You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.
Parallel translations
- KJV Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
- BSB You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.
- ESV You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.
- NKJV You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.
- NASB You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.
- NLT As long as you live, you must never promote the welfare and prosperity of the Ammonites or Moabites.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel must not seek the welfare of Ammon and Moab because of their persistent enmity. God's people were to maintain separation from determined opposition.
Overview
This command not to pursue peace or prosperity with these hostile nations reflects the seriousness of their opposition to God's redemptive plan. It is not a license for personal vengeance but a policy guarding the covenant community from corrupting alliances. Even so, individual converts like Ruth show that the door of grace remained open to those who turned to the LORD in faith.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Ezra 9:12Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
- 2 Sam 12:31He brought out the people who were in it, and put them under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
- 2 Sam 8:2He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
- Neh 13:23–25In those days I also saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 23:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.