Who were the Amalekites?

Now let us take account of the origin and character of Haman. He was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite. (v. 1) Agag was the title of the kings of Amalek, probably a generic title, as was the title of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. (1 Sam. 15:9, 32; Num. 24:7) Thus Haman came from this royal race. Amalek, the people of Haman, descended from Esau, through Eliphaz: he was primitively a chief, and then became the people of Edom. (Gen. 36; 12, 16) Indeed, under Hezekiah, we see that the remnant of Amalek lived among the Edomites, that is to say in "the mountain of Seir," the territory of these Edomites. Amalek occupied the south-east region of the Seir mountains, and probably part of the wilderness of Sin and of the wilderness of Paran. This geographical position explains the capital interest Amalek had (Ex. 17) in opposing Israel's onward march to enter Canaan; for Amalek occupied the first buttressing range of mountains in Palestine and defended the southern frontier (Num. 13:30; Num. 15:45; 1 Sam. 14; 7; 1 Sam. 27:8) on which side this country could be most easily penetrated.

A various intervals, we see Amalek in league with other nations against Israel. Thus, in Judges 3:12-13, we see Amalek in league with Moab, which explains the mention of Agag in Balaam's prophecy against Balak, the king of Moab. (Num. 24:7) In Judges 6:3, we see Amalek associated with Midian in a common hatred directed against the people of God. The Amalekites were defeated by Saul (1 Sam. 15), and finally by David (1 Sam. 27, 30), according to Balaam's prophecy concerning the "Star [which should come] out of Jacob, and a Scepter [which should] rise out of Israel." Then, the prophecy goes on to say, "Amalek [was] the first of the nations, but his latter end [should] be for destruction." (Num. 24:17-20) As a fulfilled prophecy, this star is David; and, as a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, this star is Christ, David's Son.

And so, in Amalek we have to do with the enemy of the people of God. It is Amalek who is the first to oppose Israel's forward march, when they came out of Egypt (Ex. 17), who mercilessly pursued Israel and exterminated the weak, and the stragglers among a people wearied in crossing the wilderness. Amalek is, in a word, the Enemy; the image of Satan, the great Enemy. He opposes the purposes of grace of God toward His people.

The tribe became numerous and warlike. The first we read of them is that they attacked Israel soon after they had passed the Red Sea. They were conquered, and God declared "I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven;" not that they were at once destroyed, but the Lord swore He would have "war with Amalek from generation to generation." Ex. 17:8-16. They dwelt in the south of the land, Num. 13:29, and Balaam called them "the first of the nations," but predicted that they should perish for ever. Num. 24:20.

When the Israelites, who, alas, disbelievingly agreed with the spies who had brought up the evil report of the land, were told they should all fall in the wilderness, they then said they would go up and possess it; but they were smitten by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. Several times in the period of the Judges war was made against them. Saul, as anointed king over the Lord's people, was bidden to destroy them utterly, but failed to answer to the Lord's vindication of His people: it was Samuel who cut Agag their king to pieces. 1 Sam. 14:48; 1 Sam. 15:1-33. In the early days of David he attacked the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 27:8; and again when they burned Ziklag and carried away the women and children, including David's two wives, he recovered all, and sent of the spoil to the elders of Israel. 1 Sam. 30:1-31. David dedicated their silver and gold unto Jehovah, 2 Sam. 8:12. In the days of Hezekiah the rest of the Amalekites were smitten by the sons of Simeon. 1 Chr. 4:41-43. Among the nations confederated for Israel's destruction in Ps. 83: are the Amalekites.

We thus find that Amalek was the first to attack Israel, and continued an enemy ever ready to molest them when they were weak even until the days of Hezekiah, and they are found in the hostile confederacy at the close of their history: an apt type of Satan as the enemy of God's people.

There is a difficulty connected with these names, seeing that we read of Amalekites in Gen. 14:7, some hundred years before Amalek, the son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau, was born, Gen. 36:12. Whether all we read of the tribe after this refers to the descendants of Esau, or whether the more ancient people were amalgamated with them, is not known.

The first mention in Scripture of Amalek is in Genesis 14:7, where the warring kings “smote all the country of the Amalekites.” This early mention seems to show that the Amalekites were not the descendants of Amalek, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau (Gen. 36:12), unless the Scripture was indicating the land that would afterwards be occupied by the seed of Eliphaz. Again, all the descendants of Esau seem to be called Edomites in God’s word.

Son of Eliphaz, a son of Esau. Gen. 36:11, 15; 1 Chr. 1:36. The name is supposed to survive in the Amir tribe of Arabs.

Concubine of Eliphaz, son of Esau, and mother of Amalek. Gen. 36:12.

We point out a few interesting facts in these two generations of Esau and Esau's sons. In verse 6 we read that Esau went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. It came at last to a pronounced and complete separation between Esau and Jacob. Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father was a stranger. And Edom became the treacherous foe to the people of Israel. Read Obadiah, verses 8-16. From the concubine of Eliphaz was born Amalek, one of the terrible enemies of Israel with whom there was to be a continual warfare (Exodus 17:8-14).

The closing section of Exodus 17 is occupied with the record of the first fighting in the people's history. At the Red Sea they saw the Lord fighting on their behalf, and they had but to enter upon the fruits of His victory. Now Amalek appears and they have to arm themselves for the battle. Amalek was descended from Esau, the man of fleshly appetite, who for a morsel of meat sold his birthright; and so he becomes very aptly a type of the flesh.

The new foe is Amalek; we have his genealogy in the book of Genesis. He was a grandson of Esau or Edom, whose latter name, earned by his actions, is almost iden- tical with Adam. Esau, the "profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright," and when he would have inherited the blessing was rejected, is thus a representative of the "old man."

Amalek was Israel's first foe after leaving Egypt. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau; and this, connected with the assault in the wilderness, gives us a clear clue as to what they represent. Esau, the first-born, is that which is natural as contrasted with Jacob, the younger, who suggests the sovereignty of grace which sets aside the first-born. It is the flesh which is the first-born in us, and only as born again is faith present. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." It may be cultivated, refined, improved, and what not, but it remains unchanged. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." "The carnal mind is enmity against God." The descendant of Esau, Amalek, seems to suggest rather the lusts of the flesh than mere nature in general.

Referring for a moment to the assault of Amalek upon Israel in the wilderness, we find it resulted from their unbelief and doubting whether God was among them or no. "Then came Amalek and fought against Israel" (Ex. 17:8). In the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 25:17-19) we find that they were successful in assailing the weakest and hindmost of the host of Israel. This is ever the case. The lusts of the flesh can have no power over those who are pressing forward, forgetting the things which are behind; but for those who lag, who forget their pilgrim character and become stragglers, following afar off, the lusts of the flesh have special power. It was when Peter followed at a distance that he succumbed to that cowardice which is one of the marks of the flesh.

God had commanded that when His people had entered into their inheritance in Canaan they should execute His judgment upon Amalek because of what they had done. They were to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Thou shalt not forget it" (Deut. 25:9). It was also declared that Israel should have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Ex. 17:16). That is, the flesh and its lusts were never to be regarded as aught but enemies; and there is to be, not surely constant conflict, but absolute hostility between the people of God and the lusts of the flesh. The time is coming, thank God, when the very name of the flesh, with all its wretched significance, shall be blotted out, so far as the beloved people of God are concerned, and become only a memory of what we once were and of a grace which has delivered us completely. This is what is before God. One, therefore, who is in the place of king — a type in that way of Christ — must be a relentless foe to Amalek. We cannot conceive of our blessed Lord sparing the flesh in its fairest form.