[36][37][38][39] It has also been described as genocidal, according to genocide scholars like Norman Naimark.[40][41][42][43]. 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. They slaughtered those who could not defend themselves. Exodus 17 describes Israels first encounter with the wandering Amalekites at Rephidim, a place between the wilderness of Sin and the wilderness of Sinai (Exod 17:1; 19:2), at which the Israelites camped in their Exodus journey from Egypt. [22] However, the modern biblical scholar David Freedman uses textual analysis to glean that the use of Amalekite in Genesis 14:7 is actually an anachronism,[13] and in the early 19th century, Richard Watson enumerated several speculative reasons for having a "more ancient Amalek" than Abraham. Saul not only fails to kill Agag, but he also keeps all the best livestock alive and takes it for himself. 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, abruptly, ends the story of Amalek in Scripture; we never see them again. Streicher assumed that the origin of the Aryan race was in Persia, with a connection to the descendants of the Amalekites, who were the worst enemies of the Jewish people. [51], Theologian Charles Ellicott explains that the Amalekites were subject to cherem in the Book of Samuel for the purposes of incapacitation, due to their 'accursed' nature and the threat they posed to the commonwealth of surrounding nations. But ten thousand is still a big army, so God has a new plan: take all ten thousand down to the river to drink. Merely two weeks after the tragedy of Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, it is hard to turn sorrow into merriment. It is clear to me that the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah may not genetically be the descendants of Amalek, but ideologically, they are one and the same. Later, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, and Hagar and Ishmael were driven away because of Ishmael's attitude toward Isaac ( Genesis 21:9-10, 14 ). 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. According to the Bible, Sarah and Abraham who were then called Sarai and Abram were aging and childless. It is clear from the text that Haman, the villain in the Book of Esther was a direct descendant of Agog. The archetypal enemies of Israel, Torah commands the Jews to wipe out the memory of Amalek. The Amalekites attacked those who were lagging slowly behind the rest of the people: the elderly, the sick, and the weak. For example, Rabbi Hayim Palaggi stated: We can rely on the maxim that in ancient times, Sennacherib confused the lineage of many nations. d. In the time of David. 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. We are approaching a day of reckoning when Jews need to wake up and stop ignoring the existential danger to America and to themselves. New International Version (NIV). Hakirah: The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Volume 28, Spring 2020, pp. ADr PremGuides and MagazinesWebsite He said that he has a tradition from the Gaon of Vilna that the Germans are the descendants of Amalek (Horowitz, p. 428). It was an unprovoked and cowardly attack upon a tired and weary people, just liberated from slavery, on the way to their homeland. Israel is, quite simply, visual and undeniable proof that God rules the world. Anyone who acts this way today is from the seed of Amalek., The commandment isnt to conquer Amalek. Amalek's spirit has continued through the millenniaits viciousness culminating in the Shoa. If Amalek has always been identified with the enemies of Israel, then perhaps they were never a distinct nation that would leave behind distinctive artifacts. An angel and a miraculously burnt feast werent enough. [53], According to Christian Hofreiter, historically almost all Christian authorities and theologians have interpreted the herem passages as referring to real, historical events when God commanded the Israelites to exterminate all the members of particular nations. 5. Saul fought a war with King Agog, a descendant of Amalek, and was commanded to kill him, but didn't, out of pity. They need to tempt death to confirm that they are living. This has been accelerated by the hypocrisy and intolerance of the vindictive Left, aided and abetted by foolish bleeding-heart pseudo-liberals who have become accomplices in the undermining of democracy." 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? [19] C. Knight elaborates this concept by making a comparison: one might say "Caesar went into France", though Gaul only later became known as France. temple (E. F. Campbell and G. E. Wright, Tribal League Shrines in Amman and Shechem, BA, XXXII, No. 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. These people were trying to hide their identity and they have changed their identity many times.. This is an amazing story since it took place decades before the Holocaust. Consequently, anti-Semitism is in full vogue. On with our story. They are Arabs who are mostly Muslim and some who are Christian. Amalek in later history. [7] In the oracle of Balaam, Amalek was called the 'first of the nations'. It is to wipe him out from the world because as long as there is a memory of Amalek in the world, the Moshiach (Messiah) cannot come., Obama was not satisfied in setting his countrys policy against Israel. (They dont know thats where theyre going, but we do.) They were saying that there is no room in this world for a covenant with God., Atheism is an extreme form of Amalek. Some have made the connection that Sadaam Hussein and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran (modern Persia), are also descendants of Agog and Amalek and given what they want(ed) to do to the Jews and where they come from, it would come as no surprise if there was ever biological evidence to support this. Therefore, Haman and his sons were Amalekites. Therefore, it is forbidden to perform the commandment. Omissions? [29] Groups identified with Amalek include the Romans, Nazis, Stalinists, ISIS, Palestinians[30] and bellicose Iranian leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[31][32]. And weve seen the Ammonite capital Rabbah also tied up with King Davidits where his army was when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. ). They are leading a meaningless existence. The Bible notes a great deal of hatred and animosity between the Israelites and Amalekites: 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. Who are the descendants of Ishmael? 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). Thursday evening marks the holiday of Purim. We are hardwired to want eternity and to seek meaning., Liberalism claims to be the avenger of justice and truth. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He was born to Eliphaz by his concubine Timna (Gen 36:12) was one of the tribal chiefs (, H477) of Edom (Gen 36:16, 17). But first, the wars do not continue. 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. 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." They were saying that there is no room in this world for a covenant with God., Liberalism claims to be the avenger of justice and truth. Timna was a Horite and sister of Lotan. Even the world of sports is being corrupted. 22 Feb 2007. 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.) Instablogs.com A Dr Prem Guides Magazines Site. Saul then made a statement of repentance and obtained some public reconciliation with the prophet Samuel, following which the prophet then killed Agag, the Amalekite king (15:24-33). Among them were the historian Simon Dubnow who . An ancient marauding people in the S of Canaan and the Negeb who were fierce enemies of Israel particularly in the earlier part of her history. When a person gets to this point, Amalek has won., People who acknowledge a covenant with God, his existence and presence in this world, they appreciate life as a gift. And just as God raised up Ehud to defeat Eglon with his left-handedness, God raised up Gideon to defeat Midian very nearly by himself. Then the future king, through the help of an abandoned Egyp. The Amalekites seem to have been descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12).They separated themselves off from the other Edomites at an early date, and became the predominant tribe in the more northern parts of the Sinaitic peninsula, claiming and exercising a sovereignty over the whole of the desert country between the borders of Palestine . Twenty-two thousand men take the hint and skedaddle, leaving Gideon with less than a third of his force, just ten thousand men. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Travel restrictions are scheduled for the West Bank. The third reason is my favorite, because God did in fact command the absolute destruction of the AmalekitesHe says He will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Exodus 17:14)and sure enough, theyre gone! Gideon was an Abiezrite of the tribe of Manasseh who lived in Ophrah2. The prescient Zogby understood how the Jewish left could easily become the willing lynchpin of his strategy. The Bible doesnt specify that God is steering them clear of the Amalekites. Iran is willing to destroy their economy, they are willing to destroy their own country, just to convince the other Arab nations to attack Israel. Finally, Gideon is convinced, or maybe just scared to ask Almighty God for Yet Another Sign. 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. 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]. In Jewish folklore, the Amalekites are considered to be the symbol of evil. Amalek reappears as the enemy in the famous story of Moses controlling the tide of battle with his hands. 25:19 Wipe out the descendants of Amalek The Marxist Left has vowed to destroy America. ", 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.". Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. So God sets about decimating Gideons army to make sure nobody can claim they did it on their own without Gods help. And there is a valid argument to be made that Israel isnt doing a good enough job of defense. The Nephilim Tribes of Canaan, Amalekites, Edomites, Idumeans, Khazarians (Jews) "Thus, while it is a fact that all true Jews are Israelites (because they are descended from the House of Judah), it can be proven by research that Not All Who Say They Are Jews Are True Israelites.". [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. Deut 34:3). America encompasses the idea that the laws of our land are G-d given to protect our freedoms; the belief that there needs to be equal justice under the law is integral to America. Amalek didnt just do random evil, Rabbi Dayan told Breaking Israel News. It is a time of dressing up in costume, eating lots of delicious food, and, depending on how you read the text, getting rather drunk. In Esther, the Jew-hating Haman is called "the Agagite" (Esther 3:1). c. In the time of Saul. It is a time of merriment, celebration, and partying. 8, 9). 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. In a dream that night, He instructs Gideon to hitch two oxen to a statue of Baal and pull it down. 1 Chronicles 4:41-43 (NASB) 41 "These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and [a]attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly . ", "ISIS a Reenactment of Biblical War Between Israel and the Amalekites, Military Analysts Say", "Unmasking Purim, Fighting Amalek: Behind the whimsy of this holiday lie some deep lessons for living", "Esther 3 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges", "Ethical Criticism of the Bible: The Case of Divinely Mandated Genocide", "Religion, nationalism and genocide: ancient Judaism revisited", "1 Samuel 15: Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers", "Metaphysical Hatred and Sacred Genocide: The Questionable Role of Amalek in Biblical Literature", Amalek, Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Remember Amalek: A lesson in Divine Providence, Latznu: Popular Culture and the Disciples of Amalek, Antiquities of the Jews - by Josephus Flavius, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amalek&oldid=1142186514, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia without a Wikisource reference, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 00:22. Gideon is confused, because his understanding of warfare is that having more soldiers is good, and having fewer soldiers is bad. The Midianites and Amalekites pull out their swords and swipe at anything that moveswhich is mostly their comrades. But this one,came forward and started and showed the way to others. But great for God, whose goal is glory for Himself, not glory for Gideon. , he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. "After many years of research, Arthur Koestler, the well . Hes still not getting the whole God of Angel Armies thing. Updates? Gideon prepares an entire feast of a young goat and bread and broth. 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. Lets watch. In it, he referred to Hamas as the seed of Amalek., your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that, your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of, Rabbi Ben Artzi stated that, as the seed of Amalek, this commandment applied to. Jealousy and its precipitous hatred for the Jews and Judeo-Christian America unite them. This is why they will say that abortion and homosexuality, actions that detract from life, are moral imperatives. 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. Years later, when Saul is under attack by the Philistines, he consults a medium who brings up the spirit of Samuel, and Samuel reminds him of his disobedience and tells him the consequences have arrived: the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me [in Sheol] (1 Samuel 28:1519). They seem not to understand that the modern Amalek will attack Jews, attack freedom, and attack America. [4] Amalek is described as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau",[5] from which it is surmised that he ruled a clan or territory named after him. Weve talked about two of the ancient enemies of Israel, the Moabites and the Ammonites. Contrary to Gods command, Saul kept alive the Amalekite king and the best of their livestock (vv. In the period of the Judges. b. Instead of confronting the Israelite people in a traditional battle or war, Amalek ambushed them, as a terrorist would. God sends the enemy into disarray. Later in the time of the Judges the Amalekites showed continued harassing activity against Israel. Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. Some of those Amalekites were presumably descendants of Agag, because of what we read in the book of Esther. Centenary year of the Scouting movement. That Amaleks unrelenting and destructive spirit and action against God and the cause of His people Israel was heinous to the Lord is seen later in the reminder to Saul concerning these wilderness incidents and in Gods command that the king is to destroy these God-defying Amalekites (1 Sam 15:2, 3; cf. Gideon calls together an armynot just from Manasseh, but from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali and Asher, too. While the Jews were still in Rephidim, the Amalekites, a mightily and fierce people, descendants of Esau, and well-trained in the art of warfare, suddenly attacked the people of Israel. Observing this connection, there is no need, as some have attempted, to emend the text of Judges 1:16 from the people (Heb. It is also customary to recite Deuteronomy 25:1718 (see below) on the Shabbat before Purim. Not surprisingly, many rabbis and scholars identified the Nazis with Amalek beginning in the 1930s. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the territories of Amalek, which they inhabited. It is also a concept and a spiritual reality. Every man, woman, and child of Amalek needs to be wiped out. The people try to make Gideon king, but hell have none of it: God is your king, he says. For once, Saul has an opportunity to finish the job himself. In the wilderness wanderings. Amalek wants to rule himself and everyone else. They were the first nation to attack the Jewish people after the . See 1 Samuel 15:7 where Saul is said to have defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. This seems to have been the same general area inhabited by the Ishmaelites about whom it is stated: They dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria (Gen 25:18). . The commandment to kill Amalekites is not practised by contemporary Jews, based on the argument that Sennacherib deported and mixed the nations, so it is no longer possible to determine who is an Amalekite. Jews are confusing genuine justice with social justice. Deuteronomy 25:19 ESV. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Amalek was burned but he wanted so much to harm Israel that he didnt care, even though Israel hadnt done anything to them. 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. You will not be surprised that the wars continue. In a place where Jews murder, take revenge on, and discriminate against Arabs, they will ultimately murder, take revenge on, and discriminate against their fellow Jews. The Amalekites refer to a shifting collection of tribes throughout Biblical history, so they never had enough cultural identity to leave records. 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. But youll remember from ten seconds ago what Saul did not remember: God said destroy, not capture. So Saul gathers 210,000 soldiers and crushes Amalek and captures their king, Agag. However, the timeline gets confused immediately, because the name Amalekite shows up long before Esau does. Astonishingly, even those allegedly versed in Judaism are in denial about BLM. Even though these same synagogues had to rush out their Torah scrolls to protect them from a racist mob, they did not voice any pain or outrage, or offer solidarity to their fellow vandalized synagogues. Accordingly, a "Catholic teacher is fired for criticizing the Black Lives Matter Movement.". Ironically, many of them come from the same area of the world what we know today as Iran, formerly known as Persia. How can that be? Unlike the statements by Young Israel and the Agudah, the Orthodox Union failed to even address the attacks on synagogues. ", They are in lockstep with Hillary Clinton to uproot American culture. Theyve gotten hangry, so God has sent them quail and manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4) and water from a rock (Exodus 17:56). Moses, ever the leader (and well past eighty) delegates the fighting to Joshua, who needs the experience given whats coming in the next few decades. He marches the army out to meet the enemy, at which point God decides to give a sign of His own. Perhaps the greatest lesson of the stories of Israel and Amalek is that Gods commands are followed even by sand and storm and time itself.
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