Amalek
AMALEK -- ENEMY OF ISRAEL -- A FACT SHEET
* Amalek was a grandson of Esau; thus his descendants would be
related to the Edomites:
"Esau's son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These
were grandsons of Esau's wife Adah... Korah, Gatam and Amalek... the chiefs
descended from Eliphaz in Edom" (Gen
36:12,16).
* Probably an earlier reference to the Amalekites was simply a
reference to the country which they later inhabited, since of course they did
not exist as a nation at all during the time of Abraham:
"Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they
conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who
were living in Hazazon Tamar" (Gen
14:7).
* Amalek was a nomadic nation dwelling in the Sinai
Peninsula:
"The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in
the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan"
(Num 13:29).
"Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east
of Egypt" (1Sa 15:7).
* Amalek was the first tribe to fight against Israel after
they left Egypt with Moses:
"The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to
Joshua, 'Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I
will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.' So Joshua
fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the
top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were
winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning... Aaron
and Hur held his hands up -- one on one side, one on the other -- so that his
hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with
the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to
be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot
out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.' Moses built an altar and called it
The LORD is my Banner. He said, 'For hands were lifted up to the throne of the
LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to
generation' " (Exo 17:8-16).
* For its bitter and implacable hatred of Israel, Amalek was
absolutely cursed by God:
"Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of
Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut
off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God
gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to
possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under
heaven. Do not forget!" (Deu 25:17-19).
* At later times, the Amalekites allied themselves with
various other enemies of Israel, including the Canaanites...
"Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. 'We have
sinned,' they said. 'We will go up to the place the LORD promised.' But Moses
said, 'Why are you disobeying the LORD's command? This will not succeed! Do not
go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,
for the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned
away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.'
Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country,
though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD'S covenant moved from the camp.
Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and
attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah" (Num
14:40-45).
... and the Moabites...
"Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon [king of Moab] came and
attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms [Jericho]" (Jdg
3:13).
... and the Midianites:
"Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he
gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so
oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts,
caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the
Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country" (Jdg
6:1-3).
Were the Amalekites afraid to take on Israel
single-handed?
* King Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites
utterly.
"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what
they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go,
attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do
not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and
sheep, camels and donkeys' " (1Sa
15:2,3).
Although he destroyed most of them, some remained
alive.
"Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east
of Egypt. He took Gag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he
totally destroyed with the sword" (vv
7,8).
Saul had intended to keep alive Gag their king, but Samuel
slew him:
"Then Samuel said, 'Bring me Gag king of the Amalekites.' Gag came to him
confidently, thinking, 'Surely the bitterness of death is past.' But Samuel
said, 'As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless
among women.' And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal" (1Sa
15:32,33).
The AV has: "Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD."
Samuel -- in his role as "priest", and bent on total obedience to God's
directive -- cut him up in pieces like a whole burnt offering for the
altar!
Apparent Contradictions?
- Amalek was "utterly destroyed" by Saul (1Sa 15:21), but some remained to
David's day (1Sa 27:8,9).
- David left none of the Amalekites alive (1Sa
27:8,9), but some remained a bit later (1Sa 30:1,2). And a handful remained even
later yet (1Sa 30:17,18).
- The last remnants of Amalek were completely
destroyed in the days of Hezekiah, 250 years later (1Ch 4:41-43).
- ... OR
WERE THEY? The great enemy of Israel in Esther's day (250 years later again) was
Haman "the Agagite" (Est 3:1,10; 8:3,5; 9:24 -- cp "Agag" king of the
Amalekites: 1Sa 15).
Questions
- "Their king [Israel's} will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be
exalted" (Num 24:7). Who is "Agag"? Is "Agag" a title? or a name?
- "Then
Balaam saw Amalek and uttered his oracle: 'Amalek was first among the nations,
but he will come to ruin at last' " (Num 24:20). In what way is Amalek the
"first" among the nations? And does Balaam mean that they will be the "last" to
come to ruin?
- " 'Come,' they say, 'let us destroy them as a nation, that the
name of Israel be remembered no more.' With one mind they plot together; they
form an alliance against you -- the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab
and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot" (Psa
83:4-8). Is this a prophecy of the Last Days? And if it is, does this mean that
there are still "Amalekites" around today?
- "Son of man, set your face
against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;
prophesy against him... This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you,
O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" (Eze 38:2,3). "Satan will be released
from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of
the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them for battle" (Rev 20:7,8). Is this
Last Days "Gog" related to the "Agag" of the
Amalekites?
