God hates it when the strong take cruel advantage over the weak, especially when the weak are His people. Pharoah took Abrahams wife Sarah for his own. Saul Defeats the Amalekites but Spares Their King. In the wilderness wanderings. Bibliography G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (1896), 282; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 159. 4. Telushkin, Joseph. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. 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. The etymology is uncertain, according to John L. McKenzie (1995), while Cox (1884) suggested "High." King David fought several battles with the Amalekites (1 Sam 27:8, 30:1, 17, 18). How old was David when he fought Goliath? [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. 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). For this sin, God damned the Amalekites, commanding the Jews to wage a holy war to exterminate them. 2:345; Josh. It shows that Saul's claim that he had destroyed all the Amalekites was quote false and hollow. The dispute between Samuel and Saul with regard to the erem was not over the command itself, but the extent to which it had been put into effect. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. - Amalek & Israel - Land & People - The Amalekites & the Kenites - In the Aggadah Amalek and Israel 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. This brought a curse of ultimate annihilation from Moses (Ex 17:14-16, Deut 25:19) and Balaam (Num 24:20). Updates? [13] However, it is possible that some of the fortified settlements in the Negev highlands and even Tel Masos (near Beer-sheba) have Amalek connections. (I Samuel --This decree was entrusted to Joshua in the first instance, as the "servant of the Book" ( Exodus 17:14 ); here it is enjoined upon the nation of Israel. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 6:17 ff.). The Defeat of Amalek. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible. So Saul puts together an army of two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. [56]John Gill also describes the cherem as an example of the law of retaliation being carried out. The place lies in the march of the Israelites from Egypt to Sinai. How come David fought an Amalekite army that Saul has already eradicated a few years earlier? What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? 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? 31:8; Judg. R. 26:3). 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. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. @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. Parisians maybe? Read More: Is aerospace engineering . Samuel's words more closely parallel the narrative about the attack of Amalek in the Book of Deuteronomy (25:1719), which relates that the Amalekites attacked the Israelites on their way out of Egypt, "when you were famished and weary," and cut down the stragglers in the rear, without mentioning any victorious Israelite counteraction. 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). Why did God tell Saul to destroy the Amalekites? Therefore, Saul's boast the he had destroyed the Amalekites was not true and he was rebuked for this and other matters. by H.S. 12:15), but serves to indicate the warlike nature of Ephraim, beside Benjamin. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. This fits with their association with Esau/Edom, who established his lineage there. She replied she would rather be a handmaiden to the dregs of this nation than be the mistress of another Nation; to punish the Patriarchs for the affront they had made her, she was made the mother of Amalek, whose descendants would cause Israel much distress. However, in 1 Samuel 15:2 this people were still flourishing. [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. The Amalekites are one of the peoples dwelling in the southern part of Canaan. Human sin affects absolutely everything that it touches. Any offense against the line of promise is treated as an offense against God. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. Evidently the Amalekites had some cities, as this one, in which they sometimes settled, and possibly fulfilled religious obligations as has been shown was the case of nomadic tribes in the Trans-Jordan in connection with a 15th cent. In the Book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Children of Israel on their journey to the land of Israel. That is why Gods partial acts of judgment and mitigation in the Old Testament tend to be broad and all-encompassing in their scope. Schreiber, Mordecai (ed.). Start your free trial today. There is an earlier reference to the word Amalek in Genesis 14:7 where Chedorlaomer (c. 1900 b.c.) The Exodus and Conquest are thus simultaneously works of salvation and judgment. ), they were one of the first nations the Israelites encountered. Saul spared only the best of the sheep and of the oxen, besides Agag. Num. In the period of the Judges. Amalek, a son of Esau's son Eliphaz, was presumably the eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites. The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. In effect, by setting encounters with Amalek in the days of Moses and Joshua, the writers of the Bible were saying that hostilities existed from time immemorial. William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1991. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There seems to be a contradiction is scriptures. It will ever conflict, but need not conquer. The Amalekites (/mlkats/[6]) were considered to be Amalek's descendants through the genealogy of Esau. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? Don't leave a thing; kill all the men, women, children, and babies; the cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys." International Standard Version Now, go and attack Amalek. The proposed identification of the Amalekites with the Amaw or the Shasu of Egyptian sources is untenable. (Gen. 25:18). The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. 14:45). 2 The Lord All-Powerful says: 'When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites tried to stop them from going to Canaan. Consider his excuse for not killing all the livestock, for example. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The immediate reason given for the destruction of the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15 is given in verse 2: Thus says the LORD of hosts, I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. [12] They appear to have lived a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle along the fringes of southern Canaan's agricultural zone. Next, the Amalekite who claimed he had finished killing Saul (cf. Those among the Amalekites who lived in the border regions maintained a relationship to the Kenites, who certainly lived near the permanent settlements (I Sam. Israel rebelled. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". In Numbers 24:20 Balaam prophesied, Amalek was the first of the nations, but in the end he shall come to destruction. This reference does not suggest that the early Genesis 14:7 reference to Amalek is in conflict with the Genesis 36:16 statement regarding Amalek, the grandson of Esau. Ed. And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the 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. Thus, the continuing oppressive spirit of this pagan nomadic tribe required a different treatment by the Lord from that which was to be normally carried out; namely, that terms of peace be first offered to a potential enemy (Deut 20:10-12). Both Joshua and Moses are a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah. (Genesis 12:17 ESV). Since they were descendants of Esau, some may well have lived in Edom. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 24:7). Territory. Source: Did Saul lie to Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:7? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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). When the nation was weak and vulnerable the Amalekites attacked the weakest and most vulnerable of the nation ( Deuteronomy 25:18 ). In Jewish folklore, the Amalekites are considered to be the symbol of evil. 25:19 Wipe out the descendants of Amalek 15:6). Therefore, all who are wise will forsake their sin and seek absolution through the means that he provides. This may be seen in the record of Saul's wars in which the war of Amalek receives special mention: "He did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them" (I Sam. Deut 34:3). In the course of time this biblical injunction became so deeply rooted in Jewish thought that many important enemies of Israel were identified as direct descendants of Amalek. What does the word Baca mean in the Bible? More metaphorically, to some Hasidic rabbis (particularly the Baal Shem Tov), Amalek represents atheism or the rejection of God. Though the Amalekites are not mentioned in the table of nations in Genesis 10, in Numbers 24:20 they are referred to as "first among the nations.". Otherwise, their fate, will be identical to that of the Amalekites. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Can the game be left in an invalid state if all state-based actions are replaced? 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. - Amalek & Israel - Land & People - The Amalekites & the Kenites - In the Aggadah. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Why do you think they all lived in that city? 3:1) who is regarded as a descendant of Agag (I Sam. a. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Num. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:4043 ESV). 24:18, 20). The command itself leaves little room for compassion or mercy: Thus says the LORD of hosts, I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. According to the Bible, Amalek was the first enemy that Israel encountered after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. 14:48). The Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia. 25:17 Remember what Amalek did to the Israelites If it helps, 1 Samuel 15:8-9, Saul did spared the king of Amalekites, Agag. ; Josh. [3] Start for FREE. King Herod and his family were Idumean [Edomite] converts to Judaism, and Amalekites may have lived there long after the tribe fades from the biblical record. Why did God not punish David as well in the incident of Uzza in 1 Chronicle 13:7-10? 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. 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). Similarly, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah did not just fall upon adult men and women, it fell generally upon the city as a whole men and women, boys and girls, and cattle. So this explains why David would still be fighting Amalekites in his time. 15 And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore hearken to the words of the Lord. Whereas the Kenites passed into permanent settlement during the First Temple period and were assimilated in Judah (I Chron. A summary of Davids conquests of Amalek is given in 2 Samuel 8:12 and 1 Chronicles 18:11. That is possible but we do not have any documentation. Amalek was not destroyed, however, and at the end of this war Moses was ordered to write in a document, as a reminder, that the Lord would one day blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven. 15:4; Ezek. What would make it complete?And they shall come back here in the fourth gene. 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. Perhaps, the statement where Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur is hyperbolical. Moses appointed Joshua to lead the Israelite army not because of his own weakness or advanced years but because he wished "to train Joshua in warfare" (Mekhilta, 179; Ex. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It was situated in the mountains where nomads brought cattle to drink. Obviously, some Amalekites escaped Saul's army. 15:5). 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). The Amalekites are not listed in the table of nations in Genesis 10, as they did not originate until after Esau's time. Their supposed founder was one Esau's sons, namely Amalek. After Rephidim, the next major encounter with Amalek came following the report of the spies to Israel that the enemy to the N of Kadesh-barnea in the wilderness of Paran in S Canaan, including the Amalekite forces which dwelt in the land of the Negeb, were too strong to conquer, despite the pleadings of Caleb and Joshua to the contrary (Num 13:25-33; 14:38). 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. 3942); it seems most likely that the reference is to the western Negev, where the Amalekites roamed from early times. In the Book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Children of Israel on their journey to the land of Israel. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The word baca means balsam but is also the Hebrew verb for weep. (The balsam tree weeps its resin.) It is a reminder that the wages of sin is death. Were the previous Israelites living in Samaria called Samarians too? The last remnants appear to have been largely eliminated by the tribe of Simeon during the time of Hezekiah (1 Chron 4:42, 43). For Sauls failure to fulfill completely the divine command, Samuel announced to the monarch the Lords rejection of him as king (1 Sam 15:10-23). 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. When God in judgment withdrew His hand of blessing and ordered them to go back S into the wilderness (14:1-25), the people again disobeyed God, and with their own feeble effort attacked the Amalekites.
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