The Moabites were descendants of Lot, related to the Israelites, and spoke a language very similar to Hebrew; however, there were constant battles between the two nations (Judges 3:12-30; 11:17; 2 Sam.)
who were the ammonites
The Ammonites were Semites who lived in the region northeast of the Dead Sea. near Rabbah and often fought with the Israelites for control of the region’s fertile Gilead. Ammon, the kingdom of the Ammonites, was nothing more than a city-state, with the capital Rabbah, or Rabat-amun (“capital of the Ammonites” or “capital of the Ammonites”), and the region surrounding it. Rabbah was located at the upper part of the Jabbok River, where the southeastern end of Gilead faces the desert. Gilead’s agricultural productivity, the waters of the Jabok River and its tributaries, and Rabbah’s protective location made the city of moderate importance in ancient times. The Ammonites’ proximity to Gilead also made them permanent enemies of the Israelites, who claimed the city and ruled it during the reigns of certain powerful kings such as David, Omri, Ahab, and Jeroboam II.