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The Amalekites were a formidable tribe of nomads living in the area south of Canaan, between Mount Seir and the Egyptian border.

They are not listed in the table of nations in Genesis 10, as they did not originate until after Esau’s time.

In Numbers 24:20 Balaam refers to the Amalekites as “first among the nations,” but he most likely meant only that the Amalekites were the first ones to attack the Israelites upon their exodus from Egypt or that the Amalekites were “first” in power at that time.

We first learn about Amalek in Genesis:

Genesis 36:1-12 "1 Now these are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah, daughter of Elon, the Hittite, and Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite, 3 and Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz; and Basemath bore Reuel; 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all the persons of his household, and his sheep and goats, and all his cattle, and all the goods that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too many to live together, so that the land of their sojourning was not able to support them on account of their livestock. 8 So Esau dwelled in the hill country of Seir (Esau, that is Edom). 9 Now these are the descendants of Esau, the father of Edom, in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, the wife of Esau; Reuel, the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Now Timnah was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. And she bore Amalek to Eliphaz; These are the sons of Adah, the wife of Esau." Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Esau’s genealogy shows us he was successful and prosperous, spawning generations of Edomites and confirming what Rebekah foresaw – that Esau and his twin brother Jacob would spawn two nations.

The Edomites became vicious foes of Israel, regularly attacking them through many years of violent wars. Edomites did not worship Yahweh and instead, chose Qaus (or Qos) as their principal deity. They will later be known as Idumaeans (by the Romans) and produce one of the Bible’s most notable foe – Herod the Great.

Amalek was the grandson of Esau. His offspring became the nation of Amalek, and they lived to the south of the Land of Israel, in what is now known as the Negev Desert. The name “Amalek” refers to the nation’s founder; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the territories of Amalek which they inhabited.

The Archetypal Enemy

How could the grandson of Esau become the ancestor of the quintessential enemy of the Israelites?

Like the grandfather of this nation, Esau, the Amalekites had an inborn hatred towards Israel.

They took any and every opportunity to attack the Israelites for absolutely no reason. There was no land dispute or provocation that caused this hatred - it was an intrinsic pathological need to destroy Yahweh’s people.

Such hatred cannot be combatted through diplomacy. There was no option to re-educate the Amalekites or review their school curricula. Their hatred was not taught - it was ingrained. As long as an Amalekite walked the earth, no Israelite was safe. It was a clear case of kill or be killed. A Israelite had to take the command to kill Amalek quite literally - his life depended on it.

We first hear about the nation of Amalek in Exodus 17:

Exodus 17:8-12 “8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset." Lexham English Bible (LEB)

While the Israelites were still at Rephidim, recuperating from their recent escape from Egypt, the nation of Amalek launched a vicious surprise attack on them—though the Israelites had no intentions to invade the Amalekite territory nor they were even headed in that direction.

Joshua and a “unit of special forces” were fighting against Amalek, while Moses was on top of a hill interceding with the staff of God. As long as Moses kept his hands held up, Joshua prevailed, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. Moses hands grew weary and tired, so Aaron and Hur had Moses sit on a stone, while they held his hands up and steady until Joshua had overcome the enemy with the sword by sunset.

Have you ever pondered the significance of Moses’ role at that battle? In no other place in the bible do we have a similar scenario. Usually the Israelites were commanded to fight without their leader having to engage in an interesting ritual of lifting their hands up.

Maybe the significance is this - while the Amalekites lifted their hands up AGAINST the throne of the Yah, Moses lifted his hands up TO the throne of the Lord.

TO the throne of the Yah.

Exodus 17 concludes this account with the following:

Exodus 17:13-19 “13 And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the scroll and recite it in the hearing of Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.” 15 And Moses built an altar, and he called its name Yahweh Is My Banner. 16 And he said, “Because a hand was against the throne of Yah, a war will be for Yahweh with Amalek from generation to generation.”” Lexham English Bible (LEB)

The same story is recounted Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 “17 Remember what Amalek did to you on the journey when you went out from Egypt, 18 that he met you on the journey and attacked you, all those lagging behind you and when you were weary and worn out, and he did not fear God. 19 And when Yahweh your God gives rest to you from all your enemies from around about you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance to take possession of it, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you shall not forget!” Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Was the Seed of Amalek Wiped Out?

Let's see...

I Samuel 15:7-8,20 “…He [Saul] captured Agag the king of Amalek alive, but all the people he utterly destroyed with the edge of the sword…” - this passage implies that Saul destroyed Agag's army - down to the last man. However, there is no claim being made by this passage that every living Amalekite was killed - just the ones in Agag's army. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

I Samuel 27:8-9 “…So David struck the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive; he took the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing…” - this passage implies that David destroyed all of the Amalekites in that certain area of land that he attacked. If there were Amalekites in other areas, then this verse makes no claim in regards to them. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

I Samuel 30:1-2,17 “…Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.” In this passage, David destroyed a raiding party of Amalekites. But 400 men escaped. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

I Chronicles 4:42-43 “…And they destroyed the remainder of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.” In this passage, the Simeonites killed all the Amalekites that lived in a particular area. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Esther 9:5–10 The last mention of the Amalekites is found in the book of Esther where Haman the Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag, connives to have all the Jews in Persia annihilated by order of King Xerxes. Yah saved the Jews in Persia, however, and Haman, his sons, and the rest of Israel’s enemies were destroyed instead. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Clearly, the “seed of Amalek” has not been wiped out.

Yahweh’s Eternal Enemy

The Israelites had negative encounters with other nations on their way to the Promised Land—they fought wars with the Midianites (Numbers 31) and the Amorites (Numbers 21:21–35), Balak King of Moab tried to have them cursed (Numbers 22–24), and the Edomites wouldn’t let them pass peacefully through their land—and yet, only the Amalekites became Yahweh’s eternal enemies. Even the Egyptians, who enslaved the Israelites and threw their baby boys into the Nile, are protected (Deuteronomy 23:8–9).

So, what’s so special about the Amalekites?

Three of the 613 commandments (Deuteronomy 25:17–18, Exodus 17:14) in the Torah involve Amalek.

Remember what the Amalekites did to the Israelites

Never forget the evil deeds Amalek did

Obliterate the nation of Amalek

The Torah makes it clear that Amalek is not just a political enemy. He is a spiritual enemy. He is the enemy of Yahweh.

If you were to stare evil in the eye, what would you see? What would be its character traits?

1. First and foremost, he does not fear Yahweh.

2. He raises his hand against the throne of Yahweh.

3. He takes any and every opportunity to attack Yahweh’s people for absolutely no reason.

4. His strategy is to pick off and take out all the followers of Yahweh that are weary and worn out, and consequently lagging behind. In other words, his strategy is to wear down, tire out, weaken, and pick off the people of Yahweh to keep them from their promised destiny.

5. Somehow, no matter what you do—strike him, drive him out, ignore him, forget him—Yahweh’s eternally irreconcilable enemy always bounces back when Yahweh’s people least expect him.

6. The war of Yahweh (and His people) with this evil is from generation to generation

Put On the Full Armor of God

Deuteronomy chapters 22 through 25, in particular, elaborate on Yahweh’s passion for justice for the poor, the weak, and the despised.

The people of Israel are the people of Yahweh. As such, they were called to live out that relationship in radically counter-cultural ways. They were to serve as a paradigm for the rest of humanity, demonstrating to a watching world what it means to be the people of Yahweh.

So, why conclude four chapters that are entirely devoted to the marginalized of society and to justice (in general and within a social construct) with seemingly unrelated commandments?

What do these verses have in common with the previous myriad of commandments, all focused on protecting and honoring the dignity of society’s most vulnerable and weak groups?

As demonstrated above, Amalek is more than just a physical enemy - Amalek represents a spiritual principality/power that operated through that tribe. Remember that principalities and powers are not just relegated to individuals. These beings cover territories.

The Hebrew root for “Amalek” is “amal” which means: to toil; wearing effect; pain; wickedness; sorrow; wearisome; trouble; mischief; etc.

In Exodus 17, the tiredness Moses felt was not just a natural tiredness. Moses was feeling the spiritual effect of this principality. The battle at Rephidim was, first and foremost, spiritual warfare. At Rephidim, this spirit was after the weary, worn out, and lagging behind but also, at the same time, it was trying to wear down Moses so he would give up on his posture of intercession for Joshua and his army.

So, this principality’s strategy has always been the same: attack all those who are weary, worn out, and lagging behind; those vulnerable and weak groups whom we are commanded by Yahweh to protect and honor their dignity.

But, far beyond this, this principality seeks to wear down and wear out the most devoted and obedient of Yahweh’s warriors (such was the case with Moses) until they lose their posture of prayer and faith, and subsequently start making wrong decisions and choices regarding their destiny and inheritance.

This is the principality that goes after the most vulnerable and weak in Yahwe’s camp but also the principality that may turn some of the strongest and most devoted in Yahweh’s camp to weak and feeble.

So, in the past four chapters, Yahweh commanded us to protect and take care of the marginalized, weak and feeble (as they are the most vulnerable to this principality) but, no less important, also to make sure we are always “on guard”, fully aware and ready to fight the spiritual principality that is also seeking to turn His mighty warriors into weak, feeble and disobedient.

Paul summarizes this beautifully:

Ephesians 6:10-17 “10 Finally, become strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, 12 because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace, 16 in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one, 17 and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Lexham English Bible (LEB)

"Wisdom calls out in the streets, in the squares she raises her voice." (Proverbs 1:20)