[9] After warning Israel's allies, the Kenites, to leave the area (v. 6), Saul attacks, and deals Amalek a crushing blow: Thousands reached daily, worldwide 24/7/365. Among these traditions we find that Amalekites attacked the Israelites in a pitched battle at Rephidim, which, to judge by the Bible (Ex. But instead, they chose to fight against Gods chosen people (Numbers 14:39-45). 8:5, 12; cf. In fact, they were the first people to attack the Israelites after they had left Egypt (Exodus 17:8).God instructed Moses to have the Israelites destroy the Amalekites completely men, women, children, cattle everything (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). 4 The entire world had heard of the great plagues that had struck Egypt. Verily, The Amalekites were a people of the Negev and adjoining desert that were a hereditary enemy of Israel from wilderness times to the early monarchy. (Deuteronomy 17:7), Came Amalek (ib. Although Amalek was killed long ago, the Torah and other writings Amalek was a grandson of Jacob's brother Esav. wicked are literally the mazikin (goblins) of the world; and there is an impurity from the They are first mentioned in the book of Exodus, where they attacked the Israelites as they were making their way out of Egypt. In I Chronicles 4:4243, some obscure information has been preserved about the remnant of Amalek. Amalek was not completely eliminated at this time. 45). In the oracle of Balaam, Amalek was called the 'first of the . 1. XXXII, 33), for they are of the seed of Amalek, of whom it is said, of the Holy One, blessed be He. Haman was likely a descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites, long-time enemies of the Jewish people. After the victories of Saul and David the Amalekites ceased to be a factor of any influence in the border regions of Judah and the Negev, just as the Midianites had after the war of Gideon. In fact, its very existence is not without some serious questions. They were first mentioned in the Bible in relation to their attack on the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness after leaving Egypt (Exodus 17:8-16). 14:45). to generation (Ex. As a result, God rejected Saul from being king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:23). him, I shall make thee a nation greater and mightier than he (Ibid. The New Jewish Encyclopedia. The Canaanite city of Sodom is destroyed by God It is a command that led the leading atheist Richard Dawkins to claim that the God of the Old Testament was "a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic. This was the opinion of Maimonides in his Sefer Hamitzvot (Positive Commandments 188-189) and in his Mishneh Torah (Laws of . Amalek is directly tied to 15:3). Ed. Yerusshlayim (Jerusalem) 24:20), had no wish to fight alone against Israel but rather, with the help of many nations (Mekhilta, ed. 31:8; Judg. Amalek the wicked comes from the power of the primordial by the enemy to prevent the "completion" of the Temple/Throne of God and the Until true worship is given to God and not self, until the flesh, the old man is crucified, sin and Satan will wreak havoc with stealing, killing, destroying (John 10:10). The Amalekites were a formidable tribe of nomads living in the area south of Canaan, between Mount Seir and the Egyptian border. (13 votes) Very easy. he sinned in striking the rock when he was told to speak to it (Num. They were first mentioned in the Bible in relation to their attack on the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness after leaving Egypt (Exodus 17:8-16). namely Israel above. The magnitude of the Amalekite defeat in the days of Saul is apparently reflected in the pronouncement of Balaam: "Their (i.e., Israel's) king shall rise above Agag, their kingdom shall be exalted" (Num. And Joshua discomfited (wasted!) In effect, by setting encounters with Amalek in the days of Moses and Joshua, the writers of the Bible were saying that hostilities existed from time immemorial. In commemoration of the victory, Moses built an altar which he called "YHWH-Nissi," and proclaimed that "The Eternal will be at war against Amalek throughout the ages." Why did God hate them so much? Esau was the older brother of Jacob (who became Israel). The name Amalek is not mentioned in writings outside the Bible. Why did Moses abstain from (, study of Torah is the antidote to this doubt. fright gripped them." They are of an evil stock; beware of them. Through them Moses was banished What is the Spiritual Meaning of a Mourning Dove? In Israel, by birthright, thefirstborn son inherited the leadershipof the family and the judicial authority of his father. the cause of the "three great sins" -- idolatry, murder and unchastity (sexual We need to be courageous like Moses and have faith that God will help us overcome our enemies. XIV, 12). the ox and the and in the world to come. The figure of Amalek (first mentioned in Genesis 14:17) gives us a Indeed the name Amalek ( ) begins with the letter Ayin (symbolizing the eye) and equals 240 in gematria -- the same value for safek ( ), meaning "doubt," and for rahm ( ), meaning "haughty." 2) The Amalekites were extremely cruel. Amalek is described as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau", from which it is surmised that he ruled a clan or territory named after him. An ancient marauding people in the S of Canaan and the Negeb who were fierce enemies of Israel particularly in the earlier part of her history. Amalekites A people inhabiting the country south of idumea and east of the red sea. They were reportedly wiped out almost entirely as the result of Israelite victories against them in wars beginning shortly after the Exodus and continuing into the period of the early Israelite monarchy. It is the spirit that inhabits those who lack the fear of God. Their story is that they, unprovoked, attacked Israel from behind as they had just finished crossing the Red Sea, and Israel went to war with them. Amalek, a son of Esau's son Eliphaz, was presumably the eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites. Genesis 36 refers to the descendants of Amalek, the son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau, as . fighting the first battle which God Himself commanded? There were Kenites dwelling among the Amalekites in the time of Saul ( 1 Samuel 15:6 ). The Holy One, as it were, said: when Israel is worthy below My power prevails in the Amalek was not destroyed, however, and at the end of this war Moses was ordered to write in a document, as a reminder, that the Lord would one day blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven. Seir, killed the survivors of Amalek, and settled there. However, Saul himself can hardly have advanced as far as the borders of Egypt (and if this Havilah is the same as that in Gen. 10:7, 29 Arabia as well). Exo 17:12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. desert. death, excepting idolatry, incest, [which includes adultery] and murder. Today, we can still learn from what happened between the Israelites and Amalekites all those years ago.We need to stand up against evil and injustice whenever we see it happening around us. 25:17). We later learn (Genesis 36:22) that Timna was the sister of Lotan who was a chieftain of the land of Seir where Esav went to live. 8:2627) except in special cases (Deut. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In the course of time this biblical injunction became so deeply rooted in Jewish thought that many important enemies of Israel were identified as direct descendants of Amalek. What is the spiritual meaning of seeing a kingfisher? There are no modern-day Amalekites. going to fight for Amalek, he thought: this young man, Joshua, will surely stand It seeks to destroy anything that is good or righteous, and it rejoices in chaos and suffering. Amalekite, member of an ancient nomadic tribe, or collection of tribes, described in the Old Testament as relentless enemies of Israel, even though they were closely related to Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. He was born to Eliphaz by his concubine Timna ( Gen 36:12) was one of the tribal chiefs . was aware that it was not going to be merely a battle against flesh and blood, but against They were known for their brutality and for being a constant thorn in the side of the Israelites. That is how Amalek stands guard to guide us in the right direction. But ultimately, they will be defeated by those who follow God faithfully. 4. This implies that Israel is commanded to wage a holy war of extermination against Amalek (Deut. (1) The Biblically mandated vendetta against the nation of Amalek is well known to all religious Jews, enshrined as it is in a variety of rituals designed to keep its memory alive. us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt (Num. 15:4; Ezek. In Genesis 36:12, the Torah introduces Amalek: Now Timna was concubine to Elifaz, son of Esav, and she bore Amalek to Elifaz. who brought him to this. It seems probable that the wanderings of the Amalekites, or of a particular part of them, extended as far as Transjordan in the neighborhood of Moab or Ammon. Evil has a foothold in this His disobedience led to the loss of his kingdom and, in Esther's time . The Amalekites were a people of the Negev and adjoining desert that were a hereditary enemy of Israel from wilderness times to the early monarchy. They are relentless in their opposition and will not give up easily. There are no well-defined standards for writing algorithms. There are five that we get from this text 1. snake, and it is there that he connects and draws his strength." When Amalek attacked the Israelites, their desire was to steal the wealth that they had gotten from Egypt as payment for centuries of slavery ( Ex. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'spiritualdesk_com-banner-1','ezslot_8',173,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-spiritualdesk_com-banner-1-0'); Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. The Amalekites were nomadic people who inhabited the Negev Desert in southern Canaan.They were known for their brutality and for attacking anyone who crossed their path. 25:17-19). Genesis 36:12(c) The meaning of this word is a people that take away all. Originally Amalek was a grandson of Esau. the first nation who feared not to proclaim war against Israel, as it says, and he The flesh never gets converted, and never becomes holy in itself. Emanations: In-depth analysis of the Jewish holidays through the prism of Throughout Scripture, we see that the Amalekites were considered enemies of God and His people.They serve as a reminder that disobedience has consequences and that we are to obey God no matter what the cost. of the golden calf: Soncino Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 28b - The The Amalekites (/ m l k a t s /) were considered to be Amalek's descendants through the genealogy of Esau. Simeon said: There is a deep allusion in the name Rephidim. And, so can New Testament saints. of the words :When Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed (Ibid. fought with Israel in Rephidim, because the Israelites were weak (raphe) ). Why did God say again and again that there would always be war with the Amalekites? Both Joshua and Moses are a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah. This demonic spirit is behind every attack of the enemy against Gods people. Num. of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak: By a majority vote, it was resolved in the upper chambers of The Amalekites hold an exceptional place in the Old Testament. On the analogy of the genealogies of the sons of Nahor by concubinage (Gen. 22:24) and of Abraham's sons by Keturah and Hagar it may be surmised that Amalek's genealogy was intended to imply his special status as a nomad as distinct from the sedentary Edomites, in the same way as the Ishmaelites or the children of Keturah were distinct from the sedentary descendants of Abraham. R. 26:3). 1 Sam 15:4 Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 men of Judah. rabbinic perspective, Ari D. Kahn, Targum/Feldheim, 2002, p. 114. http://www.yashanet.com/studies/revstudy/text/r13_11-15.htm, http://www.aish.com/purimthemes/purimthemesdefault/Haman_Heir_to_Amalek.asp, faith is contrasted to Amalek/doubt (and the anti-Messiah of Revelation), the establishment of the Temple (and the Throne of God) is contrasted to haSatan's Deuteronomy explicitly admonishes the Israelites to remember Amalek and blot out its memory from under heaven, whereas in the Exodus version this can only be inferred (see above). The Amalekites represent Satan and the flesh and their war against God's people and all that is right. 2:345; Josh. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. (Jud. He is Holy, holy, holy. (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. compared with it; and this not because of the mighty armies taking part in it, but because In 1 Samuel 15, Saul is instructed by God to destroy all of the Amalekites, but he sparingly kills only their king, Agag. The account begins with a beautiful young Jewish girl named Hadassah, an orphan who had been raised by her cousin, Mordecai. There is no help for the flesh found in the Scriptures. 3 With cunning they conspire against Your people; they plot against those You cherish. The name Amalek comes from a Hebrew word meaning to be weary, and the spirit of Amalek is associated with fatigue, discouragement, and defeat. The command imposed on Saul to subject the Amalekites to the ban (erem), however, conforms to the version in Deuteronomy. Joshua wasted or convincingly defeated the flesh and Satan, represented in the name Amalek! The Jews had been living in exile in Persia, and, when King Xerxes (also known as King Ahasuerus) banished his queen . This was the first fight, battle against the Israelites upon leaving Egypt/the world and the ongoing battle which is the same for every believer a perpetual test as to whom we love most, God or self (Romans 6:16). Haman is the antagonist in the book of Esther and an evil man who tried to annihilate the Jewish people. "doubt" (versus faith) on the part of God's people. The Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia. So what does all of this mean for us today? Answer (1 of 7): The Amalekites preyed on the Hebrews when they were weak during the Exodus from Egypt. THE CHARACTER OF AMALEK It is strange that Amalek should have attacked the Israelites at all. After he defeated the Amalekites, Joshua refrained from the common practice of abusing the bodies of the slain and instead "treated them with mercy" (Mekhilta, 181). So the human flesh is at enmity with GOD. XXXIII, 11)? 282 GFM Judges 6:3,33), foes of Israel during Exodus Exodus 17:8 6t. Warfare in the Old Testament was a very cruel thing in our modern eyes, even when Israel fought. " 5 With one mind they plot together; were ever a strap of chastisement for Israel. So, the flesh must be crucified or we will die, sin will separate us from God not from His love but from His life. 2:55), the Amalekites did not deviate from their desert nomadic character until they ceased to exist.
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