The Bible identifies Moab and Ben-ammi, the sons of Lot by his two daughters, as the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites.
After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's two daughters each bore a son by their father (Genesis 19:37-38). Those sons, Moab and Ben-ammi, became the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites. Les Feldick affirms this and adds that these peoples were part of Abraham's extended family while standing outside the covenant line of Isaac and Jacob.
Genesis 19:37 — This verse directly names Moab as the father of the Moabites, providing the biblical origin of the Moabite people.
Genesis 19:38 — This verse directly names Ben-ammi as the father of the Ammonites, providing the biblical origin of the Ammonite people.
In Genesis 19:30-38, after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters fled to a cave. The elder daughter suggested they make their father drink wine and lie with him to preserve their family line. Both daughters became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and named him Moab; Genesis 19:37 says, 'the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.' The younger daughter also bore a son and named him Ben-ammi; Genesis 19:38 says, 'the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.' These verses are the biblical foundation for the origin of the Moabites and Ammonites.
Les Feldick teaches that the Moabites and Ammonites both came from Lot through his two daughters, an event he places after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Clip 1, he says, 'Lot in turn had two sons by his own daughters' and identifies the offspring as 'Moabites... and the Ammonites.' He also points out that present-day Ammon, the capital of Transjordan, still bears this name, showing these roots remain part of the same line of families. Les places Moab and Ammon within the wider family tree of Terah, Abraham's father, and says that all the Middle Eastern nations come out of Abraham and his two brothers. He teaches that the children of Lot's two daughters 'joined the ranks then of the Arab nations who become the very enemies of Israel.' The underlying explanation is that these peoples were relatives of Abraham's covenant line but outside the covenant promises, which is why they became enemies of Israel and why the Middle East is still a 'boiling pot.'
In Les Feldick’s teaching, the Moabites and Ammonites are part of the extended family that comes out of Terah, Abraham’s father. He explains that all the Middle Eastern nations come out of Terah and Abraham and his two brothers. Haran was the father of Lot, and Lot had Moab and the Ammonites. On the other side of the genealogy, Ishmael the son of Abraham and Esau the son of Jacob were also relatives, but all of these were outside the direct line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus the Moabites and Ammonites were connected by blood to Abraham’s family while not being in the covenant line.
Les Feldick teaches that all those not in the direct line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — including Esau and the descendants of Lot — are relatives but outside the covenant promises, and consequently they are enemies of God’s covenant people. He also says the children of Lot’s two daughters joined the ranks of the Arab nations who become the very enemies of Israel. In his view, this enemy relationship is part of the larger Middle East conflict that began with Abraham’s family.
Les Feldick points out that the present-day capital of Transjordan is Ammon, so the biblical name continues today. He says, 'what’s the present day capital of Transjordan? Ammon,' and ties it back to the same roots as the ancient Ammonites. For Les, this shows the biblical family lines are still connected to current Middle Eastern geography and conflict.
Middle East conflict rooted in Abrahamic covenant
Les Feldick sets the broader context, teaching that the entire Middle East conflict began with the Abrahamic covenant, which frames why the origin of Moab and Ammon matters today.
Lot's sons and the Ammonite name today
Les explicitly says Lot had two sons by his own daughters who became the Moabites and Ammonites, and notes that present-day Ammon, the capital of Transjordan, still carries that name.
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Don't you have a thing to do with the Moabites? Because you remember they began with the ancestral relationship of Lot and his daughter. And so the Jew was to have nothing to do with the Moabites. Yet here we have a Moabite girl in the genealogy. Now I think all this just points out, that, now I think of a verse. I can't help it, Romans. I told you we'd stay in Matthew, but Romans.
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In fact, as far along as Abraham, which is 2,000 years after Adam, Abraham with God's blessing still marries a half-sister, and there was nothing wrong with Isaac, and so God did not put a taboo on marrying close relatives until sometime even after Abraham, because by now the genetic pool is being weakened, and you know the problems that arise.
Relatives outside the covenant promises
Les places Moab and Ammon in the family tree of Terah and Abraham, showing they were relatives outside the direct line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and therefore enemies of the covenant people.
Middle East families traced through Terah
Les traces the Middle Eastern nations back to Abraham and his brothers, including Haran the father of Lot, to show that the Moabite and Ammonite roots are part of the same family history.
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Now, for those of you here in the studio, if you've got your Bible, and you're at Genesis chapter 14, beginning with verse 17—now, for just a little review, you remember the last time we were together, Abraham and Lot had separated. Lot had pitched his tent down toward Sodom, and Abraham remains up in the central part of what we now know as Israel, in the highlands.
Lot's daughters' children and the Arab nations
Les teaches that the children of Lot's two daughters joined the Arab nations who become enemies of Israel, explaining the ongoing conflict that follows from their origin.
Genesis 19:37: And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
This verse names Moab as the father of the Moabites, directly identifying the origin of that people.
Genesis 19:38: And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
This verse names Ben-ammi as the father of the Ammonites, directly identifying the origin of that people.
According to Genesis 19:37-38, Moab was the father of the Moabites, and Ben-ammi was the father of the Ammonites. Both were sons of Lot by his two daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Yes, they were descendants of Lot, who was Abraham's nephew. Les Feldick notes that all the Middle Eastern nations come from the family of Terah, so Moab and Ammon were relatives of Abraham but were outside the covenant line through Isaac and Jacob.
Les teaches that those outside the direct line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were outside the covenant promises and consequently became enemies of the covenant people. He also says the children of Lot's daughters joined the Arab nations who become Israel's enemies.
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