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 Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. read more. And Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it happened when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going of the sun. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people by the edge of the sword. And Jehovah said to Moses, Write this, a memorial in a book, and set it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah My Banner. And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation to generation.
And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who were living in that mountain came down and struck them, and beat them down, to Hormah.
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said, Amalek was the first of the nations. But his latter end is to destruction.
And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites. For they were the inhabitants of the land from the past days, as you come into Shur, even into the land of Egypt.
And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire.
And they struck the rest which escaped to Amalek, and lived there until this day.
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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And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
And he moved from there, and dug another well, and they did not strive for that. And he called the name of it Broad Places. And he said, For now Jehovah has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
And he moved from there, and dug another well, and they did not strive for that. And he called the name of it Broad Places. And he said, For now Jehovah has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these the sons of Adah.
Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these the sons of Adah.
And the shepherds came and drove them away. But Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
And the shepherds came and drove them away. But Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.
And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
And Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it happened when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
And it happened when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going of the sun.
But Moses' hands became heavy. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going of the sun. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people by the edge of the sword.
And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people by the edge of the sword. And Jehovah said to Moses, Write this, a memorial in a book, and set it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens.
And Jehovah said to Moses, Write this, a memorial in a book, and set it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah My Banner.
And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah My Banner. And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation to generation.
And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation to generation.
And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation to generation.
And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation to generation.
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan.
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan.
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from Jehovah, therefore Jehovah will not be with you.
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from Jehovah, therefore Jehovah will not be with you. But they presumed to go up to the hill top. But the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and Moses, did not leave the camp.
But they presumed to go up to the hill top. But the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and Moses, did not leave the camp. And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who were living in that mountain came down and struck them, and beat them down, to Hormah.
And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who were living in that mountain came down and struck them, and beat them down, to Hormah.
Let us pass, I pray you, through your country. We will not pass through a field, nor through a vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of a well. We will go by the king's highway. We will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed your borders.
Let us pass, I pray you, through your country. We will not pass through a field, nor through a vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of a well. We will go by the king's highway. We will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed your borders.
Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards. We will not drink the waters of the well. We will go along by the king's highway until we are past your borders.
Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards. We will not drink the waters of the well. We will go along by the king's highway until we are past your borders.
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said, Amalek was the first of the nations. But his latter end is to destruction.
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said, Amalek was the first of the nations. But his latter end is to destruction.
Remember what Amalek did to you by the way, when you came forth out of Egypt, how he met you by the way and struck those of you who were behind, all the feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary. And he did not fear God.
how he met you by the way and struck those of you who were behind, all the feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary. And he did not fear God. And it shall be when Jehovah your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around in the land which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens. You shall not forget.
And it shall be when Jehovah your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around in the land which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens. You shall not forget.
And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek. And he went forth and struck Israel, and took the city of palm trees.
And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek. And he went forth and struck Israel, and took the city of palm trees.
And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek. And he went forth and struck Israel, and took the city of palm trees.
And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek. And he went forth and struck Israel, and took the city of palm trees. So the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
So the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent a present to Eglon the king of Moab by him.
But when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent a present to Eglon the king of Moab by him. But Ehud made himself a dagger which had two edges, a cubit long. And he tied it under his clothing upon his right thigh.
But Ehud made himself a dagger which had two edges, a cubit long. And he tied it under his clothing upon his right thigh. And he brought the present to Eglon king of Moab. And Eglon was a very fat man.
And he brought the present to Eglon king of Moab. And Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had finished offering the present, he sent away the people who carried the present.
And when he had finished offering the present, he sent away the people who carried the present. But he himself turned again from the graven images by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret message for you, O, king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
But he himself turned again from the graven images by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret message for you, O, king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came to him. And he was sitting in the cool roof room which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he rose out of his seat.
And Ehud came to him. And he was sitting in the cool roof room which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he rose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the haft also went in after the blade. And the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly. And the dung came out.
And the haft also went in after the blade. And the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly. And the dung came out. Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the room upon him, and locked them.
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the room upon him, and locked them. And when he had gone out, his servants came. And they looked, and, behold, the doors of the roof room were locked, they said, Surely he is covering his feet in his cool roof room.
And when he had gone out, his servants came. And they looked, and, behold, the doors of the roof room were locked, they said, Surely he is covering his feet in his cool roof room. And they waited until they were ashamed. And, behold, he did not open the doors of the room. And they took a key and opened them. And behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the earth.
And they waited until they were ashamed. And, behold, he did not open the doors of the room. And they took a key and opened them. And behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the earth. And Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the graven images, and escaped to Seirath.
And Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the graven images, and escaped to Seirath. And it happened, when he had come, he blew a ram's horn in the mountain of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he before them.
And it happened, when he had come, he blew a ram's horn in the mountain of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he before them. And he said to them, Follow after me. For Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and did not allow a man to pass over.
And he said to them, Follow after me. For Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and did not allow a man to pass over. And they killed about ten thousand of the men of Moab at that time, all lusty, and all men of might. And there did not escape a man.
And they killed about ten thousand of the men of Moab at that time, all lusty, and all men of might. And there did not escape a man. So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day. And the land had rest eighty years.
So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day. And the land had rest eighty years.
Louder than the voice of the dividers between the watering places, there shall they tell again the righteous acts of Jehovah, the righteous acts of His leaders in Israel. Then shall the people of Jehovah go down to the gates.
Louder than the voice of the dividers between the watering places, there shall they tell again the righteous acts of Jehovah, the righteous acts of His leaders in Israel. Then shall the people of Jehovah go down to the gates.
Out of Ephraim there was a root of them against Amalek; after you, Benjamin, with your peoples. Out of Machir came down commanders, and out of Zebulun came they who handle the pen of the writer.
Out of Ephraim there was a root of them against Amalek; after you, Benjamin, with your peoples. Out of Machir came down commanders, and out of Zebulun came they who handle the pen of the writer.
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, even they came up against them.
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, even they came up against them.
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as locusts for multitude, both they and their camels were without number. And they entered into the land to destroy it.
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as locusts for multitude, both they and their camels were without number. And they entered into the land to destroy it.
And it happened, when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah because of the Midianites,
And it happened, when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah because of the Midianites,
And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, even though Jehovah your God was your King.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, even though Jehovah your God was your King. And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you!
And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you! If you will fear Jehovah, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of Jehovah, then both you and also the king who reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God.
If you will fear Jehovah, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of Jehovah, then both you and also the king who reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God. But if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the command of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah shall be against you as it was against your fathers.
But if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the command of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah shall be against you as it was against your fathers.
And he gathered an army and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them.
And he gathered an army and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them.
And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites. For they were the inhabitants of the land from the past days, as you come into Shur, even into the land of Egypt.
And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites. For they were the inhabitants of the land from the past days, as you come into Shur, even into the land of Egypt.
Because you did not obey the voice of Jehovah, nor execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you now.
Because you did not obey the voice of Jehovah, nor execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you now.
And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire.
And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And they had seized the women in it. They did not kill any, either small or great, but carried them away and went on their way.
And they had seized the women in it. They did not kill any, either small or great, but carried them away and went on their way.
And David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.
And David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. And David rescued his two wives.
And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. And David rescued his two wives. And nothing was lacking to them, from the small to the great, even to sons and daughters, and from the spoil, even to all that they had taken to themselves. David recovered all.
And nothing was lacking to them, from the small to the great, even to sons and daughters, and from the spoil, even to all that they had taken to themselves. David recovered all. And David took all the flock, and the herd. They drove on before those cattle. And they said, This is David's spoil.
And David took all the flock, and the herd. They drove on before those cattle. And they said, This is David's spoil. And David came to the two hundred who were too exhausted to follow David, whom they had made also to stay at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David, and to meet the people with him. And David came up to the people, and greeted them.
And David came to the two hundred who were too exhausted to follow David, whom they had made also to stay at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David, and to meet the people with him. And David came up to the people, and greeted them. And every evil and worthless man of the men who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them from a thing the spoil that we have seized, except to every man his wife and his sons. Let them take them, and go.
And every evil and worthless man of the men who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them from a thing the spoil that we have seized, except to every man his wife and his sons. Let them take them, and go. And David said, My brothers, you shall not do so with that which Jehovah has given us. For He has protected us, and has delivered into our hand the company that came against us.
And David said, My brothers, you shall not do so with that which Jehovah has given us. For He has protected us, and has delivered into our hand the company that came against us. For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall be his part that stays by the stuff. They shall divide alike.
For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall be his part that stays by the stuff. They shall divide alike. And it was so, from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
And it was so, from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. And David came to Ziklag, and sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah;
And David came to Ziklag, and sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah;
on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn and earth upon his head. And it happened when he came to David, he fell to the earth and bowed to him.
on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn and earth upon his head. And it happened when he came to David, he fell to the earth and bowed to him. And David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.
And David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel. And David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.
And David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also. And David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?
And David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead? And the young man who told him said, As I happened to be upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear. And, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
And the young man who told him said, As I happened to be upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear. And, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here am I.
And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here am I. And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, because all my life is still in me.
He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, because all my life is still in me. And I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown on his head, and the bracelet on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.
And I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown on his head, and the bracelet on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.
And some of them, of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
And some of them, of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. And they struck the rest which escaped to Amalek, and lived there until this day.
And they struck the rest which escaped to Amalek, and lived there until 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.
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Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. read more. And Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it happened when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going of the sun. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people by the edge of the sword. And Jehovah said to Moses, Write this, a memorial in a book, and set it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heavens. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah My Banner. And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation to generation.
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan.
And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who were living in that mountain came down and struck them, and beat them down, to Hormah.
And he gathered an army and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them.
And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And they had seized the women in it. They did not kill any, either small or great, but carried them away and went on their way. read more. And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captives. And David and the people with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives had been seized, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the former wife of Nabal of Carmel. And it greatly distressed David, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, each one for his sons and for his daughters. But David encouraged himself in Jehovah his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod there to David. And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Go! For you shall surely overtake and will without fail recover all. So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men. For two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to go over the brook Besor. And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread, and he ate. And they made him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him. For he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. And David said to him, Whose are you? And where do you come from? And he said, I am an Egyptian youth, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick. We raided the south of the Cherethites, and on that belonging to Judah, and on the south of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Can you bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company. And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad on all the earth, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah. And David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on 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.
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And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
And it happened, when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah because of the Midianites,