Editing Moab (section)

===In Jewish tradition===
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Moabites were not hospitable to the Israelites who exited [[Egypt]] and hired [[Balaam]] to curse them. As a consequence, male Moabites were excluded by [[Torah]] law<ref>{{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|23:4|HE}}</ref> from marrying Jewish women.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Klein |first1=Reuven Chaim |year=2015 |title=The Iniquities of Ammon and Moab
 | url=https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/432/jbq_432_kleinmoab.pdf |journal=Jewish Bible Quarterly
|volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=93–100 |issn=0792-3910}}</ref>

The term "tenth generation" used in connection with that prohibition is considered an idiom, used for an unlimited time, as opposed to the third generation, which allows an Egyptian convert to marry into the community. The [[Talmud]] expresses the view that the prohibition applied only to male Moabites, who were not allowed to marry born Jews or legitimate converts. Female Moabites, when converted to Judaism, were permitted to marry with only the normal prohibition of a convert marrying a kohen (priest) applying. However, the prohibition was not followed during the [[Babylonian captivity]], and Ezra and Nehemiah sought to compel a return to the law because men had been marrying women who had not been converted at all ({{bibleverse||Ezra|9:1–2|HE}}, 12; {{bibleverse||Nehemiah|13:23–25|HE}}). The heir of King Solomon was [[Rehoboam]], the son of an Ammonite woman, [[Naamah (wife of Solomon)|Naamah]] ({{bibleverse|1|Kings|14:21|HE}}).

On the other hand, the marriages of the [[Bethlehem]] [[Ephrath]]ites (of the [[tribe of Judah]]) [[Mahlon and Chilion]] to the Moabite women [[Orpah]] and [[Ruth (biblical figure)|Ruth]] ({{bibleverse||Ruth|1:2–4|HE}}), and the marriage of the latter, after her husband's death, to [[Boaz]] ({{bibleverse||Ruth|4:10–13|HE}}) who by her was the great-grandfather of [[David]], are mentioned with no shade of reproach. The Talmudic explanation, however, is that the language of the law applies only to Moabite and Ammonite ''men'' (Hebrew, like all Semitic languages, has [[grammatical gender]]). The Talmud also states that the prophet [[Samuel]] wrote the Book of Ruth to settle the dispute as the rule had been forgotten since the time of [[Boaz]]. Another interpretation is that the [[Book of Ruth]] is simply reporting the events in an impartial fashion, leaving any praise or condemnation to be done by the reader.

The Babylonian Talmud in [[Yevamot]] 76B explains that one of the reasons was the Ammonites did not greet the Children of Israel with friendship and the Moabites hired [[Balaam]] to curse them. The difference in the responses of the two people led to God allowing the Jewish people to harass the Moabites (but not go to war) but forbade them to even harass the Ammonites ({{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|23:3–4|HE}}).

[[Jehoash of Judah|Jehoash]] was one of the four men who pretended to be gods.<ref>The other three were Pharaoh; Hiram and Nebuchadnezzar (Louis Ginzberg's The Legends of the Jews From Moses to Esther; Notes for Volumes Three and Four(p.423)</ref> He was persuaded thereto particularly by the princes, who said to him. "Wert thou not a god thou couldst not come out alive from the Holy of Holies" (Ex R. viii. 3). He was assassinated by two of his servants, one of whom was the son of an Ammonite woman and the other the offspring of a Moabite ({{bibleverse|2|Chron.|24:26|HE}}); for God said: "Let the descendants of the two ungrateful families chastise the ungrateful Joash" ([[Yalk.]], Ex. 262). Moab and Ammon were the two offspring of [[Lot (biblical person)|Lot]]'s incest with his two daughters as described in {{bibleverse||Gen.|19:30–38|HE}}.

Jehoshaphet  subsequently joined [[Jehoram of Israel]] in a war against the Moabites, who were under tribute to Israel. The Moabites were subdued, but seeing [[Mesha]]'s act of offering his own son (and singular heir) as a [[Propitiation|propitiatory]] [[human sacrifice]] on the walls of [[Kir of Moab]] filled Israel with horror, and they withdrew and returned to their own land.<ref>''Bible'' [[2 Kings 3#Verses 4–27|2 Kings 3:4–27]]</ref>

According to the [[Book of Jeremiah]], Moab was exiled to [[Babylon]] for his arrogance and idolatry. According to [[Rashi]], it was also due to their gross ingratitude even though [[Abraham]], Israel's ancestor, had saved [[Lot (biblical person)|Lot]], Moab's ancestor from [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodom]]. Jeremiah prophesies that Moab's captivity will be returned in the [[Jewish eschatology|end of days]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Jeremiah 48, Tanach |publisher=ArtScroll |location=Brooklyn, New York |pages=1187}}</ref>

The book of Zephaniah states that "Moab will assuredly be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines, and a permanent desolation." (2:9). The prophecy regarding their defeat by the Israelites is linked to the conquests by the Jewish [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean]] king [[Alexander Jannaeus]]. During that period, the Moabites were called the "Arabian Moabites".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Zephaniah 2 Commentary: Gill's Exposition |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/zephaniah/2.htm |website=Biblehub}}</ref>