The Amalekites were not completely destroyed by Saul, since at the end of his reign they were still raiding the Negev of the Cherethites, of Judah, and of Caleb, and the town of Ziklag, that had been assigned by King Achish of Gath to David (I Sam. ). Judg 12:15 and remarks earlier). 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. [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]. They persisted and progressed in sin and wickedness. Please, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. They were nomadic and moved around. Smiths Bible Dictionary Rephidim (Exodus 17:1,8; 19:2) The name means restsor stays, i.e. 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. There is no further Biblical reference. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. 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. All human beings stand under a sentence of death: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23 ESV). See 1 Samuel 15:7 where Saul is said to have defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. This seems to have been the same general area inhabited by the Ishmaelites about whom it is stated: They dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria (Gen 25:18). Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The BIBLE never said every single Amalekite lived in their area of settling. Did God permit David to marry numerous wives in 2 Samuel 12:8? BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Joshua's Hebrew name is Yehoshua, which is the long version of the name Yeshua or Joshua in English. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. "Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction." Amalekites Defeated by david 1 Samuel 27:8-9 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. 2:345; Josh. 3:1213). Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. According to the Bible, Amalek was the first enemy that Israel encountered after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. This demonstrates again Israels strong antipathy to Amalek. Next, the Amalekite who claimed he had finished killing Saul (cf. (Genesis 12:17 ESV). It does not store any personal data. 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 Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia. The name Amalek is not mentioned in writings outside the Bible. 30:14). Telushkin, Joseph. Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom. In doing so he created a line of promise and blessing that was intended to encompass all the people in the world. 47:19), then this battle was waged in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Horeb. 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. 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). 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. However, in 1 Samuel 15:2 this people were still flourishing. It is also customary to recite Deuteronomy 25:1718 (see below) on the Shabbat before Purim. New International Version (NIV). 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. What was the sin of the Amalekites? @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. God had a very good reason for wanting Saul to destroy the Amalekites. also Judg 10:12). So we should probably think of Agag as an important Amalekite clan leader, not a formal king of the 'nation' of Amalek. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Contrary to Gods command, Saul kept alive the Amalekite king and the best of their livestock (vv. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (19) Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek. There the Amalekites appear to have found them and cruelly massacred them. All the tragedies which Israel suffered are considered the direct outcome of Amalek's hostile act (PdRK 27). The Bible is very clear: those who do not turn from their sin will eventually fall under judgment. 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 Hebrew word used in 1 Samuel 15:7 has the same meaning as in 1 Samuel 15:4 (and 15:20). That is pretty large distance of battle between Arabia and Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have . 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). 8:5, 12; cf. 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. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. A comparison of texts like Deuteronomy 1:44 and Numbers 14:45 suggests that the Amorites and the Amalekites were two ways of referring to the same people. Any offense against the line of promise is treated as an offense against God. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek.[32]. If it helps, 1 Samuel 15:8-9, Saul did spared the king of Amalekites, Agag. [9] But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambseverything that was good. As this text makes abundantly clear, enjoyment of Gods creation is dependent upon our obedience. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 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. 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. [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. 15:4; Ezek. Whereas the Kenites passed into permanent settlement during the First Temple period and were assimilated in Judah (I Chron. 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. 8:2627) except in special cases (Deut. by H.S. [Genesis 36:12], Regarding Samuel's destruction of them, a casual reading can lead to the assumption that one big battle was described. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Their supposed founder was one Esau's sons, namely 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. Shengold Books. The Vulgate also names David as the author. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Updates? 2008 The Gale Group. What is meant by "the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete" in Genesis 15:16? [25] Some Muslim historians claimed that the Amalekites who fought Joshua were descendants of the inhabitants of North Africa. How come David fought an Amalekite army that Saul has already eradicated a few years earlier? 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. [52], A few authorities have ruled that the command never included killing Amalekites. That is possible but we do not have any documentation. In Leviticus 27:32, a rod was used by the priests to count the tithe. Moses holding up his arms during the Battle of Refidim, assisted by Hur and Aaron, in John Everett Millais Victory O Lord! Who a person is toward the line of promise is who that person is before God. 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 matter was, therefore, a war of rescue as were the wars of the Judges, and it seems that because of its difficulty Saul vowed that in the event of success he would devote the spoil to the Lord by erem. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Why did God tell Saul to destroy the Amalekites? The Amalekites are a picture of the sinful desires of our flesh that consume, destroy, and exhaust us like a person trying to free themselves from the bondage of a rope."..Beloved, our flesh will always oppose us, but need not oppress us. The flood did not just destroy rebellious adult men and women it killed everything and everyone not in the ark. The reason for the Lords concern about disobedient Israels encountering Amalek and other enemies without His special power was that the Amalekites who dwelt in both the hill country and in the valleys of S Canaan and the Negeb, were effective fighters in both areas (Num 14:25, 44, 45). When righteous human beings exercise dominion everything they touch is blessed. 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. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. The whole creation was affected and is affected by the sin of human beings. It is a reminder that wickedness is a cancer that must be removed before the renewal and restoration of all things. 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. 14:48). 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 . Jewish Literacy. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. 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). He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:4043 ESV). Access 50+ premium resources. 23:7 -- "You shall not abhor an Edomite for he is your brother.". 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. This principle is transposed by Jesus into a New Covenant key in the parable or metaphor of the sheep and the goats. The Amalekites are one of the peoples dwelling in the southern part of Canaan. a. Emmanuel Velikovsky, a relentless researcher, provided evidence for this possibility in his book Ages in Chaos. We are living in the part of the story wherein the opportunity to be on the right side of this process is being extended to all people, everywhere. - Amalek & Israel - Land & People - The Amalekites & the Kenites - In the Aggadah. The command imposed on Saul to subject the Amalekites to the ban (erem), however, conforms to the version in Deuteronomy. It shows that Saul's claim that he had destroyed all the Amalekites was quote false and hollow. If the story of the destruction and death of the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15 seems discordant with the rest of the Bible, the reason for that more likely lies with the reader than with any lack of consistency in the Bible itself. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 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. Was David responsible for Saul's insane order to slaughter everyone in the city of Nob (1 Sam. 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? Otherwise, their fate, will be identical to that of the Amalekites.
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