13:21) and the kings of ana in Mari, whose main function may have been a military one. d. Jethro visits and watches Moses Judge the people and offers Moses advice. This principle is further illustrated in terms of Jesus response to the persecution of the church by Saul in Acts 8 and 9. Can we reconcile with our eternal sworn enemies? This fits with their association with Esau/Edom, who established his lineage there. [Genesis 36:12], Regarding Samuel's destruction of them, a casual reading can lead to the assumption that one big battle was described. Amalekites are presented as descendants of Amalek, a grandson of Esau. An Amalekite is a name for a member of the Amalekite nation. 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. First, God gave the Amalekites 400 years to repent before He judged them of . The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. Jewish Literacy. 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). When it says that the iniquity of the Amorites has not reached its fullness, one way of looking at it is that there was still a chance to eliminate the gene pool of the seed of the elohim. The Biblical text states that the Israelites argued with Moses about the lack of water, with Moses rebuking the Israelites for testing Yahweh, hence the name Massah, which means testing. What is the Russian word for the color "teal"? What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? For example, Rabbi Hayim Palaggi stated: We can rely on the maxim that in ancient times, Sennacherib confused the lineage of many nations. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. What risks are you taking when "signing in with Google"? [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. Access 50+ premium resources. 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. 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. The place lies in the march of the Israelites from Egypt to Sinai. Although Samuel alludes to Amalek's provocation of Israel, "in opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt" (15:2), there is no mention of the battle of Rephidim and of the victorious war of Moses and Joshua. Rashi explains the third commandment: From man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, so that the name of Amalek not be mentioned even with reference to an animal by saying "This animal belonged to Amalek". They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. In the Book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Children of Israel on their journey to the land of Israel. 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. [24], By the 19th century, there was strong support by Western theologians for the idea that the nation of Amalek could have flourished before the time of Abraham. 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. 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. Read More: Is aerospace engineering . The Amalekites survived by living amongst other tribes. 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. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, [1] oxen and . Saul was severely rebuked for this incomplete job and his attempt at "spin" by suggesting that all had been eliminated when, clearly, they had not. This is seen in Judges 3:12-14 in the account of how Eglon, the king of Moab, collected the forces of the Amalekites and the Ammonites and defeated Israel and took the city of palms (evidently Jericho, cf. The word baca means balsam but is also the Hebrew verb for weep. (The balsam tree weeps its resin.) 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. They were the first nation to attack the Israelites when they left Egypt ( Exodus 17:8; Numbers 14:45 ). Answer: The Amalekites were a tribe first mentioned during the time of Abraham ( Genesis 14:7 ). It shows that Saul's claim that he had destroyed all the Amalekites was quote false and hollow. Exod 17:8; Num 14:45). 30:14). After the victories of Saul and David the Amalekites ceased to be a factor of any influence in the border regions of Judah and the Negev, just as the Midianites had after the war of Gideon. There seems to be a contradiction is scriptures. Introduction to positive commandments, Beer Mayim Hayim, letter Alef, Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "Timna, concubine of Eliphaz: Midrash and Aggadah", "Shabbat Zachor: "Remember what Amalek did to you!" Matthew George Easton advocated that the Amalekites were not descendants of Amalek by taking a literal approach to Genesis 14:7. 2 Kings 17:24 KJV. 1998. 3:1) who is regarded as a descendant of Agag (I Sam. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? 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. Moses goes on to command that for this wicked treatment of an oppressed people, Israel later, when in the land of Canaan, was to exterminate the Amalekites (Deut 25:19). I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. So this explains why David would still be fighting Amalekites in his time. 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). When they are in right relationship with God they mediate blessings; when they are in active rebellion, they mediate corruption, chaos and death. 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 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. During the period of the Judges, the Amalekites participated with other nations in attacks on the Israelite tribes. The command imposed on Saul to subject the Amalekites to the ban (erem), however, conforms to the version in Deuteronomy. 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 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. [10] First-century Roman-Jewish scholar and historian Flavius Josephus refers to Amalek as a 'bastard' () in a derogatory sense. While the Jews were still in Rephidim, the Amalekites, a mightily and fierce people, descendants of Esau, and well-trained in the art of warfare, suddenly attacked the people of Israel.It was an unprovoked and cowardly attack upon a tired and weary people, just liberated from slavery, on the way to their homeland. Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom. Judg 12:15 and remarks earlier). What happened in Massah in the Bible? 24:18, 20). 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. Human beings exercise dominion; that is to say, they exercise influence. Then the future king, through the help of an abandoned Egyp. 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. Why does Acts not mention the deaths of Peter and Paul? 1 Chronicles 4:41-43 (NASB) 41 "These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and [a]attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly . It will ever conflict, but need not conquer. Emmanuel Velikovsky, a relentless researcher, provided evidence for this possibility in his book Ages in Chaos. In doing so he created a line of promise and blessing that was intended to encompass all the people in the world. Accordingly, the main Amalekite center was on the Sinai Peninsula in the region of "the waters of Meribath-Kadesh," which may have been in the vicinity of Kadesh-Barnea, as the Amalekite attack at Rephidim was also in the same area. 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." This seems to many to be at odds with what the Bible says about Gods compassion for human beings and animals elsewhere. When righteous human beings exercise dominion everything they touch is blessed. An Amalekite remnant is also described as still active during the reign of King Hezekiah in the eighth century B.C.E. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. In 1 Samuel 13 and 1 Samuel 15, for which act of Saul's disobedience did God take away the kingdom? The battle (or the main one) was waged in "the wadi," by which is perhaps meant the Wadi of Egypt (cf. 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. It has been suggested by Moshe Kochavi that the ir Amaleq, (city of Amalek) referred to at 1 Samuel 15:5 may be identified with the site at Khirbet eI-Meshash (Tel Masos) on the periphery of the Wadi Beer-sheba, some 12 kilometres east of the city of Beer Sheva itself. Saul spared only the best of the sheep and of the oxen, besides Agag. (Gen. 25:18). Esau was the older brother of Jacob (who became Israel). 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. This past week, Pastor Andrew discussed the fall of Saul and had to deal with 1 Samuel 15:3. In the Book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Children of Israel on their journey to the land of Israel. 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. is there such a thing as "right to be heard"? The etymology is uncertain, according to John L. McKenzie (1995), while Cox (1884) suggested "High." 30:17,18 ASV). It is entirely consistent with the overall storyline and theology of the Bible. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. (Genesis 1:26 ESV). a. Saul's act of extermination was not absolute, for he spared the best of the sheep and cattle setting aside part for a sacrifice to God and Agag, king of Amalek. Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. You can also download the Into The Word app on iTunes or Google Play. This reading which occurs only in secondary versions of the Septuagint and not in original ones can be explained as an attempt to interpret a difficult passage in the light of I Samuel 15:6, i.e., the verse in the Song of Deborah where it says of Ephraim "they whose root is in Amalek" (Judg. What is meant by "the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete" in Genesis 15:16? If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Human beings resemble God and represent God. But if we remain in our sins, then we will perish in our sins, as Jesus himself said in the Gospel of Luke: No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3 ESV). 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. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. They were created to be his vice regents over all creation. In the period of the Judges. [56]John Gill also describes the cherem as an example of the law of retaliation being carried out. When these peoples came with considerable forces and camped in the Valley of Jezreel (6:33), Gideon and his 300 men, under the direction of the Lord, routed and killed many of them (7:19-23). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Amalek, a son of Esau's son Eliphaz, was presumably the eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites. What happens at the Split Rock of Rephidim? The New Jewish Encyclopedia. Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. [26] However, the modern biblical scholar David Freedman uses textual analysis to glean that the use of Amalekite in Genesis 14:7 is actually an anachronism,[13] and in the early 19th century, Richard Watson enumerated several speculative reasons for having a "more ancient Amalek" than Abraham. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The King (and presumably many senior officials) survived and many others did as well. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. The last remnants appear to have been largely eliminated by the tribe of Simeon during the time of Hezekiah (1 Chron 4:42, 43). In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Amalekites seem to have been fairly well controlled under the monarchy, for the OT does not mention them again until the time of Hezekiah (c. 700 b.c.) They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. The Amalekites provide an explanation for the irrational and intense hatred for Jews that echoes through human history. Deuteronomy explicitly admonishes the Israelites to remember Amalek and blot out its memory from under heaven, whereas in the Exodus version this can only be inferred (see above). They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. Territory. balsam (1 Samuel 30:17-18) Perhaps the Amalakites conscripted the help of their friendly neighbours. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. What does a shepherd do with his rod and staff? temple (E. F. Campbell and G. E. Wright, Tribal League Shrines in Amman and Shechem, BA, XXXII, No. 12:15), but serves to indicate the warlike nature of Ephraim, beside Benjamin. (Some scholars (Edeleman in Bibliography) have argued that there was a northern Amalekite enclave adjoining Ephraimite territory.) It is difficult to imagine that Mt. All the tragedies which Israel suffered are considered the direct outcome of Amalek's hostile act (PdRK 27). Otherwise, their fate, will be identical to that of the Amalekites. [27], Although Egyptian and Assyrian monumental inscriptions and records of the period survive which list various tribes and peoples of the area, no reference has ever been found to Amalek or the Amalekites. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. If we confess our sins and hide ourselves under the merit of his blood on the cross, we may be forgiven and by his Holy Spirit, restored. It is sad that they did not take advantage of their time of grace. The end of the age will involve first separation, and only then, renewal and restoration. Suppose something similar occurred here, the Amalekites were completely killed off and some neighbors seeing the Amalekite cities empty sought to take advantage, moves in and became a people. vs06 I edited your question, feel free to revert to original or edit further as you wish. 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. Here we have an example of not the extermination of the Northern Ten Tribes but exiling them and replacing them with other people groups. So Saul puts together an army of two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. It does not store any personal data. 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. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. 20:114, 24; Ezek. This is seen by observing the Kenites who lived with the Amalekites at the city of Amalek (1 Sam 15:5, 6) and that they earlier had taken up this residence with the people in the region of the Negeb near Arad (Judg 1:16), which was only about twenty m. S of Hebron. (19) Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek. Samuel executed their king Agag (1 Sam 15) because Saul had not! This principle is transposed by Jesus into a New Covenant key in the parable or metaphor of the sheep and the goats. [33] Groups identified with Amalek include the Romans, Nazis, Stalinists, ISIS, Palestinians[34] and bellicose Iranian leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[35][36]. The Amalekites were a people of the Negev and adjoining desert that were a hereditary enemy of Israel from wilderness times to the early monarchy. (2) The injunction "Remember" does not enjoin us to recall the evil actions of others but rather our own. 34:5; Josh. This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible. 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. The operative words in that statement are pass through. The valley of weeping is a place through which we pass; it is not where Gods people permanently dwell. In the light of Amaleks past harassment of Israel the Lord commanded Saul to exterminate this enemy (1 Sam 15:1-3). More closely historical than the Pentateuch's accounts of Amalek are the traditions set in the period of the Judges and the monarchy. [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. By the time Aaron died, the final location of the Staff was lost, although it was believed to have been stolen from Solomons Temple around the same time as the Ark of the Covenant. Seir, killed the survivors of Amalek, and settled there. It was only the Amalekite army who were destroyed (apart from King Agag). They lived amongst the Kenites, Canaanites, etc and if they lived amongst them there was definitely mixing and thus they was preserved. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. Amalek in later history. It is a reminder that those who harass and abuse the people of God invite the curse of God. The Amalekites (/mlkats/[6]) were considered to be Amalek's descendants through the genealogy of Esau. Corrections? 47:19), then this battle was waged in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. The Lord arrests him on the side of the road and says: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 9:4 ESV). 15:15 ASV). 17:14). 15:10; and perhaps also Judg. Their supposed founder was one Esau's sons, namely Amalek. 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.

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