Rabbah (Rab'bah) [great], was a capital city of the ancient kingdom of Ammon. It was situated close to the East region of the Jordan River, on the North bank of a tributary of the upper Jabbok River, and was thus in position to benefit from the rich fertility of the region. Also it was an important link in the trade route between Damascus and Arabia.
Ammon (Am'mon) [relative; kinsman] was Lot's son by his younger daughter and the progenitor of the Ammonites. (Gen.19). He was conceived when they were residing in a cave in a mountainous region.
The name given to Ammon by his mother was Ben-am'mi, meaning literally, "son of my people," that is, "son of my relatives" and not foreigners like the Sodomites.
"Ammon" is also used at Psalm 83:7 to refer to the nation of his descendants, thereby understood as "sons of my kinsman," recalling to the Israelites the relationship existing between them. This evidence God took into account by his direction to the Israelites not to molest Ammon nor to engage in strife with them since they were sons of Lot, Abraham's nephew. (Deut. 2).
Rabbah (Rab.bath' beneh' 'Am.mohn') is the only city of the Ammonite kingdom that is named in the Biblical record.
Rabbah was one of the cities given to the tribe of Judah in its territorial allotment. Its exact location is unknown. In Joshua 15 it is listed with KIRIATH-JEARIM, which was in the hill country of Judah.
"Rabbah of the sons of Ammon" is first mentioned in the Bible as being the location of the Iron Bier of OG king of Bashan. (Deut.3). The city is mentioned again in connection with the War resulting from the abuse of David's messengers by king Hanun of Ammon. (2Sam.10; 1Chron.19). It was during this campaign that David in Jerusalem sinned with Bath-sheba. In time David's army captured the city that was known at that specific point as "the city of the waters." (2Sam.12). Joab, the army's chief, ravaged the country of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. David remained at Jerusalem. Joab, then smote Rabbah, and overthrew it. Joab did not want to take the credit for the ramsake and went to David and informed the king of the situation so that the king would come and complete the conquest and thus get credit for capturing Rabbah, but Joab did not mention his way of taking it.
"And David took the crown of their king from his head; he found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount. And he brought forth the people who were in it, and set them to labour with saws and iron picks and axes; and thus Davis did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then Davis and all the people returned to jerusalem." 1 Chron. 19: 2-3.
"Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel... from Beer-sheba to Dan. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the the sword.
But Jo'ab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king's command was abhorrent to Jo'ab. But God was displeased with this thing, and he smote Israel. And David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, I pray thee, take away the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly." And the Lord spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, "Go and say to David, ... Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you... either three years of famine; or three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence upon the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel".... Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but let me not fall into the hand of man." So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell 70,000 men of Israel. And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but when he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw, and he repented of the evil; and he said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now stay your hand." And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb'usite. And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said to God, "Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray you, O Lord my God, be against me and against my father's house; but let not the plague be upon your people."Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and rear an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb'usite. So David went up at Gad's word which he had spoken in the name of the Lord. Now Ornan was threshing wheat; he turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went forth from the threshing floor, and did obeisance to David with his face to the ground. And David said to Ornan,"Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord -give it to me at its full price- that the plague may be averted from the people." Then Ornan said to David, "Take it; and let my lord the king do what seems good to him; see, I give the oxen for Burnt Offerings, and the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for a cereal offering, I give it all." But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will buy it for the full price; I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer Burnt Offerings which cost me nothing." So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented Burnt Offerings and Peace Offerings, and called upon the Lord, and he answered him with FIRE FROM HEAVEN upon the altar of Burnt Offering. Then the Lord commanded the angel; and he put his sword back into its sheath. 1 Chronicles 21.
Eventually the Ammonites became independent again. In the 9th century, Amos foretold judgment against the Ammonites and he specifically mentioned that Rabbah would be burned. (Amos1). Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel also delivered messages against Rabbah. The prophecies were fulfilled in the time of Nebuchadnezzar. (Jer.49; Ezek.21; 25). In the 3rd century BCE Ptolemy Philadelphus rebuilt Rabbah and renamed the city Philadelphia. It was later included among the cities of the Decapolis.
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