Amalek in the Bible is a figure and the name of a group of people described as descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother. The Amalekites, the people of Amalek, are often depicted as Israel's persistent enemies throughout the biblical narrative.
Throughout the Bible, the people of Israel were no strangers to adversity. Surrounded by rival nations, hostile neighbors, and expanding world empires, the people of Israel were harassed, threatened, and attacked on every side. One of the first people to directly challenge the Israelites as they left Egypt were the Amalekites, a nomadic tribe descendent from Amalek, a grandson of Esau.
For generations, the Amalekites would be a thorn in the Israelites’ side, raiding the southern territories and allying with other nations to weaken their rivals. However, by declaring war on God’s people, the Amalekites declared war against the God of Israel, marking themselves for eventual destruction.
Amalek in the Bible
The first mention of Amalek as an individual is in the book of Genesis, where he is listed as a grandson of Esau, making the Amalekites relatives of the Israelites. However, the relationship between the two groups is mainly hostile. The Amalekites are particularly noted for their unprovoked attack on the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt, as recounted in the book of Exodus. This attack led to a divine decree against Amalek, with God commanding that Amalek's memory be blotted out.
Throughout the historical books of the Old Testament, such as in Judges and in the books of Samuel, the Amalekites continue to be a thorn in the side of the Israelites, engaging in various battles with them. King Saul's failure to completely destroy the Amalekites, as commanded by the prophet Samuel, marked a significant turning point in his reign and led to his rejection by God.
The story of Amalek serves as a symbol of evil and enmity against the people of God in Jewish tradition, and it has been interpreted in various ways in Jewish and Christian thought. The command to remember what Amalek did to the Israelites and the obligation to blot out their memory is commemorated annually in the Jewish tradition during the Sabbath before Purim.
Read more about the Amalekites in the Bible Encyclopedia.
Where is Amalek in the Bible?
In the Bible, the Amalekites arrived on the scene following Israel’s exodus from Egypt. However, their origin as a people goes back much further to the time of the patriarchs.
The first mention of the Amalekites can be found in Genesis 14 when the author (generally agreed to be Moses) describes the various tribes that existed in Abraham’s time. It’s worth noting, however, that the Amalekites of Genesis 14:7 did not exist as a people group in Abraham’s time.
They were, however, present when Moses wrote the Bible’s first five books (also called the Torah). Therefore, as Moses chronicled the history of God’s people and Abraham’s journeys, he referenced the region that a known adversary in his day, the Amalekites, would one day occupy.
Moses doesn’t discuss Amalek’s origin until a few chapters later.
In Genesis 36, Moses outlines the genealogy of Esau, Isaac’s oldest son, Abraham’s grandson, and Jacob’s twin brother. Jacob eventually received the name Israel.
Moses records that “Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz” (Genesis 36:12; 1 Chronicles 1:36, emphasis added).
Amalek is again mentioned in Genesis 36:16 as a chief or tribal leader of Esau’s sons. Some scholars believe this could be a distinct Amalek from Esau’s grandson. However, most evidence points to Amalek, the Amalekites’ forefather, being the man mentioned in Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1.
Where Did Amalek’s Descendants Settle in Canaan?
In Genesis 36, Moses later writes that Esau and his family would soon settle in the hill country of Seir, east of the Negev desert and southeast of the Jordan River. In the present day, this is where the nation of Jordan is located. Esau’s primary descendants became known as the Edomites, as Esau himself was synonymous with Edom (Genesis 36:8).
Old Testament students should be familiar with the Edomites. They routinely appeared fighting against the Israelites, even though they were not one of the Canaanite nations that the Israelites attempted to kill.
A distinction, however, must be made between the Edomites and the Amalekites. As descendants of Amalek, the Amalekites would have a familial connection to Esau, Israel’s twin brother, and they became hostile to Israel’s descendants. However, the true seed of Esau would be found in Edom and those who had settled in the southeast.
Amalek’s children would settle in the desert region of the Negev (or Negeb), a triangle of land extending south from Judah to the Gulf of Aqabah. Here, the Amalekites lived as a nomadic people, where we find them when Moses and the children of Israel left Egypt.
When Amalek’s Descendants First Fight the Israelites?
We know from Israel’s history, as detailed in Genesis, that the descendants of Jacob (Israel) would eventually migrate from Canaan and settle in Egypt.
Joseph, one of Jacob’s sons, had risen to prominence in Egypt (Genesis 46:1-7). In Egypt, Moses writes that “the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7).
As time passed and the Egyptian kings forgot about Joseph, the Egyptians became wary of the Israelites and their growing numbers, enslaving the children of Israel for over 400 years (Exodus 1:8-14; 12:40).
By the hand of God, the Israelites would eventually be delivered from Egypt (Exodus 12:40-41). Under Moses’ leadership, the children of Israel would cross the Red Sea and travel north towards the land of Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants.
At Rephidim, in the wilderness of Sinai, however, the Israelites first ran into the Amalekites, who had taken up residence in the Negev along Canaan’s southern borders, effectively blocking the Israelites’ passage into the Promised Land.
Unprovoked, the Amalekites attacked Israel upon their arrival, becoming the first nation to wage war directly against the children of Israel (Exodus 17:8-16).
In the ensuing conflict, Moses would famously stand on the hill overlooking the battle as he prayed for the nation. Whenever Moses lifted his hands, the battle turned in favor of Joshua and the Israelite army. Whenever his hands became heavy and fell, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Thus, Aaron and Hur were tasked with helping prop up Moses’ hands until the battle had been won.
God, however, would never forget the Amalekites for their hostility to His people. After the battle had been won and the armies of Amalek retreated to the desert:
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’ Moses built an altar and named it the Lord is My Banner; and he said, ‘The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.’” (Exodus 17:14-16)
By declaring war on the Israelites, the Amalekites also declared war on the God of Israel. In the eyes of God, a bully had harassed His children one time too many, and as the Amalekites had sworn to “blot out” and destroy Israel, so God the Father would do to them (Psalms 83).
Though their doom would not be immediate, the Amalekites were nevertheless destined for destruction (Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 25:19).
Amalek’s Best-Known Descendants
Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites would have continued run-ins with the Amalekites, who would repeatedly harass the southern tribes of Israel before retreating to the desert.
Always the aggressor, the Amalekites would ally with the Midianites to attack Israel during the time of the Judges (Judges 6:3, 7:12). Although Gideon would eventually defeat them, the Amalekites would lay low, waiting for a future opportunity to strike.
The Lord, however, had not forgotten His promise concerning Amalek.
During King Saul’s reign, God pronounced His final judgment:
“This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey’” (1 Samuel 15:2-3).
Saul defeated the Amalekites in battle but wasn’t willing to do everything God commanded. Saul spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and kept some of the Amalekites’ plunder and wealth 1 Samuel 15:9).
It was this act of disobedience that eventually cost Saul his throne. “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king,” the prophet Samuel declared (1 Samuel 15:23).
Due to Saul’s failure, the Amalekites remained.
Years later, a remnant of Amalek would again raid the southern Israelite tribe. As David had taken refuge with the Philistines in his flight from King Saul, he and his mighty men were tasked with defending the region from the Amalekites and other tribes. In one encounter, while David and his men were at war, the Amalekites raided the city of Ziklag, taking captive David’s wives and children and those of his mighty men (1 Samuel 30:1-5).
David and the mighty men would eventually track down and destroy the Amalekite invaders, recovering their families. However, four hundred Amalekites would manage to escape (1 Samuel 30:16-17).
The Amalekites remained.
During King Hezekiah’s reign, the sons of Simeon all but destroyed the Amalekite remnant (1 Chronicles 4:43). Once again, a handful survived.
It wasn’t until the Babylonian Empire took the Israelites captive, followed by the Persians ruling over Israel, that the descendants of Amalek finally met their end.
When Esther married the Persian King Xerxes, one of Agag’s descendants, Haman, plotted to destroy the Jews living in Persia (Esther 3:1, 6).
Harboring long-seeded resentment towards the children of Israel, Amalek’s descendant nearly succeeded in tricking the Persian king into destroying the remnant of Israel for good.
However, true to His word, the sovereign God of Israel turned the Agagite’s plans on his head. Haman and his family were executed, the last time the Bible mentions the Amalekites. God did to the last Amalekites what the Amalekites had sworn to do to His people (Psalms 83; Esther 8-10).
Thus, after generations of hostility towards God’s people, the Amalekites were blotted out, and God’s promise to His people reached fruition.
Bible Quotes about Amalek and the Amalekites
Genesis 36:12 - Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
1 Samuel 15:3 - Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
Exodus 17:14 - Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
Exodus 17:16 - Saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Numbers 24:20 - Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.”
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