Gods command to utterly and entirely destroy the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15 has been a cause of stumbling for many Bible readers over the years. 2008 The Gale Group. The battle (or the main one) was waged in "the wadi," by which is perhaps meant the Wadi of Egypt (cf. [7] In the oracle of Balaam, Amalek was called the 'first of the nations'. (Gen. 25:18). Seir means Edom, in light of the fact that the concept "Seir" may be applied to a variety of regions (e.g., Josh. Therefore, Saul's boast the he had destroyed the Amalekites was not true and he was rebuked for this and other matters. God also gave each an opportunity to repent before He judged them. Emmanuel Velikovsky, a relentless researcher, provided evidence for this possibility in his book Ages in Chaos. For this sin, God damned the Amalekites, commanding the Jews to wage a holy war to exterminate them. Genesis 36:10These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. You never know. The Amalekites clearly survived well after the time of Saul, despite his hollow boasts. Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. The Amalekites as a nomadic desert tribe moved in the area from the Sinaitic region and the steppe land of the Negeb in S Canaan, S of Beersheba, over E to include the Arabah region N of Elath and Ezion-geber and possibly the more interior Arabia. Esau was the older brother of Jacob (who became Israel). In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It should be noted that even the deuteronomic erem, though it does not allow for the sparing of persons (such as Agag), except for particular ones (like Rahab) specified in advance, permits the taking of booty (e.g., Deut. King David fought several battles with the Amalekites (1 Sam 27:8, 30:1, 17, 18). More metaphorically, to some Hasidic rabbis (particularly the Baal Shem Tov), Amalek represents atheism or the rejection of God. 13:29; 21:13, 434; Deut 1:44). If you are interested in more Bible teaching from Pastor Paul you can access the entire library of Into The Word episodes through the Audio tab on the Into the Word website. 1. [12] They appear to have lived a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle along the fringes of southern Canaan's agricultural zone. Updates? This verse records the words of God through the prophet Samuel to Saul, "Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. 15:33). Israel rebelled. Their story is that they, unprovoked, attacked Israel from behind as they had just finished crossing the Red Sea, and Israel went to war with them. In commemoration of the victory, Moses built an altar which he called "YHWH-Nissi," and proclaimed that "The Eternal will be at war against Amalek throughout the ages." Joshua's Hebrew name is Yehoshua, which is the long version of the name Yeshua or Joshua in English. [33] Groups identified with Amalek include the Romans, Nazis, Stalinists, ISIS, Palestinians[34] and bellicose Iranian leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[35][36]. Was David responsible for Saul's insane order to slaughter everyone in the city of Nob (1 Sam. God saved the Jews in Persia, however, and Haman, his sons, and the rest of Israels enemies were destroyed instead (Esther 9:510). Ibn-Arabshh purported that Amalek was a descendant of Ham, son of Noah. (I Samuel Both Joshua and Moses are a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah. 17:6, 7, 816; 18:5), is in the neighborhood of Horeb; if the locality Massah and Meribah (17:7) is to be found in the region of Kadesh-Barnea or is identical with it (Num. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. Assuming that everyone who died in the city of Amalek equates to the entire Amalek nation being exitinct is like assuming you've met every single American that exists upon visiting New York. Five centuries later, as recorded in the story of Esther, an evil man named Haman plotted genocide against the Jews in Persia during the reign of Xerxes. Bibliography G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (1896), 282; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 159. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I will punish what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt. Because of Sauls failure to wipe out the Amalekites, they continued to harass and plunder the Israelites over hundreds of years. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. 15:10; and perhaps also Judg. You can also download the Into The Word app on iTunes or Google Play. According to William Petri, Amalekites tried to prevent the Israelites from reaching the oasis. According to the Midrash, the Amalekites were sorcerers who could transform themselves to resemble animals, in order to avoid capture. Samuel executed their king Agag (1 Sam 15) because Saul had not! August 21, 2017. Four key events at Rephidim: a. Israel complains about water, but Moses strikes the rock 5 days later at Mt. NY: Behrman House, Inc. 1976. In Judaism, three of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) involve Amalek: to remember what the Amalekites did to the Israelites, not to forget what the Amalekites did to Israelites, and to destroy the Amalekites utterly. Where does the word Rephidim appear in the Bible? Saul Defeats the Amalekites but Spares Their King. Further, in their song (Judg 5:14) Deborah (who was from Ephraim, 4:5) and Barak speak of how Ephraim had shown strength in rooting out those of the Amalekites who were in its midst (cf. The Amalekites provide an explanation for the irrational and intense hatred for Jews that echoes through human history. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:2223 ESV). He was rebuked by God for not doing just that. What happens at the Split Rock of Rephidim? When righteous human beings exercise dominion everything they touch is blessed. Next, the Amalekite who claimed he had finished killing Saul (cf. in "hill country of Seir." Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The New Testament Apostles did not understand that reality to have been nullified by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, rather they understood this Old Testament story, and others like it, as: an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6 ESV). Source: Did Saul lie to Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:7? It is related that when Samuel put Agag to death he said "As your sword has bereaved women, so shall your mother be the most bereaved of women" (I Sam. If hypothetically Paris were to be invaded and all the Parisians were killed, but Paris infrastructure was still usable, would it be too much to consider another group of people move in? A similar expression occurs in the description of the much wider range of the Ishmaelites: "From Havilah, by Shur, which is east of (or close to) Egypt, etc." They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. 47:19). the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 7 Where did the Israelites go after leaving Rephidim? 600 Deut. The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! [25] According to Samuel Cox, the Amalekites were the "first" in their hostility toward the Israelites. Why did God want to destroy the Amalekites? Can the game be left in an invalid state if all state-based actions are replaced? The word baca means balsam but is also the Hebrew verb for weep. (The balsam tree weeps its resin.) While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. What was the sin of the Amalekites? How come David fought an Amalekite army that Saul had allegedly eradicated a few years earlier? d. In the time of David. At first these nations were afraid to join Amalek, but he persuaded them by saying: "Come, and I shall advise you what to do. 6:17 ff.). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In Genesis 15 God says to Abraham that his people shall sojourn in Egypt until the time of their redemption corresponds with the end of the grace period extended to the Amorites: And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. (Genesis 15:16 ESV). That is the danger of dominion. resting places. 15:5). 2 The Lord All-Powerful says: 'When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites tried to stop them from going to Canaan. Rather in Numbers 24:20 Amalek as first is to be understood as its being the first among the nations to attack Israel in her Exodus experiences (cf. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. The Book of Exodus relates that Joshua fought against Amalek under the inspiration of Moses, who was supported by Aaron and Hur, and that he mowed them down with the sword. In other words, those Amalekites who lived in the area mentioned, and who adhered closely to Agag, may have been wiped out; but those who lived elsewhere could have survived or blended in with other Edomite groups. Who a person is toward the family of Jesus (defined by Jesus as those gathered around him in faith and fellowship in Mark 3:33-34) is who that person is to Jesus. For example, Rabbi Hayim Palaggi stated: We can rely on the maxim that in ancient times, Sennacherib confused the lineage of many nations. The Amalekites and the people of the East joined the Midianite raids on the Israelites in the time of Gideon, and, like true desert tribes, undoubtedly participated in the destruction of the crops, as related in the Book of Judges (6:17). The king attacked and conquered this foe with their city called Amalek (1 Sam 15:4-7) the exact location of which is not known. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the territories of Amalek, which they inhabited. The line of promise thus becomes the locus of blessing and cursing in the world. Human sin affects absolutely everything that it touches. In Genesis 15 God says to Abraham that his people shall sojourn in Egypt until the time of their redemption corresponds with the end of the grace . As a people, the Amalekites were identified as a recurrent enemy of the Israelites. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. Omissions? (I Samuel The rabbis derived these from Deuteronomy 25:1718, Exodus 17:14 and 1 Samuel 15:3. Shur is on the edge of Egypt; Havilah is in Saudi Arabia. Amalekites oppresses Israel with the help of Moab (Judges 3:12, 13), Amalekites appressed Israel with the help of Midian (Judges 6:3, 7:12). In Jewish history the Amalekitesa tribe with genocidal intentions against God's peoplecame to symbolize all those who sought to eradicate the Jewish people, from Titus to Hadrian, Khmelnitsky to Hitler. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. vs06 I edited your question, feel free to revert to original or edit further as you wish. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Amalekites, descendants of Amalek, were an ancient biblical nation living near the land of Canaan. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The last remnants appear to have been largely eliminated by the tribe of Simeon during the time of Hezekiah (1 Chron 4:42, 43). As David Firth argues, this was probably "only one encampment was attacked, it would explain why Amalek continued to pose problem later" (1 & 2 Samuel, Downers Grove, IL/Nottingham, UK: InterVarsity/Apollos, 2009). After he defeated the Amalekites, Joshua refrained from the common practice of abusing the bodies of the slain and instead "treated them with mercy" (Mekhilta, 181). At this place, following the Amalekite attack, Israel defeated her enemy (Exod 17:8-16). Nur Masalha, Elliot Horowitz, and Josef Stern suggest that Amalekites have come to represent an "eternally irreconcilable enemy" that wants to murder Jews, that Jews in post-biblical times sometimes associate contemporary enemies with Haman or Amalekites, and that some Jews believe that pre-emptive violence is acceptable against such enemies. 1 Sam. What does the word Baca mean in the Bible? [16] It has been further argued that if the identification of the settlements at Tel Masos with the Amalekites is correct, then behind the biblical narrative of Saul's campaigns against this central Amalekite station of the southern network of metal transportation and trade, there may have been a strategic desire to wrest control of copper production, a metal of key importance in the early Israelite period and, it is argued, in its early theology and ritual.[17]. It is a reminder that those who harass and abuse the people of God invite the curse of God. In Genesis 2:15-17 we are told: The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Israel had many enemies and it is possible that the Amalekites who had not been killed by Saul sought the help of neighbouring tribes to harass David by stealing and by abduction. The Amalekites were the descendants of Amalek, who was the son of Eliphaz (son of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites) and Eliphaz's concubine Timna (Genesis 36:12). also Judg 10:12). This group of Amalekites was reportedly destroyed by 500 Simeonite families who had migrated to the area, "because there was pasture for their flocks." The Arabians mention Imlik, Amalik, or Ameleka among the aborigines of Arabia, the remains of which were mingled with the descendants of Qahtan (Joktan) and Adnan and became Mostarabs or Mocarabes, that is, Arabians mixed with foreigners. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, [1] oxen and . The biblical account records events as described by Saul, which, given his character, may not have been the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So this explains why David would still be fighting Amalekites in his time. Neither does the title "king," applied to Agag, necessarily imply an organized kingdom as customarily found in settled regions, and it may be presumed that Agag was a type of tribal chief called a king, like the kings of Midian (Num. Saul conducted military campaigns against the Amalekites that while under God's instruction did not please God because the annihilation was far from complete and probably only included most of the army. All Rights Reserved Bridger, David. 2. What would outsiders refer to them as? The term "city of Amalek" is not to be understood literally, and it is possible that it means a fortified camp. @Bach The problem stands: Samuel told Saul to kill all men, women, children and animals (15:3) and yet it only says that he spared Agag and the animals (15:9) implying that he did kill all men, women and children, This is extremely FASCINATING for many reasons. a. The Good News of the Gospel is that because of the person and work of Jesus, all human beings may receive the free gift of God which is eternal life. Ed. [11], According to the Bible, the Amalekites inhabited the Negev. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? 24:20), had no wish to fight alone against Israel but rather, with the help of many nations (Mekhilta, ed. Rabin (19602), 176; Jos., Ant., 3:40). If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Maybe the name stuck to the new people group even if they had no direct blood ties to Amalek. It seems that somehow or other, an Amalekite or two continued to survive and their theme always seems to be the destruction of the Jewish people: Aka Haman. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 Samuel 30:1, 2 points to the Amalekite heavy raiding activity in the area of the Negeb, and Judges 6:3, 33 in speaking of the Amalekite association with the kings of the E in their raiding parties suggests that they may have lived sometime together in the Arabian territory toward the E. The Amalekites also extended their influence farther N into the Philistine country and the region of Ephraim. During the period of the Judges, the Amalekites participated with other nations in attacks on the Israelite tribes. To touch the people of God is to touch God. Amalek, "the first of the nations" (Num. 2:55), the Amalekites did not deviate from their desert nomadic character until they ceased to exist. Their first encounter with Israel was when they attacked the rear of Israel but were defeated by Joshua at Rephidim (Ex 17:8-13, Deut 25:17, 18). In Judaism, the Amalekites came to represent the archetypal enemy of the Jews. Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. Perhaps, the statement where Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur is hyperbolical. d. Jethro visits and watches Moses Judge the people and offers Moses advice. For "the enemy comes only on account of sin and transgression" (ibid.). The wages of sin is death Old Testament and New. In the wilderness wanderings. Rephidim (Hebrew: ) is one of the places visited by the Israelites in the biblical account of the Exodus from Egypt. The flood scrubbed the world clean of our contagion. 20:114, 24; Ezek. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The Amalekites took part in the battles in the valley of Jezreel (6:33; 7:12) and perhaps also in the Jordan Valley, but there is no evidence that Gideon also fought with the Amalekites in his pursuit of the Midianites in Transjordan. read in Amalek. Judges 6:3, 33; 7:12 depict the Amalekites joining forces with the Midianites (who seem to have wandered in the area of Sinai [Exod 4:19] and wilderness E of Paran [1 Kings 11:18]; and also in the territory E of Gilead [Judg 8:4-12]), and making camel raids against the agriculture communities of Israel as far S as Gaza (6:3, 4). The Exodus and Conquest are thus simultaneously works of salvation and judgment. The Gospel is going forth to all nations and when it has done, then the end will come. The answer is NO. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. It is sad that they did not take advantage of their time of grace. When David came against the army of the Amalekites it may have been composed of warriors from various tribes mercenaries or soldiers of fortune who had joined up with the Amalakites against Israel. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". And David recovered all that the 8:5, 12; cf. But does that mean the entire nation of the Amalekites was destroyed, including all the women and children? The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. The Amalekites. According to I Samuel 15:7, "Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of (or close to) Egypt." So why did God command the absolute destruction of the Amalekites men, women, children and cattle instead of sparing them as he did in the case of the Ninevites? [24][25] It is, however, possible that the name Amalek may have been given to two different nations. Its site is not certain, but it is perhaps Wady Feiran, a rather broad valley about 25 miles from Jebel Musa(Mount Sinai). 47:19), then this battle was waged in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. They were a warlike people. It does not store any personal data. But why did he do it? However, Saul himself can hardly have advanced as far as the borders of Egypt (and if this Havilah is the same as that in Gen. 10:7, 29 Arabia as well). For Amalekites in the Book of Mormon, see, Commandment to exterminate the Amalekites, Religious and modern scholarly discussion. Origen of Alexandria is sometimes cited as having viewed the herem passages allegorically; Hofreiter argues that although Origen viewed a spiritual interpretation as having primary importance to Christians, he did not deny that the herem passages described historical events. AMALEK m lk, AMALEKITES m l k ts (, ; Gr , ). 17:14). Exod 17:8; Num 14:45). The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. Shengold Books. This put the line of promise in immediate danger: But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abrams wife. Therefore, all who are wise will forsake their sin and seek absolution through the means that he provides. 1 Samuel 15 Easy-to-Read Version Saul Destroys the Amalekites 15 One day Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. (3) The verse "Remember" is meant to remind all men of "the rule which holds good for all generations, namely, that the scourge [the staff of God's indignation] with which Israel is smitten will itself finally be smitten" (Mekhilta, 181). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23). They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. The Amalekites are not simply threatening a people group with their determination to wipe out Israel, but they are a threat to the salvation plan of God for all other nations. The magnitude of the Amalekite defeat in the days of Saul is apparently reflected in the pronouncement of Balaam: "Their (i.e., Israel's) king shall rise above Agag, their kingdom shall be exalted" (Num. 8, 9). [10] First-century Roman-Jewish scholar and historian Flavius Josephus refers to Amalek as a 'bastard' () in a derogatory sense. Together with the Ammonites, they joined Moab against Israel and were among those who captured "the city of palms" apparently Jericho or the pasture lands of Jericho (Judg. Amalek, a son of Esau's son Eliphaz, was presumably the eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites. This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible. [50], Maimonides explains that the commandment to destroy the nation of Amalek requires the Jewish people to peacefully request that they accept upon themselves the Seven Laws of Noah and pay a tax to the Jewish kingdom. [23] C. Knight elaborates this concept by making a comparison: one might say "Caesar went into France", though Gaul only later became known as France. We have many examples including the giant king Og. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If they defeat me, you flee, and if not, come and help me against Israel.". (2) The injunction "Remember" does not enjoin us to recall the evil actions of others but rather our own. Only if they refuse must they be physically killed. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. According to the biblical account, the war began as a result of a divine command of the Lord to Saul through Samuel to smite Amalek and destroy it, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (I Sam. and Gr. Therefore, the archaeologist and historian Hugo Winckler suggested in 1895 that there were never any such people and the Biblical stories concerning them are entirely mythological and ahistorical. Later Amalek raided the Negeb and, in Davids absence, completely conquered Ziklag, taking captive the inhabitants including Davids two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail (1 Sam 30:1-6). For this sin, God damned the Amalekites, commanding the Jews to wage a holy war to exterminate them. Telushkin, Joseph. The etymology is uncertain, according to John L. McKenzie (1995), while Cox (1884) suggested "High." The Apostle Paul said: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV). R' Samson Raphael Hirsch said that the command was to destroy "the remembrance of Amalek" rather than actual Amalekites;[53] the Sfat Emet said that the command was to fully hate Amalek rather than performing any action;[54] and the Chofetz Chaim said that God would perform the elimination of Amalek, and Jews are commanded only to remember what Amalek did to them. Without raising the possibility of textual reconstruction in detail, it may be established, by drawing a parallel with the element "people," which appears repeatedly in this song, that the name Amalek in the masoretic text is the authentic one. Parisians maybe? 4 [Dec., 1969], 104-111). [7] This role appears in several stories: In Genesis 14:7, the "field of the Amalekites" is mentioned, though the person Amalek had not yet been born. Inasmuch as contemporary archaeology has convinced most biblicists that the biblical traditions of enslavement in Egypt, wilderness wandering, and conquest of the land are unhistorical, traditions about Amalek and Israel in the pre-settlement period probably reflect later realities. [40][41][42][43] It has also been described as genocidal, according to genocide scholars like Norman Naimark.[44][45][46][47]. 15:15 ASV). This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible. (1 Samuel 30:17-18) Perhaps the Amalakites conscripted the help of their friendly neighbours. Joshua the valiant warrior defeated the Amalekites militarily, while at the same time Moses was perched on a hill overlooking the battlefield with his arms raised to heaven. From this chapter, God reveals sevens lessons about His judgment. Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. In rabbinic literature, the reasons for the unusual eternal remembrance of Amalek are the following: (1) Amalek is the irreconcilable enemy and it is forbidden to show mercy foolishly to one wholly dedicated to the destruction of Israel (PR 12:47). [28] While considerable knowledge about nomadic Arabs has been recovered through archeological research, no specific artifacts or sites have been linked to Amalek with any certainty. Based on the information in 1 Samuel 15:4-9, God instructs Saul to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy them; men, women, children, infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. Now if the Hebrew Samarians went to war with Assyria and lost and the New Samarians went to war with Assyria decades later did Assyria fight the same people group? (Some scholars (Edeleman in Bibliography) have argued that there was a northern Amalekite enclave adjoining Ephraimite territory.) The psalmist (Ps 83:7) lists Amalek with the avowed enemies of Israel. Amalek and Israel. On the analogy of the genealogies of the sons of Nahor by concubinage (Gen. 22:24) and of Abraham's sons by Keturah and Hagar it may be surmised that Amalek's genealogy was intended to imply his special status as a nomad as distinct from the sedentary Edomites, in the same way as the Ishmaelites or the children of Keturah were distinct from the sedentary descendants of Abraham. Amalek (/mlk/;[1] Hebrew: , 'mlq, Arabic: 'Amlq) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites.
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