The nation of Amalek is long gone, but they live on as the internal [and external] enemies that the Jewish people battle on a daily basis." This is seen in Judges 3:12-14 in the account of how Eglon, the king of Moab, collected the forces of the Amalekites and the Ammonites and defeated Israel and took the city of palms (evidently Jericho, cf. Although the son of a concubine, he nonetheless became head of a significant tribe, which in later times distinguished itself as a ruthless enemy of Israel. Next, the Amalekite who claimed he had finished killing Saul (cf. This can be Jews or non-Jews. Amalek was the grandson of Esau, Jacob's older brother. Early history. He said that he has a tradition from the Gaon of Vilna that the Germans are the descendants of Amalek (Horowitz, p. 428). The Amalekites as a nomadic desert tribe moved in the area from the Sinaitic region and the steppe land of the Negeb in S Canaan, S of Beersheba, over E to include the Arabah region N of Elath and Ezion-geber and possibly the more interior Arabia. Gideon prepares an entire feast of a young goat and bread and broth. First, God has Gideon invite anyone who is afraid to take off, no questions asked. The Amalekites never existed, and the stories in Scripture are entirely mythological. And he saw the possibilities of mobilizing left-leaning ethnic, racial, and religious groups against 'Israeli oppression.' . 150th birthday of Scouting founder, Robert Baden-Powell. He was the son of the 86-year-old Abraham from Hagar, the personal handmaid of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Moreover, far too many liberal rabbis in American seem to be content with ignoring the avowed enemies of the Jewish people. The king attacked and conquered this foe with their city called Amalek (1 Sam 15:4-7) the exact location of which is not known. Some commentators explain this as a reference to the territory which was later on inhabited by the Amalekites. But this one,came forward and started and showed the way to others. The archetypal enemies of Israel, Torah commands the Jews to wipe out the memory of Amalek. also Judg 10:12). That is why Amalek and those who go in his way simply cannot bear the sight of Israel.. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Gideon calls together an armynot just from Manasseh, but from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali and Asher, too. 8, 9). The Amalekites seem to have been fairly well controlled under the monarchy, for the OT does not mention them again until the time of Hezekiah (c. 700 b.c.) "And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam and Lotan's sister was Timna." 1. [7] In the oracle of Balaam, Amalek was called the 'first of the nations'. He marches the army out to meet the enemy, at which point God decides to give a sign of His own. 1 Samuel 30:1, 2 points to the Amalekite heavy raiding activity in the area of the Negeb, and Judges 6:3, 33 in speaking of the Amalekite association with the kings of the E in their raiding parties suggests that they may have lived sometime together in the Arabian territory toward the E. The Amalekites also extended their influence farther N into the Philistine country and the region of Ephraim. Among them were the historian Simon Dubnow who . On the other, the five kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar). . It is making God in the image of man, making man the ultimate authority, freeing him to do what he wants. 5. That is because Amalek in gematria (Hebrew numerology) is 240, equal to the word safek (doubt); they want you to doubt what you know is clearly the word of God., Amalek puts emotions over the intellect. The psalmist (Ps 83:7) lists Amalek with the avowed enemies of Israel. That they were of obscure origin is . ", As Mark Alexander writes "[b]ut today, the ability of Americans to discern 'between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice,' is being systematically eroded by leftist politicos, in collusion with their 24/7 Left media and Big Tech enablers, relentlessly seeking to empower the state.". But it scares me to know that there are Jews prepared to act in Amaleks name as well. The story of Judges is that Israel would forget God and wander dive headlong into idolatry, a foreign nation would conquer them, Israel would repent, and only then would God raise up a leader to defeat their oppressors and lead Israel for a time. Oh yeah? 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. We know both his mothers name (Timna, a concubine of his father Eliphaz) and his grandmothers name (Adah, wife of his grandfather Esau) (Genesis 36:912; 1 Chronicles 1:3436). The reason for the Lords concern about disobedient Israels encountering Amalek and other enemies without His special power was that the Amalekites who dwelt in both the hill country and in the valleys of S Canaan and the Negeb, were effective fighters in both areas (Num 14:25, 44, 45). 1. This continued until the plague of the death of the firstborn and finished him completely.. 15:8). In Judaism, three of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) involve Amalek: to remember what the Amalekites did to the Israelites, not to forget what the Amalekites did to Israelites, and to destroy the Amalekites utterly. 25:19 Wipe out the descendants of Amalek Many prosperous people will join in for the greatest jealousy is of virtue, and even the rich and famous are infested with it. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In a tradition that encourages questioning and disagreement over text, there is only one way to read this story. Dear Reader take a moment and substitute the word America for the word Israel, and you will begin to see the trajectory of this article. The story we remind ourselves of each year, by reading Parshah Zachor, is that of the attack of the Amalekites, who are the descendants of Eliphaz, son of Esau (the patriarch Jacob's brother and sworn enemy) and his concubine Timna. 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. "Timna was a Princess, but she wanted to convert. They are Arabs who are mostly Muslim and some who are Christian. This can even be left-wing Jews in Israel.. They slaughtered those who could not defend themselves. Hence, Streicher's yell, "Purim Fest 1946!" Purim's historical background: So God sets about decimating Gideons army to make sure nobody can claim they did it on their own without Gods help. Jews, "especially those lacking an authentic Jewish education, consider that the well-being of the world and politically correct standards of social values must be their priority -- with disregard to the harm this inflicts on them as a community." The Amalekites were descendants of Esau's grandson, Amalek. 1 Amalek grew up in Esau's household, imbibing Esau's pathological hatred of Jacob's descendants along the way. The Amalekites seem to have been descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). 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. Israel365 News is the only media outlet reporting on it. They seem not to understand that the modern Amalek will attack Jews, attack freedom, and attack America. An angel and a miraculously burnt feast werent enough. A major trait of Amalek is the rejection of any rule, in particular the rule of heaven. There is no real purebred Amalek today since, according to the Talmud, King Sennacherib mixed up the nations, Rabbi Winston told Breaking Israel News. It also means that Amalek has gotten mixed into the other nations and a little bit of Amalek is in everyone., Amalek is more than a physical people. Theyve gotten hangry, so God has sent them quail and manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4) and water from a rock (Exodus 17:56). In Genesis 36:12 , we are introduced to Amalek 's parents. Thus, in 1 Samuel 15:3, it was considered necessary to destroy the livestock in order to destroy Amalek.[28]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We are hardwired to want eternity and to seek meaning., Liberalism claims to be the avenger of justice and truth. After all, we survived! 1. Among the victims of the four kings during this war was all the country of the Amalekites (Genesis 14:17). Centenary year of the Scouting movement. Therefore, it is forbidden to perform the commandment. But, although many hoped that a "silver lining" around the Shoa might be the final dissipation . The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Different people can embody that concept. At its most transparent level, responding to Amalek is a response to . The second thing that Amalek does is that they are willing to kill themselves in order to bring that about. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. According to the Bible, the Amalekites inhabited the Negev. Evidently the Amalekites had some cities, as this one, in which they sometimes settled, and possibly fulfilled religious obligations as has been shown was the case of nomadic tribes in the Trans-Jordan in connection with a 15th cent. [8] One modern scholar believes this attests to Amalek's high antiquity,[9] while traditional commentator Rashi states: "He came before all of them to make war with Israel". It is customary for the audience to make noise and shout whenever "Haman" is mentioned, in order to desecrate his name, based on Exodus 17:14. 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. However, in 1 Samuel 15:2 this people were still flourishing. Different people can embody that concept. In the same way, you might say that the Algonquians inhabited Virginia, long before Virginia was a Commonwealth or the US was a country or Queen Elizabeth I was called the Virgin Queen. Timna was a Horite and sister of Lotan. The narrative of wiping out the remembrance of Amalek is so important that women, who are normally not obligated in the weekly Torah reading, are obligated to come . Jews are ignoring that liberal - progressive - Leftis/Marxist politics "undermine the manifest self-interest of American Jewry." Astonishingly, even those allegedly versed in Judaism are in denial about BLM. 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. Erdogan is the same way. , the rabbi of King Davids Tomb on Mount Zion, believes that Amalek exists in the world today, in individuals and also in nations. b. By the time he catches up with the enemy, there are only 15,000 left of the 135,000 who had originally gone to war against Israel. It also means that Amalek has gotten mixed into the other nations and a little bit of Amalek is in everyone., Amalek is more than a physical people. He organized Europe in order to give Iran nuclear weapons, even though Iran was calling for Death to Israel and Death to America. He used the United Nations against Israel. '", Obama went even farther in his transformation of the country and it should surprise no one that the riots, and the acceptance of a Marxist terrorist group such as BLM is now roundly applauded. The Arabians mention Imlik, Amalik, or Ameleka among the aborigines of Arabia, the remains of which were mingled with the descendants of Qahtan (Joktan) and Adnan and became Mostarabs or Mocarabes, that is, Arabians mixed with foreigners. and behaviors. Of course, Israel is perverse and rebellious, just like we are today. This is borne out by Judges 12:15 where the area of Ephraim around the town Pirathon (not far from present-day Nablus) is called the hill country of the Amalekites. See 1 Samuel 27:5-7 and 30:1 for the fact that Amalek raided Philistine towns like Ziklag (a few m. N of Beersheba) which Achish, king of Gath, had given to David. They made a god, imbued him with powers, so that under his rule, they could do what they want., They dont hate life; they have no idea what life is. So, the Amalekites were somehow related to, but distinct from, the Edomites. Liberalism is the focus of Amalek today. "plan to undermine the Jewish community in America by organizing the Left here againstIsrael's 'oppression' of Palestinians.". Etymology [ edit] In some rabbinical interpretations, Amalek is etymologised as am lak, 'a people who lick (blood)', [2] but most specialists regard the origin to be unknown. [21] Some Muslim historians claimed that the Amalekites who fought Joshua were descendants of the inhabitants of North Africa. Travel restrictions are scheduled for the West Bank. Finally they flee, and Gideon, with his tiny little force, pursues. Nonetheless, Israel has peace for forty years, until Gideon dies, at which point they apparently abandon the golden ephod and go back to worshiping Baal until the next invasion. Thus, we must be strong and alert in order to prevail. However, some other genealogies point out at a . Corrections? Instead, this is the part of the story where Israel gets angry with God for taking them out of Egypt, and God declares that nobody who left Egypt will make it to the Promised Land. Verse 16 mentions that Amalek became a chief among the Edomites. They want to oust Mort Klein of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) because he dared to point out Black Lives Matter's Jew hatred and hatred of Israel. 15-33. Regarding the Sages statement that the descendants of Haman learned Torah in B'nei Brak, according to this opinion, it occurred out of error, for the Beit Din was unaware that the person coming to convert was from the seed of Amalek, and thus accepted him, and after having already been accepted, they did not reject him (Yeshuot Malko). Ironically, many of them come from the same area of the world what we know today as Iran, formerly known as Persia. In Vayishlach, the Torah writes about the descendants of Esav. . As enumerated by Maimonides, the three mitzvot state: 598 Deut. Not surprisingly, many rabbis and scholars identified the Nazis with Amalek beginning in the 1930s. But first, the wars do not continue. According to 1 Samuel 14:47, 48 the king had fought against this enemy. Gods call was (as usual) timely, because the Amalekites and Midianites are on the move. they are not philistines or cannanites or Amorites or jebuzites or hittites. On with our story. Sure enough, Saul is defeated by the Philistines, but when Saul is injured, the man who ultimately kills him and takes his crown is an Amalekite (2 Samuel 1:810). Can we reconcile with our eternal sworn enemies? Anyone who acts this way today is from the seed of Amalek., The commandment isnt to conquer Amalek. So CAIR, a terrorist-linked group goes from influencing the War College to influencing Congress. CAIR or the Council on American-Islamic Relations has connections with the Muslim Brotherhood which seeks to infiltrate America and destroy the country. Amalek (/mlk/;[1] Hebrew: , 'mlq, Arabic: 'Amlq) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites. Thus the people of Amalek lived on, to continue to torment the Jews for generations. Even the world of sports is being corrupted. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The State must defend its citizens. M. Weippert, Semitische Nomaden des zweiten Jahrtausends. Omissions? Deut 34:3). Nur Masalha, Elliot Horowitz, and Josef Stern suggest that Amalekites have come to represent an "eternally irreconcilable enemy" that wants to murder Jews, that Jews in post-biblical times sometimes associate contemporary enemies with Haman or Amalekites, and that some Jews believe that pre-emptive violence is acceptable against such enemies. They reject discussion and other opinions. 25:19 Not to forget Amalek's atrocities and ambush on our journey from Egypt in the desert, Some commentators have discussed the ethical deficiency of the commandment to exterminate all the Amalekites, especially including the command to kill children, and the presumption of collective punishment. Amalek in later history. On the other hand, Gen. xiv. An expression denoting heat and cold (). Sorry, none of that last paragraph is true. In the light of Amaleks past harassment of Israel the Lord commanded Saul to exterminate this enemy (1 Sam 15:1-3). The people try to make Gideon king, but hell have none of it: God is your king, he says. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Amalek was the grandson of Esau, Jacobs older brother. But wait, if this war happened while Abraham and Lot were still alive this was two generations before Jacob and Esau, which means it was four generations before Amalek was even born! This can be compared to a bathtub of boiling water into which no living creature could descend. For example, Rabbi Hayim Palaggi stated: We can rely on the maxim that in ancient times, Sennacherib confused the lineage of many nations. This perfectly describes the other component of Amalek -- that some elements of Amalek exist within ourselves. Amalek is described as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau," from which it is assumed that he ruled a clan or territory named after him (Genesis 36:15). Territory. Ishmaelites were recorded as the descendants of Ishmael in the Bible. Now go in this strength of yours and defeat Midian. There are sixty-six books, but only five naming strategies. Breaking Israel News asked several rabbis their opinion: Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific author and end-of-days expert, has written several books on the subject of Amalek. During the reign of Hezekiah, 500 Simeonites annihilated the remnant of the Amalekites, so God is not still at war with the Amalek. As Jews contemplate a vote for Joe Biden, do they realize that he supports J Street which is "one of the most virulent, anti-Israel organizations in the history of Zionism and Judaism?". Numbers 24:20 ESV. In it, he referred to Hamas as "the seed of Amalek." Amalek was the grandson of Esau whose descendants became a nation infamous for attacking the Hebrews after they came out of Egypt. temple (E. F. Campbell and G. E. Wright, Tribal League Shrines in Amman and Shechem, BA, XXXII, No. The Bible tells us that when the Israelites left Egypt, they were attacked from behind by Amalek and his people. In Jewish folklore, the Amalekites are considered to be the symbol of evil. in Madison, Wisconsin, ofCol. Hans Christian Heg, an immigrant from Norway who died fighting for the Union against slavery. He allied with the Amalekites, of course, as well as the Ammonites (Judges 3:1214). Origen of Alexandria is sometimes cited as having viewed the herem passages allegorically; Hofreiter argues that although Origen viewed a spiritual interpretation as having primary importance to Christians, he did not deny that the herem passages described historical events.[54]. I want it becomes more important than anything. The Nazis clearly did this. Their radical Islamic allies never stop in their all-consuming desire to create a global caliphate. Not great for an army thats now down to three hundred men. Ishmael was the elder brother of Isaac. [46], Maimonides explains that the commandment to destroy the nation of Amalek requires the Jewish people to peacefully request that they accept upon themselves the Seven Laws of Noah and pay a tax to the Jewish kingdom. Amalek is a son of Esau's first-born son Eliphaz and of the concubine Timna, the daughter of Seir, the Horite, and sister of Lotan (Gen. xxxvi. But Israel has more enemies, of course. Apparently most of them just dunked their heads to drink, because Gideon sends 9,700 men home, leaving him with less than one percent of his original force. Updates? Bibliography G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (1896), 282; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 159. [13] This is probably based on the association of this tribal group with the steppe region of ancient Israel and the area of Kadesh (Genesis 14:7). The commandment isnt to conquer Amalek. The first reason is not a good one. Therefore, Haman and his sons were Amalekites. At the dawn of the American Revolution, John Adams observed, "If the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling the differences between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of mankind apply, than to the sense of this difference? and his associate kings subdued among others, all the country of the Amalekites, which reference need not be taken as an anachronism, but is to be understood as possibly a different Amalek, or better, that the term is used to identify the land which later became the home of the Amalekite descendants of Esau. And obviously, the residents of Ashkelon, Sderot, and other Israeli cities in shooting range of Gaza, are expecting an increase in rocket attacks. The Amalekites, descended from Amalek, a grandson of Esau, fall naturally into the anti-Israel alliance. Amalek's spirit has continued through the millenniaits viciousness culminating in the Shoa. A tribe dwelling originally in the region south of Judah, the wilderness of et-Tih where the Israelites came into conflict with them. Later Amalek raided the Negeb and, in Davids absence, completely conquered Ziklag, taking captive the inhabitants including Davids two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail (1 Sam 30:1-6). Only if they refuse must they be physically killed. They were completely defeated and chased as far as Hormah (near Arad and Ziklag) (Num 14:39-45; Josh 12:14; 15:30). They spread out around the camp, and on Gideons signal, they all smash their jars and blow their trumpets and light their torches and yell! When Gideon and Purah get back, the Israelites return to the camp of Midian and Amalek armed with the ancient near east equivalent of flash-bangs: jars of clay, trumpets, and torches. More metaphorically, to some Hasidic rabbis (particularly the Baal Shem Tov), Amalek represents atheism or the rejection of God. Consider the never ending virtue signaling that businesses, schools, and Hollywood proudly demonstrate while displaying no understanding of the irony [emphasis mine] of it all. Introduction to positive commandments, Beer Mayim Hayim, letter Alef, Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "Timna, concubine of Eliphaz: Midrash and Aggadah", "Shabbat Zachor: "Remember what Amalek did to you!" So as soon as Moses tells them to go around the enemy armies, they immediately want to go through the land and fight. [20], Alternatively, during the Islamic Golden Age, certain Arabic writings claimed that the Amalekites existed long before Abraham. [20][21] It is, however, possible that the name Amalek may have been given to two different nations. Amalek was one of the sons of Eliphaz and a grandson of Esau ( Gen 36:15, 16; 1 Chron 1:36 ). He asks for another sign the next night: dew on the ground, but not on the fleece. Prophecy from the Bible is revealing itself as we speak. Hamas is clearly this way. At this place, following the Amalekite attack, Israel defeated her enemy (Exod 17:8-16). God promised that Amalek will be wiped out. 600 Deut. Valerie Sobel emphatically points out what the Democratic Party has become in her "Dear Jewish American Leftists: It's Time for a Talk." He believed that Purim documented the fate of the enemies of the Jewish people. This cycle repeated at regular intervals. King Jehoshaphats Prayer: A Scriptural Response to Fear, From Sodom and Gomorrah to Jesus: The Story of the Moabites, Sitting In the Shadows of History: The Story of the Ammonites, Everywhere and Nowhere: The Story of the Amalekites you are here. It has prophecy, judges, betrayal, war, trickeration, some David-and-Goliath, a youngest son, family squabbles, a twist ending (wait for it), and even a bit of rags-to-riches. "Amalek from Generation to Generation." So its anachronistic, but convenient. Since the time of King Saul, the Jews have faced many "Amaleks", set out for our destruction. But God does not forget! Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. They are killing themselves spiritually, politically, and even physically. And where are all the miracles? David pursued the Amalekites, defeated all but four hundred of them, and took back all that had been stolen (1 Samuel 30:17-20). Home Rabbis Weigh In: Who Is Amalek Today? When they joined the Midianites to invade Israel they came "with their cattle and their tents" ( Judges 6:3-5 ). And then Gideon goes out to meet them and slaughters the enemies of Israel in the strength of the Lord and everyone rejoices and they make him king and apologize for all the mean things they said about him when he pulled down the statue. For the full story of Eglons downfall, see the story of the Ammonites. The Midianites and Amalekites pull out their swords and swipe at anything that moveswhich is mostly their comrades. [12] They appear to have lived a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle along the fringes of southern Canaan's agricultural zone. ", They are in lockstep with Hillary Clinton to uproot American culture. The Amalekites are the descendants of Esau, who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of soup and in doing so forfeited his firstborn birthright (Genesis 25; Hebrews 12:16). Accordingly, a "Catholic teacher is fired for criticizing the Black Lives Matter Movement.". Along came an irresponsible man and jumped headlong into it! It is to wipe him out from the world because as long as there is a memory of Amalek in the world, the, Rabbi Yosef Dayan, a member of the nascent Sanhedrin, is unafraid to make difficult judgments with dire consequences. Amalek was a nation near the land of Canaan. His economy is crashing but he doesnt care. Israel is on its way through the wilderness toward Mount Sinai. Moses prophesies their failure, and sure enough, the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them (Numbers 14:45). It should be mandatory reading at the Shabbat table. So Saul gathers 210,000 soldiers and crushes Amalek and captures their king, Agag. Further, in their song (Judg 5:14) Deborah (who was from Ephraim, 4:5) and Barak speak of how Ephraim had shown strength in rooting out those of the Amalekites who were in its midst (cf. Do not forget! But theres a slight twist here that changes the course of Israels history. The other nations followed and were burned but they didnt want to look bad in front of the others now that Amalek had jumped in., We see this happening today. Consequently, America is presently in a battle, not only for its physical well-being but also for its spiritual values. And then Moses instructs Israel to make it happen: Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. In fact, for millennia Amalek has stood for the archetypal enemies of the Jews, so that whatever nation was oppressing the Jews at any time was associated with Amalek. [23], Although Egyptian and Assyrian monumental inscriptions and records of the period survive which list various tribes and peoples of the area, no reference has ever been found to Amalek or the Amalekites. Saul fought a war with King Agog, a descendant of Amalek, and was commanded to kill him, but didn't, out of pity. He lays out some wool fleece and asks God to contain the dew to the fleece that night and keep the ground dry, if He really intends to save Israel. Rabbi Dayan played a. central role in so-called death curse ceremonies, or Pulsa diNura, aimed at Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon as a punishment for their giving up portions of Israel and dealing with murderers of Jews. Goering committed suicide so that only 10 descendants of Amalek were hung, Therefore, when Hashem your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that Hashem your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Saul not only fails to kill Agag, but he also keeps all the best livestock alive and takes it for himself. Now David is both more obedient to God and better at war than Saul ever was, so he starts fighting the Amalekites even while Saul is hunting him down (1 Samuel 27:810). Who Was Amalek Eliphaz, son of Esau (the patriarch Jacob 's brother and sworn enemy), and his concubine Timna had a child named Amalek. The etymology is uncertain, according to John L. McKenzie (1995), while Cox (1884) suggested "High." The politics of the progressive Jew is "bordering on the suicidal.". For once, Saul has an opportunity to finish the job himself. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.