1:11,12
Tyre had handed a people over to Edom, and Edom is up next. “Brother” here could be a reference to Israel, but given the “covenant of brotherhood” referred to in the previous indictment, it perhaps more likely refers to a nation. The precise nature of the crime is not given, only its severity. They cast off all pity. War crimes and Geneva Convention type ideas do have Biblical roots. The two cities mentioned were probably central in running the slave trade that has been condemned.
1:13-15
The Ammonites lived east of the Jordan, between Moab and Syria, and there was periodic conflict with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Rabbah was the capital city. We get a picture here of some of the terrible things that happened in warfare, and that the surrounding nations did. Even pregnant women were considered fair game, with pregnant women being “ripped open”. We should be aware that rape is still used as a weapon of war in many conflicts, and second world war was a prime example.Ammon would be defeated, and her king would go into exile.The Assyrians (who would be the conquering army), routinely deported the leaders of the defeated nation. This was done to reduce the risk of rebellion. They also imported people from elsewhere into the vanquished land. This was done to dilute the population, and to make their empire more homogenous. This is also why Samaria was treated with such suspicion, even hatred, by the Jews. For the Jewish population, and the practices of the land, had been “polluted”.
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