Deuteronomy 23:4
“because they didn’t meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.”
What does Deuteronomy 23:4 mean?
When Israel fled Egypt and wandered through the desert, they were vulnerable and dependent on hospitality from neighboring peoples. The Ammonites and Moabites refused to offer even basic kindness—no bread, no water—to these struggling travelers, and worse, they actively hired a man named Balaam to curse them. This verse explains why these nations would later be excluded from Israel's community, not because of ethnicity but because of their deliberate hostility during Israel's most desperate moment. It's a reminder that how we treat people in their hardship matters; turning away the vulnerable or actively wishing harm on them has real consequences.