what was the sin of the amalekites

(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). The commandment to kill Amalekites is not practised by contemporary Jews, based on the argument that Sennacherib deported and mixed the nations, so it is no longer possible to determine who is an Amalekite. 14:45). However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Moreover, the attack of the Amalekites upon the Israelites encouraged others. Whereas the Kenites passed into permanent settlement during the First Temple period and were assimilated in Judah (I Chron. 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 Amalekites clearly survived well after the time of Saul, despite his hollow boasts. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. Why did God want to destroy the Amalekites? 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. Amalek and Israel. Etymology [ edit] In some rabbinical interpretations, Amalek is etymologised as am lak, 'a people who lick (blood)', [2] but most specialists regard the origin to be unknown. Bibliography G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (1896), 282; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 159. Judg 12:15 and remarks earlier). For this sin, God damned the Amalekites, commanding the Jews to wage a holy war to exterminate them. next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young The Hebrew word used in 1 Samuel 15:7 has the same meaning as in 1 Samuel 15:4 (and 15:20). Why do you think they all lived in that city? Territory. It is sad that they did not take advantage of their time of grace. Answer: The Amalekites were a tribe first mentioned during the time of Abraham ( Genesis 14:7 ). Who were the Amalekites? 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. 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. 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. The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. This past week, Pastor Andrew discussed the fall of Saul and had to deal with 1 Samuel 15:3. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:4043 ESV). Amalek, a son of Esau's son Eliphaz, was presumably the eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites. Samuel executed their king Agag (1 Sam 15) because Saul had not! Exodus 17 describes Israels first encounter with the wandering Amalekites at Rephidim, a place between the wilderness of Sin and the wilderness of Sinai (Exod 17:1; 19:2), at which the Israelites camped in their Exodus journey from Egypt. 25:19 Wipe out the descendants of Amalek I'd be interested if that Amalekite bloodline still survives aka Hitler etc. 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. Sauls rebellion against God was so serious that he was rejected by God as king: For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Can the game be left in an invalid state if all state-based actions are replaced? Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? Num. An Amalekite is a name for a member of the Amalekite nation. 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. [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. 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. (1 Samuel 15:23 ESV). 1998. 15:4; Ezek. This is the inner logic that explains the sequence of redemption. 1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 5:14). At this place, following the Amalekite attack, Israel defeated her enemy (Exod 17:8-16). 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. Timna was a Horite and sister of Lotan. Num. 3. They did this for no reasons except violence and greed. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Rabin (19602), 176; Jos., Ant., 3:40). That is possible but we do not have any documentation. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Also Minchat Chinuch, parshat Ki Tetze, mitzvah 434. and more. Despite the "pre-deuteronomic" literary framework of chapter 15 and its prophetic-ideological aim, embedded in it is an ancient historical tradition about a war of extermination that reflects Saul's war against Amalek. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. [48], In addition, many rabbinic authorities ruled that the commandment only applies to a Jewish king or an organized community, and cannot be performed by an individual. c. In the time of Saul. 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. If they defeat me, you flee, and if not, come and help me against Israel.". They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. The BIBLE never said every single Amalekite lived in their area of settling. 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). You can also download the Into The Word app on iTunes or Google Play. He said: 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. They were to be under him and over everything else. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. God also gave each an opportunity to repent before He judged them. It seems probable that the wanderings of the Amalekites, or of a particular part of them, extended as far as Transjordan in the neighborhood of Moab or Ammon. 2. The Amalekites provide an explanation for the irrational and intense hatred for Jews that echoes through human history. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Since they were descendants of Esau, some may well have lived in Edom. [33] Groups identified with Amalek include the Romans, Nazis, Stalinists, ISIS, Palestinians[34] and bellicose Iranian leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[35][36]. How to Make a Black glass pass light through it? This is one of the surrounding nations with which Israel has continual conflict. In the wilderness wanderings. Why did God not punish David as well in the incident of Uzza in 1 Chronicle 13:7-10? What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? This book was written to address and resolve the 600 year disparity between Biblical history and secular ancient history. Contrary to Gods command, Saul kept alive the Amalekite king and the best of their livestock (vv. (1871). 3 Why did God want to destroy the Amalekites? The name Amalek is not mentioned in writings outside the Bible. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. The end of the age will involve first separation, and only then, renewal and restoration. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, [1] oxen and . Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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? 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. 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. and his associate kings subdued among others, all the country of the Amalekites, which reference need not be taken as an anachronism, but is to be understood as possibly a different Amalek, or better, that the term is used to identify the land which later became the home of the Amalekite descendants of Esau. Did God permit David to marry numerous wives in 2 Samuel 12:8? (I Samuel What happened in Massah in the Bible? 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. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 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 . 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). 47:19). The Amalekites, descendants of Amalek, were an ancient biblical nation living near the land of Canaan. The Amalekites persisted in their sin . 1 Sam 31:3-5; 2 Sam 1:4-10) was killed by David because he had slain the Lords anointed king (1:14-16), and also had confessed he was an Amalekite (1:8, 13). Answer The Amalekites were a formidable tribe of nomads living in the area south of Canaan, between Mount Seir and the Egyptian border. ", "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. Human beings exercise dominion; that is to say, they exercise influence. Saul spared only the best of the sheep and of the oxen, besides Agag. Therefore, Saul's boast the he had destroyed the Amalekites was not true and he was rebuked for this and other matters. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Obviously, some Amalekites escaped Saul's army. 2008 The Gale Group. 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. There is no further Biblical reference. Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. 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. Thus the tannaitic aggadah of the first century B.C.E. Their supposed founder was one Esau's sons, namely Amalek. Amalek is described as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau," from which it is assumed that he ruled a clan or territory named after him . These locations are uncertain but probably do not account for every nomadic clan of Amalekites, especially if they lived among other groups. It is a reminder that the wages of sin is death. 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. also Judg 10:12). What are the advantages of running a power tool on 240 V vs 120 V? 1 Sam. The. For this sin, God damned the Amalekites, commanding the Jews to wage a holy war to exterminate them. Matthew George Easton advocated that the Amalekites were not descendants of Amalek by taking a literal approach to Genesis 14:7. 4. 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). Shepherds used this same methodology to count their flock. 15:3). 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. You never know. First God must prepare a renewed humanity, and only then can there be a restored cosmos. 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 risks are you taking when "signing in with Google"? This may indicate that Agag's military success was proverbial. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 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. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. The Vulgate also names David as the author. Because of Sauls failure to wipe out the Amalekites, they continued to harass and plunder the Israelites over hundreds of years. 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. The Lord rebuked Jonah for being upset about the repentance of Nineveh, which served to forestall their destruction, saying: And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? (Jonah 4:11 ESV). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. All Rights Reserved Bridger, David. 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. The last mention of the Amalekites is found in the book of Esther where Haman the Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag, connives to have all the Jews in Persia annihilated by order of King Xerxes. the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Therefore, all who are wise will forsake their sin and seek absolution through the means that he provides. First, God gave the Amalekites 400 years to repent before He judged them of . The Amalekites. In the period of the Judges. When those privileged to enter the eternal kingdom express surprise over the grace being shown to them, Jesus says: Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:40 ESV). Horovitz and I.A. For an Rabbanic explanation of Timna lineage see. The Amalekites were a fierce race of nomads who inhabited the desert to the south of Judaea towards Egypt. 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). However, such an interpretation contradicts the meaning of the chapter whose purpose is to relate how various tribes and families became annexed to Judah, i.e., "the people." While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. in "hill country of Seir." How old was David when he fought Goliath? 2:345; Josh. The most immediate answer would seem to be that unlike the people of Ninevah, the Amalekites did not repent, though they were given plenty of time to do so. 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. 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. When Adam and Eve sin they are exiled from the garden and condemned to die: you are dust, and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:19 ESV). Rather than there being a contradiction in scripture, the more obvious reason for the conundrum is that although Saul attacked the Amalekite army he did not not complete the task according to Gods instructions. It was only the Amalekite army who were destroyed (apart from King Agag). More metaphorically, to some Hasidic rabbis (particularly the Baal Shem Tov), Amalek represents atheism or the rejection of God. The rabbis derived these from Deuteronomy 25:1718, Exodus 17:14 and 1 Samuel 15:3. Amalek in later history. The King (and presumably many senior officials) survived and many others did as well. For Amalekites in the Book of Mormon, see, Commandment to exterminate the Amalekites, Religious and modern scholarly discussion. is there such a thing as "right to be heard"? The royal line of the Kings is what led to Haman. As descendants of Esau they had despised the covenant themselves and now were determined that none others could have access to what they had rejected. In which made it possible for Haman the Agagite [descendant of Agag] to appear (Esther 3:1); his cruel plot against the Jews could only be counteracted by another descendant of Kish, Mordecai. The Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia. The Amalekites are not listed in the table of nations in Genesis 10, as they did not originate until after Esau's time. In Judaism, the Amalekites came to represent the archetypal enemy of the Jews. Agag (/ e /; Hebrew: gg) is a Northwest Semitic name or title applied to a biblical king.It has been suggested that "Agag" was a dynastic name of the kings of Amalek, just as Pharaoh was used as a dynastic name for the ancient Egyptians. 23:7 -- "You shall not abhor an Edomite for he is your brother.". 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. Deut 34:3). 34:5; Josh. Ibn-Arabshh purported that Amalek was a descendant of Ham, son of Noah. servant of an Amalekite (30:11-15), found the Amalekite camp, defeated the enemy, and recovered his wives and possessions (30:16-20). The war with Amalek did not end with their defeat, and the Israelites were commanded always to remember the deeds of Amalek (Deut. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. 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). This fits with their association with Esau/Edom, who established his lineage there. [4] Amalek is described as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau",[5] from which it is surmised that he ruled a clan or territory named after him. 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. R. 26:3). 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.) Saul Defeats the Amalekites but Spares Their King. 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. Corrections? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [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. 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). This demonstrates again Israels strong antipathy to Amalek. Furthermore, it is possible that Saul is primarily engaged in battle against 7 Where did the Israelites go after leaving Rephidim? [56]John Gill also describes the cherem as an example of the law of retaliation being carried out. 30:17,18 ASV). 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. [9] But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambseverything that was good. Amalek, a son of Esau's son Eliphaz, was presumably the eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites. [25], In the exegesis of Numbers 24:20 concerning Balaam's utterance: "Amalek was the first one of the nations, but his end afterward will be even his perishing", Richard Watson attempts to associate this passage to the "first one of the nations" that developed post-Flood. Next, the Amalekite who claimed he had finished killing Saul (cf. Perhaps, the statement where Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur is hyperbolical. In Genesis 1 we are told: Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. Perhaps the author merely wishes to define the normal range of the nomadic Amalekites in the time of Saul. This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible. Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. 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. We have many examples including the giant king Og. According to William Petri, Amalekites tried to prevent the Israelites from reaching the oasis. Amalek was one of the sons of Eliphaz and a grandson of Esau (Gen 36:15, 16; 1 Chron 1:36). There the Amalekites appear to have found them and cruelly massacred them. In the light of Amaleks past harassment of Israel the Lord commanded Saul to exterminate this enemy (1 Sam 15:1-3). And David recovered all that the This brought a curse of ultimate annihilation from Moses (Ex 17:14-16, Deut 25:19) and Balaam (Num 24:20). 600 Deut. This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1. But why did he do it? 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. They were created to be his vice regents over all creation. ), they were one of the first nations the Israelites encountered. 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). The record says that Saul took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword.. 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). 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). [30][31], According to the Midrash, the Amalekites were sorcerers who could transform themselves to resemble animals, in order to avoid capture. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Saul only targeted the Amalekites who lived in the Havilah to Shur region (1 Samuel 15:7). BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. 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.
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