Deuteronomy 23:6
You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While the verse seems like a blanket prohibition, it specifically forbids the nation of Israel from forming alliances or seeking overall well-being with the Ammonites and Moabites. This isn't about harboring personal hatred, but about maintaining a necessary boundary to prevent the nation from adopting their harmful ways, a crucial distinction for Israel’s spiritual health.
This command comes after God explains why Ammonites and Moabites are excluded from the Israelite community, citing their refusal of hospitality and their hiring of Balaam to curse Israel. God then contrasts this with Edomites and Egyptians, who are allowed to join the community after a few generations due to familial ties and past kindness. This verse therefore lays out a specific restriction on how the Israelites should interact with the Moabites and Ammonites as nations, forbidding them from seeking friendly alliances or promoting their well-being.
Why would God command His people to avoid seeking the 'peace' or 'prosperity' of certain nations? It sounds harsh, but there's a profound reason behind it.
Guarding the Flock
This command in Deuteronomy 23:6 is about protection, not hatred. God was establishing Israel as a distinct nation, a people set apart for Him. The Ammonites and Moabites (mentioned in the preceding verses) had shown themselves to be actively hostile. They refused Israel passage, even hired a prophet to curse them, and generally acted as enemies.
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Does this command mean believers should harbor animosity or refuse any act of kindness to those outside the faith? Let's look closer.
The Distinction Between Nation and Individual
The command not to seek the 'peace or prosperity' of these nations was directed at Israel as a collective, political, and spiritual entity. It didn't prohibit individual acts of kindness or humanity.
Understand the original words
shalom · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew term implies completeness, wholeness, safety, and general well-being. In a national context, it denotes a state of political, military, and social harmony and success.
tobah · Hebrew Noun
This term refers to the state of being well, success, or profit. It encompasses physical, material, and social prosperity, often understood as the blessing of God.
This passage echoes the sentiment by forbidding marriage with foreign women, highlighting a similar concern about maintaining the distinctiveness and spiritual purity of God's people.
Romans 12:18While Deuteronomy forbids seeking the 'peace' of these specific nations, Paul calls believers to 'live peaceably with all' where possible, showing a shift in focus from national separation to personal conduct, though not at the expense of truth.
2 Samuel 10:2This passage illustrates the practical application of 'seeking peace' by showing David attempting to show kindness to the Ammonites, only to have it met with hostility, underscoring the inherent danger and potential for betrayal when engaging with adversarial groups.
Matthew 5:44Jesus expands the command to love, telling us to 'love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,' which contrasts with the specific national prohibition in Deuteronomy, showing a progression towards universal love while still acknowledging the need for discernment.
pooleDeuteronomy 23:6: "Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever."
i.e. Make no contracts, either by marriages, or leagues, or commerce with them, but rather shalt constantly keep a jealous eye over them, as enemies who will watch every opportunity to insnare or disturb thee. This counsel was now the more necessary, because a great part of the Israelites lived beyond Jordan in the borders of those people, and therefore God sets up this wall of partition betwixt them…
calvinDeuteronomy 23:3-8: "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:"
Eo quod non exceperint vos cum pane et aqua in via, posteaquam egressi estis ex Aegypto, et quod mercede conduxerit adversum te Bileam filium Beor de Pethor e Mesopotamia Syriae, ut malediceret tibi.
Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse i…
While the verse seems like a blanket prohibition, it specifically forbids the nation of Israel from forming alliances or seeking overall well-being with the Ammonites and Moabites. This isn't about harboring personal hatred, but about maintaining a necessary boundary to prevent the nation from adopting their harmful ways, a crucial distinction for Israel’s spiritual health.
This command comes after God explains why Ammonites and Moabites are excluded from the Israelite community, citing their refusal of hospitality and their hiring of Balaam to curse Israel. God then contrasts this with Edomites and Egyptians, who are allowed to join the community after a few generations due to familial ties and past kindness. This verse therefore lays out a specific restriction on how the Israelites should interact with the Moabites and Ammonites as nations, forbidding them from seeking friendly alliances or promoting their well-being.
This command comes after God explains why Ammonites and Moabites are excluded from the Israelite community, citing their refusal of hospitality and their hiring of Balaam to curse Israel. God then contrasts this with Edomites and Egyptians, who are allowed to join the community after a few generations due to familial ties and past kindness. This verse therefore lays out a specific restriction on how the Israelites should interact with the Moabites and Ammonites as nations, forbidding them from seeking friendly alliances or promoting their well-being.
"You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever." — While the verse seems like a blanket prohibition, it specifically forbids the nation of Israel from forming alliances or seeking overall well-being with the Ammonites and Moabites. This isn't about…
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