
5984. Ammoni -- descendant of Ammon
... descendant of Ammon. Transliteration: Ammoni Phonetic Spelling: (am-mo-nee') Short
Definition:Ammonite.... of Ammon NASB Word UsageAmmonite (10), Ammonites (5)....
3726. Kephar Haammoni -- "a village of the Ammonites," a village...
... Chefar-haamonai. From kaphar and Ammowniy, with the article interposed; village
of theAmmonite; Kefar-ha-Ammoni, a place in Palestine -- Chefar-haamonai....
Library
The Church History of Eusebius. Index of Subjects.
... Achillas, presbyter of Alexandria, [13]321. Achior, theAmmonite, [14]93. Acolyths,
[15]288. Actium, [16]263....Ammonite. See Achior theAmmonite....
Conclusion
... The first king of Judah as a separate kingdom had anAmmonite mother, and bore an
Ammonite name, while the portraits which surmount the names of Shishak's...
'More than Conquerors through Him'
... But theAmmonite courtiers need not have rejected David's overtures so insolently
as by shaving half his ambassadors' beards and docking their robes....
How Samuel Found a Leader
... After about a month, Nahash, theAmmonite, came up and besieged Jabesh in Gilead;
and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make terms with us and we will...
The Nations of the South-East
... of Moab. The land north of the Arnon became Amorite; but theAmmonite frontier
was too well defended to be broken through. The kingdom...
The Prophet Nehemiah
... "When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, theAmmonite, and Geshem the
Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What...
The Tears of Christ.
... burn sacrifices to Baal and Ashtaroth, and the Valley of Hinnom echoes with the
cries of hapless children offered to Moloch, the hideous idol of theAmmonite....
The Builders on the Wall
... Foremost in this evil work were certain chiefs of these tribes, Sanballat
the Horonite, Tobiah theAmmonite, and Geshem the Arabian....
Reformation
... Through intermarriage, a friendship had been brought about between Eliashib the
high priest and Tobiah theAmmonite, Israel's bitter enemy....
Costly and Fatal Help
... read on the cuneiform inscriptions, where, amidst a long list of unknown tributary
kings, stands, with a Philistine on one side of him and anAmmonite on the...
Thesaurus
Ammonite (22 Occurrences)... 25:3, 6. One of Solomon's wives was Naamah, an
Ammonite. She was the mother of Rehoboam
(1 Kings 14:31; 2 Chronicles 12:13).
...Ammonite (22 Occurrences).
...Tobiah (14 Occurrences)
... Pleasing to Jehovah, the "servant," the "Ammonite," who joined with those who opposed
the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Exile (Nehemiah 2:10)....
Zelek (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Cleft, anAmmonite; one of David's valiant men
(2 Samuel 23:37). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ZELEK....
Tobijah (17 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:10 And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, theAmmonite,
heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to...
Tobi'ah (15 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:10 And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, theAmmonite,
heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to...
Sanballat (10 Occurrences)
... He is named along with Tobiah, theAmmonite slave (Nehemiah 4:1), and Geshem the
Arabian (Nehemiah 6:1) as the leading opponent of the Jews at the time when...
Naharai (2 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 23:37 Zelek theAmmonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab
the son of Zeruiah, (WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)....
Na'harai (2 Occurrences)
... Na'harai (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 23:37 Zelek theAmmonite, Naharai the Beerothite,
armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, (See RSV)....
Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences)
... ja'-besh-gil'-e-ad (yabhesh gil`adh; or simply yabhish, "dry"): A city East of the
Jordan, in the deliverance of which from Nahash theAmmonite Saul's military...
Jabesh-gilead (12 Occurrences)
... ja'-besh-gil'-e-ad (yabhesh gil`adh; or simply yabhish, "dry"): A city East of the
Jordan, in the deliverance of which from Nahash theAmmonite Saul's military...
Resources
Who were the Ammonites? | GotQuestions.orgWho were Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Jephthah? | GotQuestions.orgAmmonite: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
