What do we know about the Ammonites?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Descended from Lot's lineage, the Ammonites were a nomadic people who dwelled in modern-day Jordan, with the capital of Amman reflecting this legacy. Despite their ancestral ties, they refused to help God's people when the Israelites were in the wilderness wandering. God punished the Ammonites for this. Later, although they were spared from total annihilation during the conquest of Canaan, God had specific rules to keep the Israelites from the Ammonites: He forbade the Israelites to marry the Ammonites due to their worship of false gods. The Ammonites’ history includes brutal warfare and defiance, culminating in absorption into Arab society after centuries of prominence, marking the end of their once formidable presence.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Ammonites came from Abraham's nephew Lot. Genesis 19:37–38 explains that the Ammonites descended from Lot's son named Ben-ammi (meaning "son of my people"). Ben-ammi's descendants were a nomadic people who lived in the territory of modern-day Jordan. The Jordanian capital of Amman reflects the name of these ancient inhabitants.
• During the time of Moses, the Ammonites refused to assist God's people when they were in the wilderness. God punished them for this (Deuteronomy 23:3–4). However, unlike other people groups that the Israelites destroyed in the Promised Land, God instructed, "And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession" (Deuteronomy 2:19).
• Later in the Old Testament, the Ammonites are again mentioned as people who followed false gods (2 Kings 23:13). As a result, Israelites were not permitted to marry Ammonites (Deuteronomy 23:3-4).
• King Solomon disobeyed God’s instruction to not marry the Ammonites (1 Kings 14:21).
• Many Ammonite war practices were extremely violent. At one point, an Ammonite leader planned to gouge out the right eye of every Israelite as part of a treaty (1 Samuel 11:2). Scripture states that the Ammonites would rip open pregnant women in lands they had conquered (Amos 1:13).
• King Saul prevailed against the Ammonites more than once (1 Samuel 11:11; 14:47).
• A man named Tobiah the Ammonite is mentioned in Nehemiah 2:19 at the end of the Old Testament period (400s BC).
• The Ammonites regained power but were defeated along with many other nations under King Nebuchadnezzar in the seventh century BC. The last mention of the Ammonites outside of the Bible was by Justin Martyr. He wrote in the second century AD that the Ammonites were numerous. Yet after this time the Ammonites would disappear, likely becoming absorbed within Arab society within a few centuries.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Ammonites are not mentioned in the New Testament.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Ammonites are a warning to us, seeing how the choice to worship false gods instead of the one true God leads to all sorts of sins that impact others. The Ammonites’ refusal to assist the Israelites, despite their shared heritage, serves as a caution against selfishness and indifference in our modern communities. We are called to help the poor and the needy (Psalm 72:12), especially those who are our brothers. Galatians 6:10 instructs us: “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

God’s punishing the Ammonites reminds us of the consequences of ignoring opportunities to extend aid and compassion as well as the consequences of following after false gods. We were all made to worship. What we worship will impact what we believe, think, and do. The Ammonites' eventual absorption into Arab society reveals that what they had put their faith in did not last. Power and influence are transient. Only God is king forever. The Ammonites cause us to reflect on what we live for and what we serve. The outcome of the Ammonites also reminds us that what we worship and how that impacts us has long-term consequences.

UNDERSTAND

• The Ammonites were descendants of Lot.
• The Ammonites refused to help the Israelites, and God punished them for it.
• The Ammonites were violent people who worshiped false idols and whose legacy God put to an end.

REFLECT

• How does what we know about the Ammonites challenge your understanding of heritage and familial ties in relation to moral responsibility?
• Reflect on instances in your life where you've witnessed or experienced consequences for refusing to extend aid or compassion to others. What do we learn about God in the way He calls us to help the poor and needy?
• Consider the implications of worshiping false gods in today's society. How does it manifest in contemporary culture, and what are the consequences?

ENGAGE

• How can we apply the lessons from the Ammonites' history to address issues of selfishness and indifference in our communities today?
• How do modern societies grapple with the transient nature of power and influence (nations falling and rising), and what does it reveal about humanity?
• Why does God warn against believers marrying those who are not (1 Corinthians 7:12–16, 39; 2 Corinthians 6:14–18)?