The Battle with the Amalekites

Who are the Amalekites?

Genesis 36:9-12

Genesis 36:9–12 ESV

These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.

Nomads who attacked Isreal on sight

Amalekites sin

Exodus 17:8-9

Exodus 17:8–9 ESV

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

attack on Israel is attack on God

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Relevance

Several hundred years later, God commanded King Saul to fight against the Amalekites as punishment for their attack at Rephidim (1 Sam 15:1–35). A victory would secure Judah’s southern border and its settlements in the Negev. Although God ordered all the people and goods of the Amalekites to be destroyed, Saul spared at least their king, Agag, as well as the best of the livestock. This act of disobedience was so severe that God rejected Saul as king and dispatched Samuel to anoint David as Israel’s new king (Rainey, Bridge, 146–147).

Later, when David was hiding from Saul in the Negev with his men and their families, Amalekites attacked and plundered the camp while the soldiers were away. David pursued and defeated them. First Samuel 30:1–31 records that “only” 400 men got away, implying either that Saul had left many more survivors than just the king, or that there were other Amalekites that Saul did not confront.

God’ deliver’s Israel

Exodus 17:10-11

Exodus 17:10–11 ESV

So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.

Moses needs help

Exodus 17:12

Exodus 17:12 ESV

But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Victory

Exodus 17:13-15

Exodus 17:13–15 ESV

And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 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.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,