Amalek

Amalekwas anationin theTorahandOld Testamentwhosepeoplecalled the Amalekites wereenemiesof theIsraelites.

Genesis

In theBook of Genesis,Chapter36Verse10,Esaumarried awomannamedAda and she gavebirthto asonnamedEliphaz. Then in Chapter 36 Verse 12, Eliphaz had aconcubinenamed Timna and she gavebirthto asonnamed Amalek.

Exodus

In theBook of ExodusChapter 17, Amalek’sdescendantscalled the Amalekites attacked theIsraelitesafter the Israelites leftEgypt.SoMosessentJoshuatofightthe Amalekites. As long as Moses held hishandsin theair,the Israelites werewinningbut Moses’s hands got tired so he got hisbrotherAaronto hold one up whileHurheld the other up. And Joshua beat the Amalekites.

Then in theBook of ExodusChapter17 Verse 14, the Lord told Moses “writethis for amemorialin thebookand recount it in thehearingofJoshua,that I will utterly blot out thenameof Amalek from underheaven”.

Numbers

In theBook of Numbers,KingBalakofMoabhiredBalaamtocursetheIsraelitesbut Balaam ended upblessingthe Israelites instead. And when Balaam had avisionof thefutureof theIsraelitesand theirvictoryover theirenemies,he said “Amalek was the first of thenationsbut hisendshall come to destruction” (Numbers 24:20).

Deuteronomy

In theBook of Deuteronomy,Chapter25, the Lord tells theIsraelitesto “remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out ofEgypt”that the Amalekites attacked the Israelites from behind andkilledthe tired and weak. And because of it, the Lord tells theIsraelitesto “blot out theremembranceof Amalek from beneathheaven.You shall not forget.”

First Samuel

In the firstBookofSamuel,Chapter15, the Lord toldSamuelto tellSaultokillall Amalekites and destroy all of theirpropertyandkillall theiranimalsbecause it was something that the Lord told theIsraelitesto do back in the time ofMoses.But when Saul attacked Amalek, he capturedKingAgaginstead ofkillinghim and Saul and hiswarriorskept the bestanimalsfor themselves but “everything despised and worthless that they utterly destroyed” (1 Samuel 15:9). So the Lord sentSamueltoKingSaul to tell him “now the Lord sent you on amissionand said “go and utterly destroy thesinners,the Amalekites, andfightagainst them until they areexterminated.Why then did you not obey thevoiceof the Lord?”. (1 Samuel 15:18-19). When Saul said that hekilledthe Amalekites except for theirkingand was actually going tosacrificetheiranimalsto the Lord, Samuel told him

“Has the Lord as greatdelightin burnt offerings andsacrificesas in obeying thevoiceof the Lord. Behold toobeyis better thansacrificeand to heed than thefatoframs.Forrebellionis as thesinofwitchcraftandstubbornnessis as iniquity andidolatry.Because you have rejected thewordof the Lord, He has also rejected you from beingking.”

Then Samuel told Saul to bring the Amalekite King Agag to him and Saul did. And Saul told Agag “As yourswordhas madewomenchildless so shall yourmotherbe childless amongwomen”and cut Agag to pieces. (1 Samuel 15:33)

Later on in the first of theBooks of Samuel,Davidfightsthe Amalekites.

Second Samuel

In the secondbookofSamuel,amantoldDavidthat he is thesonof an Amalekite and that he happened to be onMount Gilboaafter thebattle.The man said that Saul asked him who he was and he told him “an Amalekite”. The Amalekite said that Saul asked him tokillhim so that thePhilistinescouldn’ttorturehim and hekilledSaul. David said the man was amurdererbecause hekilledtheKingofIsraelso David cut hisheadoff.

Chronicles

In theBooks of Chronicles,there is afamily treewhich says thatEsaubecame thefatherof Eliphaz and Eliphaz became the father of Amalek.