What did God say about the Amalekites?
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.
Who are the Amalekites in today’s world?
There are no modern-day Amalekites. And it is a profoundly dangerous idea to turn real, living peoples into biblical stereotypes worthy of extermination (Deuteronomy 25:19, 1 Samuel 15:2–3). Even so, people like to treat the term symbolically, as a stand-in for an implacable Jew-hater.
When were the Amalekites first mentioned in the Bible?
Genesis 14
Origins. The first reference to the Amalekites is found in Genesis 14, which describes a military campaign of Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, and his allies which took place in Abraham’s day before the birth of Isaac.
Why did the Amalekites fight Israel?
It was situated in the mountains where nomads brought cattle to drink. When the Israelites traveled into Canaan, they discovered the Amalekites, who inhabited the northern Sinai Peninsula and the Negev. According to William Petri, Amalekites tried to prevent the Israelites from reaching the oasis.
What sin did the Amalekites commit?
In the Book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Children of Israel on their journey to the land of Israel. For this sin, God damned the Amalekites, commanding the Jews to wage a holy war to exterminate them. This is perhaps the most widely ignored command in the Bible.
What happened to the Amalekites?
The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah.
What do Amalekites represent?
In Judaism, the Amalekites came to represent the archetypal enemy of the Jews. In Jewish folklore, the Amalekites are considered to be the symbol of evil.
Where are the Amalekites today?
They lived north of Kadesh-barnea in the Negeb desert in the southern part of Palestine, with their tributary camps radiating out into the Sinai Peninsula and northern Arabia. As per the Bible, they were wiped out as a people and the identity of Amalek and his descendants has been lost.
What did the Amalekites do?
According to the Midrash, the Amalekites were sorcerers who could transform themselves to resemble animals, in order to avoid capture. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek. In Judaism, the Amalekites came to represent the archetypal enemy of the Jews.
What do the Amalekites represent?
Who was the king of the Amalekites?
Agag
According to another Midrash, Doeg the Edomite tried to extend the life of Agag, the king of the Amalekites-Edomites, by interpreting Lev.