Reference: Amalekites
American
A powerful people, who dwelt in Arabia Petraea, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, perhaps in moving troops. We cannot assign the place of their habitation, except in general it is apparent that they dwelt south of Palestine, between Mount Seir and the border of Egypt; and it does not appear that they possessed many cities, though one is mentioned in 1Sa 15:5. They lived generally in migrating parties, in caves or in tents, like the Bedaween Arabs of the present day. The Israelites had scarcely passed the Red sea, when the Amelikites attacked them in the desert of Rephidim, and slew those who, through fatigue or weakness, lagged behind; and for this unprovoked assault on the people of God, the doom of extermination was passed upon them, Ex 17:8-16. They came again into conflict with a part of the Israelites on the border of the promised land, Nu 14:45; and after 400 years, Saul attacked and destroyed them at the command of the Lord, 1Sa 15. A remnant, however, escaped and subsided afterwards; David defeated them on several occasions, 1Sa 27:8; 30:1; 2Sa 8:12; and they were finally blotted out by the Simeonites, in the time of Hezekiah, 1Ch 4:43, thus fulfilling the prediction of Balaam, Nu 24:20. Haman, the last of the race mentioned in Scripture, perished like his fathers, in conflict with the Jews. See the book of Esther.
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Then came in Amalek, - and fought with Israel, in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua - Choose for us men, and go forth, fight with Amalek, - to-morrow, am, I, stationing myself upon the top of the hill, with the staff of God in my hand. read more. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, to fight with Amalek, - and Moses, Aaron and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And it shall be when Moses shall lift on high his hands, then shall Israel prevail, but when he shall let down his hands, then shall Amalek prevail. But, the hands of Moses, were weary, so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat thereupon, - and, Aaron and Hur, upheld his hands - on this side, one and on that side, one, and so his hands became steady, until the going in of the sun. So Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people, with the edge of the sword. Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Write this as a remembrancer in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Jeshua - that I will, wipe out, the remembrance of Amalek, from under the heavens. And Moses built an altar, - and called the name thereof, Yahweh-nissi. And he said - Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, - from generation to generation!
So ten the Amalekites and the Canaanites, that dwelt in that mountain, came down, - and smote them and routed them even unto Hormah.
And, when he saw Amalek, he took up, his parable, and said - The beginning of nations, - Amalek, But his latter end is even to perish.
And Saul came as far as the city of Amalek, - and stirred up strife in the ravine.
And David and his men went up, and made a raid against the Geshurites and the Gizrites and the Amalekites, - for, they, were the inhabitants of the land who had been from age-past times, as thou enterest Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.
And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that, the Amalekites, had made a raid into the South, and into Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
Fausets
Philo interprets "a people that licks up." A nomadic tribe, occupying the peninsula of Sinai and the wilderness between Palestine and Egypt (Nu 13:29; 1Sa 15:7; 27:8). Arab writers represent them as sprung from Ham, and originally at the Persian gulf, and then pressed westward by Assyria, and spreading over Arabia before its occupation by Joktan's descendants. This would accord with the mention of them (Ge 14:7) long before Esau's grandson, the Edomite Amalek; also with Jg 3:13; 5:14; 12:15, where "Amalek" and "the mount of the Amalekites" appear in central Palestine, whither they would come in their passage westward. Scripture nowhere else mentions any relationship of them with the Edomites and Israelites.
The Amalek of Edom (Ge 36:16) in this view afterward became blended with the older Amalekites. But Ge 14:7 mentions merely "the country of the Amalekites," i.e. which afterward belonged to them; whereas in the case of the other peoples themselves are named, the Rephaims, Zuzims, Emims, Horites, Amorites (Septuagint, however, and Origen read for "the country" "the princes".) The descent of the Amalekites from Amalek, Esau's grandson, is favored also by the consideration that otherwise a people so conspicuous in Israel's history would be without specification of genealogy, contrary to the analogy of the other nations connected with Israel in the Pentateuch. Their life was nomadic (Jg 6:5); a city is mentioned in 1Sa 15:5.
Agag was the hereditary title of the king. On Israel's route from Egypt to Palestine, Amalek in guerrilla warfare tried to stop their progress, and was defeated by Joshua, under Moses, whose hands were stayed up by Aaron and Hur, at Rephidim (Ex 17:8-16). (See AGAG.) It was a deliberate effort to defeat God's purpose at the very outset, while Israel was as yet feeble, having just come out of Egypt. The motive is stated expressly, "Amalek feared not God" (De 25:17-19; and Ex 17:16 margin). "Because the hand of Amalek is against the throne of Jehovah, therefore Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." Saul's failure to carry out God's purpose of their utter destruction (1 Samuel 15) brought destruction on Saul himself (1Sa 28:18), and, by a striking retribution in kind, by an Amalekites (2Sa 1:2-10).
David, the instrument of destroying them, was raised to the vacated throne (1Sa 27:8; 30:1-2,17-26; 2Sa 8:12). The Amalekites are mentioned with the Canaanites as having discomfited Israel at Hormah, on the borders of Canaan, permitted by God because of Israel's unbelief as to the spies' report, and then presumption in going up to possess the land in spite of Moses' warning and the non-accompaniment of the ark (Nu 14:43-45). Subsequently the Moabite Eglon, in league with Amalek, smote Israel and took Jericho; but Ehud defeated them (Jg 3:13-30).
Next we find them leagued with Midian (Jg 6:3,7), and defeated by Gideon: Balaam's prophecy (Nu 24:20 Heb.), "Beginning of the pagan (was) Amalek, and its end (shall be) destruction" (even to the perishing, under Saul, David, and finally Hezekiah, 1Ch 4:42-43). In age, power, and celebrity this Bedouin tribe was certainly not "the first of the nations," but (as margin) "the first pagan nation which opened the conflict of pagandom against the people of God." Thus its "latter end" stands in antithesis to its "beginning." The occasion of Amalek's attack was significant: at Rephidim, when there was no water for the people to drink, and God by miracle made it gush from the rock
Contentions for possession of a well were of common occurrence (Ge 21:25; 26:22; Ex 2:17); in Moses' message asking Edom and Sihon the Amorite for leave of passage, water is a prominent topic (Nu 20:17; 21:22; compare Jg 5:11). This constitutes the special heinousness of Amalek's sin in God's eyes. They tried to deprive God's people of a necessary of life which God had just supplied by miracle, thus fighting not so much with them as with God. This accounts for the special severity of their doom. The execution was delayed; but the original sentence at Rephidim was repeated by Balaam, and 400 years subsequently its execution was enjoined at the very beginning of the regal government as a test of obedience; compare 1Sa 12:12-15.
They then still retained their spite against Israel, for we read (1Sa 14:48), "Saul smote the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them." That the Israelites might perceive they were but the executioners of God's sentence, they were forbidden to take the spoil Saul's taking of it to gratify the people and himself, under the pretext of "sacrifice," was the very thing which betrayed the spirit of disobedience, to his ruin.
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So they returned and came in unto En-mishpat, the same, is Kadish, and smote all the field of the Amalekites, - and the Amorites also that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar,
So they returned and came in unto En-mishpat, the same, is Kadish, and smote all the field of the Amalekites, - and the Amorites also that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar,
So they returned and came in unto En-mishpat, the same, is Kadish, and smote all the field of the Amalekites, - and the Amorites also that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar,
So they returned and came in unto En-mishpat, the same, is Kadish, and smote all the field of the Amalekites, - and the Amorites also that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar,
But Abraham reproved Abimelech, - on account of the well of water, which the servants of Abimelech had seized.
But Abraham reproved Abimelech, - on account of the well of water, which the servants of Abimelech had seized.
And he moved on from thence and digged another well, and they disputed not for it, - so he called the name thereof. Rehoboth, and said, For, now, hath Yahweh made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
And he moved on from thence and digged another well, and they disputed not for it, - so he called the name thereof. Rehoboth, and said, For, now, hath Yahweh made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, these, the sons of Adah.
chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, these, the sons of Adah.
Then came the shepherds, and drave them away, - so Moses rose up, and succoured them, and watered their flock,
Then came the shepherds, and drave them away, - so Moses rose up, and succoured them, and watered their flock,
Then came in Amalek, - and fought with Israel, in Rephidim.
Then came in Amalek, - and fought with Israel, in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua - Choose for us men, and go forth, fight with Amalek, - to-morrow, am, I, stationing myself upon the top of the hill, with the staff of God in my hand.
And Moses said unto Joshua - Choose for us men, and go forth, fight with Amalek, - to-morrow, am, I, stationing myself upon the top of the hill, with the staff of God in my hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, to fight with Amalek, - and Moses, Aaron and Hur, went up to the top of the hill.
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, to fight with Amalek, - and Moses, Aaron and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And it shall be when Moses shall lift on high his hands, then shall Israel prevail, but when he shall let down his hands, then shall Amalek prevail.
And it shall be when Moses shall lift on high his hands, then shall Israel prevail, but when he shall let down his hands, then shall Amalek prevail. But, the hands of Moses, were weary, so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat thereupon, - and, Aaron and Hur, upheld his hands - on this side, one and on that side, one, and so his hands became steady, until the going in of the sun.
But, the hands of Moses, were weary, so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat thereupon, - and, Aaron and Hur, upheld his hands - on this side, one and on that side, one, and so his hands became steady, until the going in of the sun. So Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people, with the edge of the sword.
So Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people, with the edge of the sword. Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Write this as a remembrancer in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Jeshua - that I will, wipe out, the remembrance of Amalek, from under the heavens.
Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Write this as a remembrancer in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Jeshua - that I will, wipe out, the remembrance of Amalek, from under the heavens. And Moses built an altar, - and called the name thereof, Yahweh-nissi.
And Moses built an altar, - and called the name thereof, Yahweh-nissi. And he said - Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, - from generation to generation!
And he said - Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, - from generation to generation!
And he said - Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, - from generation to generation!
And he said - Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, - from generation to generation!
Anak, saw we there. Amalek, dwelleth in the land of the South; And, the Hittite, and the Jebusite and the Amorite, dwell in the mountain And the Canaanite, dwelleth by the sea, and by the side of the Jordan.
Anak, saw we there. Amalek, dwelleth in the land of the South; And, the Hittite, and the Jebusite and the Amorite, dwell in the mountain And the Canaanite, dwelleth by the sea, and by the side of the Jordan.
For, the Amalekites and the Canaanites, are there before you, So shall ye fall by the sword, - For inasmuch as ye have turned back from following Yahweh, Therefore will Yahweh not be with you.
For, the Amalekites and the Canaanites, are there before you, So shall ye fall by the sword, - For inasmuch as ye have turned back from following Yahweh, Therefore will Yahweh not be with you. But they presumptuously ascended into the top of the mountain, - though, neither, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh nor Mosses moved out of the midst of the camp.
But they presumptuously ascended into the top of the mountain, - though, neither, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh nor Mosses moved out of the midst of the camp. So ten the Amalekites and the Canaanites, that dwelt in that mountain, came down, - and smote them and routed them even unto Hormah.
So ten the Amalekites and the Canaanites, that dwelt in that mountain, came down, - and smote them and routed them even unto Hormah.
Let us, we pray thee, pass through thy land - we will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the waters of a well, - by the kings road, will we go - we will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left, until we get through thy boundary.
Let us, we pray thee, pass through thy land - we will not pass through field or vineyard, nor will we drink the waters of a well, - by the kings road, will we go - we will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left, until we get through thy boundary.
Let me pass through thy land we will not turn aside into field or into vineyard, nor will we drink the water of a well, - by the kings road, will we go, until we get through thy boundary.
Let me pass through thy land we will not turn aside into field or into vineyard, nor will we drink the water of a well, - by the kings road, will we go, until we get through thy boundary.
And, when he saw Amalek, he took up, his parable, and said - The beginning of nations, - Amalek, But his latter end is even to perish.
And, when he saw Amalek, he took up, his parable, and said - The beginning of nations, - Amalek, But his latter end is even to perish.
Remember that which Amalek did unto thee by the way when ye came forth out of Egypt; how he encountered thee by the way and cut off in thy rear all the worn-out behind thee, thou thyself, being weary and worn, - how he feared not God.
how he encountered thee by the way and cut off in thy rear all the worn-out behind thee, thou thyself, being weary and worn, - how he feared not God. Therefore shall it be when Yahweh thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about in the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee for an inheritance to possess it, then shalt thou wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens, - thou shalt not forget.
Therefore shall it be when Yahweh thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about in the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee for an inheritance to possess it, then shalt thou wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens, - thou shalt not forget.
and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, - and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.
and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, - and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.
and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, - and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.
and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, - and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees. So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab, eighteen years.
So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab, eighteen years. And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up unto them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed, - and the sons of Israel sent, by his hand, a present, unto Eglon king of Moab.
And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up unto them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed, - and the sons of Israel sent, by his hand, a present, unto Eglon king of Moab. So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, - and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.
So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, - and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh. So he offered the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, - now, Eglon, was an exceedingly fat man.
So he offered the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, - now, Eglon, was an exceedingly fat man. And so it was, when he had made an end of offering the present, that he sent away the people who had been bearing the present;
And so it was, when he had made an end of offering the present, that he sent away the people who had been bearing the present; but, he himself, turned back from the images that were by Gilgal, and said, A secret word, have I, unto thee, O king! And he said - Silence! Thereupon went out from his presence all who had been standing near him.
but, he himself, turned back from the images that were by Gilgal, and said, A secret word, have I, unto thee, O king! And he said - Silence! Thereupon went out from his presence all who had been standing near him. And, Ehud, came in unto him, he, having been sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself, alone, and Ehud said, A divine word, have I, unto thee. So he arose from off his seat.
And, Ehud, came in unto him, he, having been sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself, alone, and Ehud said, A divine word, have I, unto thee. So he arose from off his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from off his right thigh, - and thrust it into his body;
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from off his right thigh, - and thrust it into his body; and, the handle also, went in after the blade, and the flesh closed upon the blade, for he withdrew not the sword out of his body, - and he came out into the ante-chamber.
and, the handle also, went in after the blade, and the flesh closed upon the blade, for he withdrew not the sword out of his body, - and he came out into the ante-chamber. And, when Ehud came out into the porch, he closed the doors of the parlour upon him, and bolted them.
And, when Ehud came out into the porch, he closed the doors of the parlour upon him, and bolted them. When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted, - so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber.
When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted, - so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber. But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour, - so they took the key, and opened them , when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead.
But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour, - so they took the key, and opened them , when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead. But, Ehud, escaped while they delayed, - yea, he, passed the images, and escaped into Seirah.
But, Ehud, escaped while they delayed, - yea, he, passed the images, and escaped into Seirah. And so it was, when he came, that he blew with a horn, throughout the hill country of Ephraim, - and the sons of Israel came down with him, out of the hill country, he, being before them.
And so it was, when he came, that he blew with a horn, throughout the hill country of Ephraim, - and the sons of Israel came down with him, out of the hill country, he, being before them. And he said unto them - Come down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
And he said unto them - Come down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. And they smote of Moab, at that time, about ten thousand men, every one a mighty man, and every one a man of valour, - and, there escaped not a man.
And they smote of Moab, at that time, about ten thousand men, every one a mighty man, and every one a man of valour, - and, there escaped not a man. And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.
And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.
In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye - the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.
In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye - the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.
Out of Ephraim, came down they whose root was in Amalek, After thee, Benjamin, among thy tribes, - Out of Machir, had come down governors, And, out of Zebulun, such as bear aloft the staff of the marshal;
Out of Ephraim, came down they whose root was in Amalek, After thee, Benjamin, among thy tribes, - Out of Machir, had come down governors, And, out of Zebulun, such as bear aloft the staff of the marshal;
And so it used to be, if Israel had sown, then came up Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east, yea came up against them,
And so it used to be, if Israel had sown, then came up Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east, yea came up against them,
for, they with their cattle, used to come up, with their tents - yea they used to come like locusts, for multitude, both they and their cattle, were without number, - so they came into the land, to lay it waste.
for, they with their cattle, used to come up, with their tents - yea they used to come like locusts, for multitude, both they and their cattle, were without number, - so they came into the land, to lay it waste.
And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried unto Yahweh, - on account of Midian,
And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried unto Yahweh, - on account of Midian,
And Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite died, - and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
And Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite died, - and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
But, when ye saw that, Nahash king of the sons of Ammon, came upon you, then said ye unto me, Nay! but, a king, shall reign over us, when, Yahweh your God, was your king!
But, when ye saw that, Nahash king of the sons of Ammon, came upon you, then said ye unto me, Nay! but, a king, shall reign over us, when, Yahweh your God, was your king! Now, therefore, lo! the king whom ye have chosen, for whom ye have asked, - lo! therefore, Yahweh hath set over you a king.
Now, therefore, lo! the king whom ye have chosen, for whom ye have asked, - lo! therefore, Yahweh hath set over you a king. If ye will revere Yahweh, and serve him, and hearken unto his voice, and not rebel against the bidding of Yahweh, then shall, both ye and your king that reigneth over you, continue to follow after Yahweh your God.
If ye will revere Yahweh, and serve him, and hearken unto his voice, and not rebel against the bidding of Yahweh, then shall, both ye and your king that reigneth over you, continue to follow after Yahweh your God. But, if ye hearken not unto the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the bidding of Yahweh, then will the hand of Yahweh continue to be against you, and against your fathers.
But, if ye hearken not unto the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the bidding of Yahweh, then will the hand of Yahweh continue to be against you, and against your fathers.
Then made he ready a force, and smote the Amalekites, - and delivered Israel out of the hand of such as plundered them.
Then made he ready a force, and smote the Amalekites, - and delivered Israel out of the hand of such as plundered them.
And Saul came as far as the city of Amalek, - and stirred up strife in the ravine.
And Saul came as far as the city of Amalek, - and stirred up strife in the ravine.
And David and his men went up, and made a raid against the Geshurites and the Gizrites and the Amalekites, - for, they, were the inhabitants of the land who had been from age-past times, as thou enterest Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.
And David and his men went up, and made a raid against the Geshurites and the Gizrites and the Amalekites, - for, they, were the inhabitants of the land who had been from age-past times, as thou enterest Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.
As thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh, neither didst execute the glow of his anger upon Amalek, therefore, this thing, hath Yahweh done unto thee this day;
As thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh, neither didst execute the glow of his anger upon Amalek, therefore, this thing, hath Yahweh done unto thee this day;
And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that, the Amalekites, had made a raid into the South, and into Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that, the Amalekites, had made a raid into the South, and into Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, from small even unto great, they had not put one to death, - but had driven them forth, and gone their way.
and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, from small even unto great, they had not put one to death, - but had driven them forth, and gone their way.
And David smote them, from the closing twilight even unto the evening of the next day, - and there escaped not of them a man, save four hundred young men who rode upon camels, and fled.
And David smote them, from the closing twilight even unto the evening of the next day, - and there escaped not of them a man, save four hundred young men who rode upon camels, and fled. And David rescued all whom the Amalekites had taken, - his two wives also, did David rescue;
And David rescued all whom the Amalekites had taken, - his two wives also, did David rescue; and there was nothing missing to them - whether small or great, whether spoil, or sons or daughters, or, any thing which they had taken unto themselves, - the whole, did David recover.
and there was nothing missing to them - whether small or great, whether spoil, or sons or daughters, or, any thing which they had taken unto themselves, - the whole, did David recover. And David took all the flocks and the herds, - they drave them before those other cattle, and they said, This, is David's spoil.
And David took all the flocks and the herds, - they drave them before those other cattle, and they said, This, is David's spoil. And David came unto the two hundred men, who had been too wearied to follow David, and whom they had suffered to remain at the ravine of Besor, - and they came forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him, and when David came near unto the people, they enquired of his success.
And David came unto the two hundred men, who had been too wearied to follow David, and whom they had suffered to remain at the ravine of Besor, - and they came forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him, and when David came near unto the people, they enquired of his success. Then responded every man who was bad and abandoned, from among the men who had been with David, and said - Because they went not with me there shall not be given them of the spoil that we have rescued, - save, to every man, his wife and his children, let them put them forth, then, and go.
Then responded every man who was bad and abandoned, from among the men who had been with David, and said - Because they went not with me there shall not be given them of the spoil that we have rescued, - save, to every man, his wife and his children, let them put them forth, then, and go. Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, - with that which Yahweh hath given to us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, - with that which Yahweh hath given to us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. Who indeed, could hearken unto you, in this mutter? Surely, like the share of him that went down into the battle, even, so, shall be the share of him that remained by the stores - alike, shall they share.
Who indeed, could hearken unto you, in this mutter? Surely, like the share of him that went down into the battle, even, so, shall be the share of him that remained by the stores - alike, shall they share. And so it came to pass, from that day forward, that he appointed it, for a statute and for a custom unto Israel, until this day.
And so it came to pass, from that day forward, that he appointed it, for a statute and for a custom unto Israel, until this day. And, when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil, unto the elders of Judah, unto his friends, saying, - Lo! for you, a blessing, out of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh:
And, when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil, unto the elders of Judah, unto his friends, saying, - Lo! for you, a blessing, out of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh:
yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.
yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage. And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped.
And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped. And David said unto him - How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said - The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.
And David said unto him - How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said - The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead. Then said David unto the young man who was telling him, - How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
Then said David unto the young man who was telling him, - How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? And the young man who was telling him said, It, so happened, that I was on Mount Gilboa, when lo! Saul, leaning upon his spear, and lo! the chariots and horsemen, hotly pursued him;
And the young man who was telling him said, It, so happened, that I was on Mount Gilboa, when lo! Saul, leaning upon his spear, and lo! the chariots and horsemen, hotly pursued him; so he turned behind him, and saw me, - and cried out unto me, and I said, Behold me!
so he turned behind him, and saw me, - and cried out unto me, and I said, Behold me! And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I said unto him, An Amalekite, am I.
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I said unto him, An Amalekite, am I. And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, - even for as long as my life shall be in me.
And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, - even for as long as my life shall be in me. So I took my stand by him, and put him to death, for I perceived that he could not survive his fall, - so I took the crown that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them in unto my lord, here.
So I took my stand by him, and put him to death, for I perceived that he could not survive his fall, - so I took the crown that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them in unto my lord, here.
And, some of them, of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, five hundred men, - with Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, sons of Ishi, at their head;
And, some of them, of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, five hundred men, - with Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, sons of Ishi, at their head; and they smote the remainder that had escaped, of the Amalekites, - and dwelt there - as they have unto this day.
Smith
Am'alekites,
a nomadic tribe of uncertain origin, which occupied the peninsula of Sinai and the wilderness intervening between the southern hill-ranges of Palestine and the border of Egypt.
Their wealth consisted in flocks and herds. Mention is made of a "town"
but their towns could have been little more than stations or nomadic enclosures. The Amalekites first came in contact with the Israelites at Rephidim, but were signally defeated.
In union with the Canaanites they again attacked the Israelites on the borders of Palestine, and defeated them near Hormah.
Saul undertook an expedition against them.
Their power was thenceforth broken, and they degenerated into a horde of banditti. Their destruction was completed by David.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then came in Amalek, - and fought with Israel, in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua - Choose for us men, and go forth, fight with Amalek, - to-morrow, am, I, stationing myself upon the top of the hill, with the staff of God in my hand. read more. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, to fight with Amalek, - and Moses, Aaron and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And it shall be when Moses shall lift on high his hands, then shall Israel prevail, but when he shall let down his hands, then shall Amalek prevail. But, the hands of Moses, were weary, so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat thereupon, - and, Aaron and Hur, upheld his hands - on this side, one and on that side, one, and so his hands became steady, until the going in of the sun. So Joshua overthrew Amalek and his people, with the edge of the sword. Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Write this as a remembrancer in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Jeshua - that I will, wipe out, the remembrance of Amalek, from under the heavens. And Moses built an altar, - and called the name thereof, Yahweh-nissi. And he said - Because of a hand against the throne of Yah, Yahweh hath war with Amalek, - from generation to generation!
Anak, saw we there. Amalek, dwelleth in the land of the South; And, the Hittite, and the Jebusite and the Amorite, dwell in the mountain And the Canaanite, dwelleth by the sea, and by the side of the Jordan.
So ten the Amalekites and the Canaanites, that dwelt in that mountain, came down, - and smote them and routed them even unto Hormah.
Then made he ready a force, and smote the Amalekites, - and delivered Israel out of the hand of such as plundered them.
And Saul came as far as the city of Amalek, - and stirred up strife in the ravine.
And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that, the Amalekites, had made a raid into the South, and into Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, from small even unto great, they had not put one to death, - but had driven them forth, and gone their way. read more. So, when David and his men came to the city, lo! it was burnt with fire, - and, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, had been taken captive. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice, and wept, - until they had no more strength to weep. And, the two wives of David, had been taken captive, - Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was in sore distress, for the people had spoken of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were embittered, every man for his own sons and for his own daughters, - but David emboldened himself in Yahweh his God. Then said David to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, Do bring near me, I pray thee, the ephod. So Abiathar brought near the ephod, unto David. And David enquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? shall I overtake it? And he said unto him: Pursue, for thou shalt, overtake, and thou shalt, rescue. So David went, he, and the six hundred men, who were with him, and they came in as far as the ravine of Besor, - where, they who had to be left behind, stayed. But David pursued, he. and four hundred men, - but the two hundred men stayed, because they were too wearied to cross over the ravine of Besor. And they found an Egyptian in the field, and took him unto David, - and gave him food, and he did eat, and they gave him water to drink; and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two cakes of raisins, and, when he had eaten, his spirit came back unto him, - for he had neither eaten food, nor drunk water, three days and three nights. Then David said to him - Whose art thou? and whence art thou? And he said, A young man of Egypt, am I, servant to an Amalekite, and my lord left me behind, because I fell sick, three days ago. As for us, we invaded the South of the Cherithites, and against that which pertaineth unto Judah, and against the South of Caleb, - and, Ziklag, burned we with fire. And David said unto him, Wilt thou bring me down unto this troop? And he said - Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt not put me to death, neither wilt thou surrender me into the hand of my lord, and I will bring thee down unto this troop. So he brought him down, and lo! they were left to themselves over the face of all the land, - eating, and drinking, and dancing around, for all the great spoil which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. And David smote them, from the closing twilight even unto the evening of the next day, - and there escaped not of them a man, save four hundred young men who rode upon camels, and fled.
Watsons
AMALEKITES, a people whose country adjoined the southern border of the land of Canaan, in the north-western part of Arabia Petraea. They are generally supposed to have been the descendants of Amalek, the son of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau. But Moses speaks of the Amalekites long before this Amalek was born; namely, in the days of Abraham, when Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, devastated their country, Ge 14:7; from which it may be inferred that there was some other and more ancient Amalek, from whom this people sprang. The Arabians have a tradition that this Amalek was a son of Ham; and when we consider that so early as the march from Egypt the Amalekites were a people powerful enough to attack the Israelites, it is far more probable that they should derive their ancestry from Ham, than from the then recent stock of the grandson of Esau. It may also be said, that the character and fate of this people were more consonant with the dealings of Providence toward the families of the former. This more early origin of the Amalekites will likewise explain why Balaam called them the "first of the nations." They are supposed by some to have been a party or tribe of the shepherds who invaded Egypt, and kept it in subjection for two hundred years. This will agree with the Arabian tradition as to their descent. It also agrees with their pastoral and martial habits, as well as with their geographical position; which was perhaps made choice of on their retiring from Egypt, adjoining that of their countrymen the Philistines, whose history is very similar. It also furnishes a motive for their hostility to the Jews, and their treacherous attempt to destroy them in the desert. The ground of this hostility has been very generally supposed to have been founded in the remembrance of Jacob's depriving their progenitor of his birthright. But we do not find that the Edomites, who had this ground for a hatred to the Jews, made any attempt to molest them, nor that Moses ever reproaches the Amalekites for attacking the Israelites as their brethren; nor do we ever find in Scripture that the Amalekites joined with the Edomites, but always with the Canaanites and the Philistines. These considerations would be sufficient, had we no other reasons for believing them not to be of the stock of Esau. They may, however, be deduced from a higher origin; and viewing them as Cuthite shepherds and warriors, we have an adequate explanation both of their imperious and warlike character, and of the motive of their hostility to the Jews in particular. If expelled with the rest of their race from Egypt, they could not but recollect the fatal overthrow at the Red Sea; and if not participators in that catastrophe, still, as members of the same family, they must bear this event in remembrance with bitter feelings of revenge. But an additional motive is not wanting for this hostility, especially for its first act. The Amalekites probably knew that the Israelites were advancing to take possession of the land of Canaan, and resolved to frustrate the purposes of God in this respect. Hence they did not wait for their near approach to that country, but came down from their settlements, on its southern borders, to attack them unawares at Rephidim. Be this as it may, the Amalekites came on the Israelites, when encamped at that place, little expecting such an assault. Moses commanded Joshua, with a chosen band, to attack the Amalekites; while he, with Aaron and Hur, went up the mountain Horeb. During the engagement, Moses held up his hands to heaven; and so long as they were maintained in this attitude, the Israelites prevailed, but when through weariness they fell, the Amalekites prevailed. Aaron and Hur, seeing this, held up his hands till the latter were entirely defeated with great slaughter, Exodus 17.
The Amalekites were indeed the earliest and the most bitter enemies the Jews had to encounter. They attacked them in the desert; and sought every opportunity afterward of molesting them. Under the judges, the Amalekites, in conjunction with the Midianites, invaded the land of Israel; when they were defeated by Gideon, Jg 6:7. But God, for their first act of treachery, had declared that he would "utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven;" a denunciation which was not long after accomplished. Saul destroyed their entire army with the exception of Agag their king; for sparing whom, and permitting the Israelites to take the spoil of their foes, he incurred the displeasure of the Lord, who took the sceptre from him. Agag was immediately afterward hewn in pieces by Samuel, 1 Samuel 15. It is remarkable, that most authors make Saul's pursuit of the Amalekites to commence from the lower Euphrates, instead of from the southern border of the land of Canaan. (See Havilah.) David a few years after, defeated another of their armies; of whom only four hundred men escaped on camels, 1 Samuel 30; after which event, the Amalekites appear to have been obliterated as a nation.