The term "Moabitess" refers to a female member of the Moabite people, an ancient nation descended from Moab, the son of Lot and his eldest daughter (Genesis 19:37). The Moabites were closely related to the Israelites, yet often found themselves in conflict with them throughout biblical history. The land of Moab was located east of the Dead Sea, in what is now modern-day Jordan.

Biblical Context and Significance

The most notable Moabitess in the Bible is Ruth, whose account is recounted in the Book of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabitess who married Mahlon, an Israelite from Bethlehem, during a time of famine when his family had relocated to Moab. After the death of her husband, Ruth chose to remain with her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi, rather than return to her own people. Her famous declaration of loyalty is recorded in Ruth 1:16-17 : "But Ruth replied: 'Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.'"

Ruth's decision to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem and her subsequent marriage to Boaz, a relative of Naomi's late husband, is a pivotal narrative in the Bible. Ruth's inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as recorded in Matthew 1:5, underscores the theme of God's grace extending beyond the boundaries of Israel to include Gentiles in His redemptive plan.

Cultural and Religious Implications

The Moabites, as descendants of Lot, were considered relatives of the Israelites, yet they were often viewed with suspicion and hostility due to their idolatrous practices and historical enmity with Israel. The Moabites worshiped Chemosh, a god to whom they sometimes offered human sacrifices (2 Kings 3:27). Despite these tensions, the account of Ruth the Moabitess highlights the possibility of faith and redemption for those outside the covenant community of Israel.

The inclusion of a Moabitess in the lineage of King David, and ultimately Jesus Christ, serves as a profound testament to the inclusivity of God's covenant promises. It illustrates that faith and loyalty to the God of Israel transcend ethnic and national boundaries, a theme that resonates throughout the biblical narrative.

Historical Interactions with Israel

Throughout the Old Testament, the Moabites had a complex relationship with Israel. They were often adversaries, as seen in the account of Balak, the Moabite king, who sought to curse Israel through the prophet Balaam (Numbers 22-24). However, there were also periods of peace and intermarriage, as evidenced by the account of Ruth.

The Moabites were eventually subdued by King David, who made them his subjects (2 Samuel 8:2). Despite their subjugation, the Moabites continued to exist as a distinct people group throughout the biblical period.

Theological Reflections

The account of Ruth the Moabitess is a powerful narrative of conversion, loyalty, and divine providence. It reflects the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty and grace in bringing outsiders into His covenant community. Ruth's faith and her role in the lineage of the Messiah serve as a reminder of God's redemptive purposes for all nations, foreshadowing the inclusion of Gentiles in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.(n.) A female Moabite.MOABITESS

mo'-ab-it-es, mo-ab-i'-tes (mo'abhiyah): A woman, or in plural women, of Moab. The term is applied to Ruth (1:22; 2:2, 6, 21; 4:5, 10); to some of Solomon's wives (1 Kings 11:1); and to Shimrith, whose son shared in the murder of King Joash (2 Chronicles 24:26).

See MOAB.

4503. Rhouth -- Ruth, a Moabitess and an ancestor of Christ
... Ruth, a Moabitess and an ancestor of Christ. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Rhouth Phonetic Spelling: (hrooth) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4503.htm - 6k4125. Moabi -- descendant of Moab
... Word Origin from Moab Definition desc. of Moab NASB Word Usage Moab (1), Moabite
(6), Moabites (3), Moabitess (6). woman of Moab, Moabite,. ...
/hebrew/4125.htm - 6k

7327. Ruth -- "friendship," a Moabite ancestress of David
... 12). Ruth. Probably for r'uwth; friend; Ruth, a Moabitess -- Ruth. see HEBREW
r'uwth. 7326, 7327. Ruth. 7328 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7327.htm - 6k

8116. Shimrith -- a Moabite woman
... Shimrith. Feminine of Shimriy; female guard; Shimrith, a Moabitess -- Shimrith.
see HEBREW Shimriy. 8115, 8116. Shimrith. 8117 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8116.htm - 6k

Ruth
... The true explanation is no doubt to be sought in the fact that Ruth the Moabitess
is counted worthy to be an ancestress of David; and, if the book be post ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/ruth.htm

The Devotion of Ruth
... Ruth, the Moabitess, said to Naomi, "Let me now go into the fields and pick up the
scattered heads of grain after him whose favor I should win." Naomi said to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the devotion of ruth.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... And Ruth, the Moabitess, did intreat Her Mother's leave, that she might go, and
gather Some ears of corn, where she should most find favour: Go, daughter, go ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm

A Gentle Heroine, a Gentile Convert
... 22. So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which
returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a gentle heroine a gentile.htm

The Moody Colportage Library
... Evans 130 Intercessory Prayer. JGK McClure 131 From Death Unto Life. JH Brookes
132 Ruth, the Moabitess. Henry Moorhouse 134 Forty-Eight Bernard Street. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/moodys stories/the moody colportage library.htm

Writing v. But as up to that Time the Genealogies of the Hebrews ...
... public archives, and those, too, which were traced back to the proselytes [1051]
"as, for example, to Achior the Ammanite, and Ruth the Moabitess, and those ...
/.../africanus/the writings of julius africanus/writing v but as up.htm

The Kingdom of all Israel.
... to trouble his soul, Samuel's last great act was to anoint the youngest son of Jesse
the Bethlehemite, the great grandchild of the loving Moabitess, Ruth, the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson vi the kingdom of.htm

Genealogy of Jesus According to Matthew.
... Salmon; 5 and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab [she had been a heathen and a harlot of
Jericho]; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth [she was a heathen Moabitess]; and Obed ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/iii genealogy of jesus according.htm

The Return from the Sepulchre.
... Mara of Suphan was a Moabitess, came from the neighbourhood of Suphan, and
was a descendant of Orpha, the widow of Chelion, Noemi's son. ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter liii the return from.htm

Introduction
... The genealogies given by the Hebrew writers prove how extensive this intermingling
of racial elements must have been; even David counted a Moabitess among his ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm

Moabitess (7 Occurrences)
...MOABITESS. mo'-ab-it-es, mo-ab-i'-tes (mo'abhiyah): A woman, or in plural women,
of Moab. ... See MOAB. Multi-Version Concordance Moabitess (7 Occurrences). ...
/m/moabitess.htm - 9k

Na'omi (21 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her,
who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the ...
/n/na'omi.htm - 11k

Naomi (25 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her,
who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the ...
/n/naomi.htm - 17k

Ruth (19 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose
father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab. On ...
/r/ruth.htm - 26k

Orpah (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Forelock or fawn, a Moabitess, the wife of Chilion
(Ruth 1:4; 4:10). On the death of her husband she accompanied ...
/o/orpah.htm - 7k

Jehozabad (4 Occurrences)
... According to 2 Kings 12:21 (22), he was a son of Shomer, but 2 Chronicles 24:26
makes him "son of Shimrith the Moabitess." (2) A Korahite doorkeeper, son of ...
/j/jehozabad.htm - 8k

Deceased (8 Occurrences)
... Ruth 4:5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you
must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up ...
/d/deceased.htm - 9k

Shimeath (2 Occurrences)
... even though the king had merited death) was "the son of (shim`ath), the Ammonitess"
and the other was "the son of (shimrith), the Moabitess" (compare Torrey ...
/s/shimeath.htm - 8k

Shimrith (1 Occurrence)
... SHIMRITH. shim'-rith (shimrith, "guard," feminine): A Moabitess, the mother of
Jehozabad, one of those that conspired against King Joash (2 Chronicles 24:26). ...
/s/shimrith.htm - 7k

Maintain (50 Occurrences)
... Ruth 4:5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you
must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up ...
/m/maintain.htm - 21k

Who was Jesse in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Obed in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Ephrathites? | GotQuestions.org

Moabitess: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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