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. Contrary to Gods command, Saul kept alive the Amalekite king and the best of their livestock (vv. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the . 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. The Amalekites are not listed in the table of nations in Genesis 10, as they did not originate until after Esau's time. Then the future king, through the help of an abandoned Egyp. This is borne out by Judges 12:15 where the area of Ephraim around the town Pirathon (not far from present-day Nablus) is called the hill country of the Amalekites. See 1 Samuel 27:5-7 and 30:1 for the fact that Amalek raided Philistine towns like Ziklag (a few m. N of Beersheba) which Achish, king of Gath, had given to David. Perhaps the author merely wishes to define the normal range of the nomadic Amalekites in the time of Saul. Do not spare them. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:23 ESV). people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto It is a reminder that those who harass and abuse the people of God invite the curse of God. From the scanty information in I Samuel 15, it may be concluded that Saul achieved victory over the Amalekites and advanced all the way to their headquarters, "the city of Amalek." The Gospel is going forth to all nations and when it has done, then the end will come. Seir, killed the survivors of Amalek, and settled there. He was keeping track of the measure of their sins, and, during Abraham's time, it was not yet "full." So the Amorites were warned that judgment was coming. 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. Completely destroy all that they have. For example, Rabbi Hayim Palaggi stated: We can rely on the maxim that in ancient times, Sennacherib confused the lineage of many nations. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saul then made a statement of repentance and obtained some public reconciliation with the prophet Samuel, following which the prophet then killed Agag, the Amalekite king (15:24-33). [1 Chronicles 4] The mention of Haman the 'Agagite' [Esther 3.1] as the villain in the book of Esther provides further food for thought at a much later period. 15:10; and perhaps also Judg. 30:14). Amalek and Israel. 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. ", "ISIS a Reenactment of Biblical War Between Israel and the Amalekites, Military Analysts Say", "Unmasking Purim, Fighting Amalek: Behind the whimsy of this holiday lie some deep lessons for living", "Esther 3 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges", "Ethical Criticism of the Bible: The Case of Divinely Mandated Genocide", "Religion, nationalism and genocide: ancient Judaism revisited", "1 Samuel 15: Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers", "Metaphysical Hatred and Sacred Genocide: The Questionable Role of Amalek in Biblical Literature", Amalek, Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Remember Amalek: A lesson in Divine Providence, Latznu: Popular Culture and the Disciples of Amalek, Antiquities of the Jews - by Josephus Flavius, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amalek&oldid=1149600431, This page was last edited on 13 April 2023, at 07:21. The flood did not just destroy rebellious adult men and women it killed everything and everyone not in the ark. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This is one of the surrounding nations with which Israel has continual conflict. 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). More metaphorically, to some Hasidic rabbis (particularly the Baal Shem Tov), Amalek represents atheism or the rejection of God. 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). 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. However, in 1 Samuel 15:2 this people were still flourishing. What were the sins of the Amalekites? - Wise-Answer Were the previous Israelites living in Samaria called Samarians too? 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). 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!" 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. 13:13 ff. Also Minchat Chinuch, parshat Ki Tetze, mitzvah 434. We have many examples including the giant king Og. They were completely defeated and chased as far as Hormah (near Arad and Ziklag) (Num 14:39-45; Josh 12:14; 15:30). Was Samuel referring to Saul in 1 Samuel 8:10-17? [57], According to Christian Hofreiter, historically almost all Christian authorities and theologians have interpreted the herem passages as referring to real, historical events when God commanded the Israelites to exterminate all the members of particular nations. 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. Why do you think they all lived in that city? 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. 5:14). the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 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. 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. During the reign of Hezekiah, 500 Simeonites annihilated the remnant of the Amalekites, so God is not still at war with the Amalek. What would make it complete?And they shall come back here in the fourth gene. There seems to be a contradiction is scriptures. When they leave Rephidim, the Israelites advance into the Sinai Wilderness, possibly marching through the passes of the Wadi Solaf and the Wadi esh-Sheikh, which converge at the entrance to the er-Rahah plain (which would then be identified with the Sinai Wilderness), which is three kilometers long and about eight hundred metres wide. 2:345; Josh. [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. They were the first nation to attack the Jewish people after the Exodus from Egypt, and they are seen as the archetypal enemy of the Jews. The Vulgate also names David as the author. [40][41][42][43] It has also been described as genocidal, according to genocide scholars like Norman Naimark.[44][45][46][47]. c. In the time of Saul. On what basis are pardoning decisions made by presidents or governors when exercising their pardoning power? But 1 Sam 15 reports that Saul defeated them "from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt." 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. Eynei Kol ai, 73, on Sanhedrin 96b. [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. The RSV in Judges 5:14 wrongly changes the words in Amalek to into the valley, although that v. indicates in a footnote that the Heb. The answer is NO. 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. Later in the time of the Judges the Amalekites showed continued harassing activity against Israel. 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). 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. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. 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. Joshua's Hebrew name is Yehoshua, which is the long version of the name Yeshua or Joshua in English. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. Despite the title "king" the Amalekites were not a nation with fixed borders and a centralized administrative structure. Bibliography G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (1896), 282; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 159. 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. The Bible is very clear: those who do not turn from their sin will eventually fall under judgment. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. They lived amongst the Kenites, Canaanites, etc and if they lived amongst them there was definitely mixing and thus they was preserved. When wicked human beings exercise dominion, everything they touch is cursed. Life of David + DAVID Flashcards | Quizlet 25:17 Remember what Amalek did to the Israelites 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. God has a settled antagonism against sin. Id say yes, if I had to guess. Now listen to his message. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. They were a warlike people. 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.
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