By: Gen. Jim – 9/11/24
“And the LORD said unto Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and recount it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” -Ex. 17:14 (Amp. Bible)
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not… And Saul smote the Amalekites…and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.” See 1 Sam. 15:2-8 KJV
“Utterly”, There are several Hebrew words used in Scripture which define “utterly”:
1). “Kôwl” = “the whole, any or every” (in the sing. “only” but often in a plus.), “the whole”;
2). “Kâlâh” = “to end, to cease, finish, perish, consume, destroy, expire, riddance, waste”;
3). “Kâlîyl” = “to complete, entirely consumed, fully, wholly”;
4). “Meôd” = “wholly” (in ref. to speedily vehemently, i.e. intensive).
Take note of how Isaiah 60:12 is worded: “For the nation & kingdom which will not serve you shall PERISH, & those nations shall be UTTERLY RUINED!” (NKJV) other versions use words like “utterly laid waste” etc. The command to “go, UTTERLY destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, & fight against them until they are CONSUMED.” – 1 Sam. 15:18
Note how many times the phrase “utterly destroy” is used in 1 Sam. 15:, vss.3,8,15,18,20, & 21! The Heb. word used here is “kâlâh” (a prim. root) = “to end, to cease, be finished, perish, to complete, accomplish, destroy, make clean riddance, waste” etc. In short, kill them ALL!!! (Amalek was a tribe of Bedouins, enemies of Israel (see Ex. 17:8-16/Dt. 25:17-19/Num. 14:45/Jud. 7:12 et al.)
Verse 3 (1 Sam. 15), “utterly destroy,” was a command given by God. Israel & non-Israelite nations employed this form of warfare; sometimes without completeness/consistency. Sometimes, the word “destroy” meant a complete extermination or thoroughness. We would, in these days find this “U.D.” practice “utterly” abhorrent – that the LORD would order the extermination of a whole people. But warfare is still warfare. America especially hides its true feelings, nevertheless we are involved in bloody conflicts all the time (usually proxy). We hide behind “democracy” & “religion,” in the name of both! We must remember that the Hebrew practice was common to all Semitic peoples. The words “utterly destroy” (KJV) & “devote to destruction” (RSV) represent the verbal form of the Hebrew “hēvem” or “ban”. The verb is used in the inscription of Mesha on the Moabite Stone: “And Chemosh said unto me, God, take Nebo against Israel. And I went by night, & fought against it from the break of dawn until noon. And I took it, & slew the whole of it. 7,000 men & male sojourners, & women & [female sojourners], & female slaves: for I had devoted it to Ashtor-Chemosh” [see Tr. S.R. Driver, Notes on the Heb. Text & the Topography of the Books of Samuel (2nd ed.; Oxford Charendon Press, 1913, pp.IXXXVI-IXXXVII).
The meaning of “hēren has been well explained by N.H. Snaith, who says that it was the opposite of “gōdhesh” or “holiness.” [“hērem,” aka “chêrem” = “shutting in” (lit. or fig.), (usually a DOOMED object; abstr. “Extermination, dedicated thing or things which should have been UTTERLY DESTROYED, i.e. appointed to utter destruction”).
What was gōdesh to Jehovah was chêrem/hērem to the Chemosh. The devotees of one god therefore destroyed all they could capture of the other god’s or God’s property, whether it was animate or inanimate. (see The Distinctive Ideas of the O.T. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1946, p.40).
The above book tells us for what had once been dedicated to one god/God could not be holy to another. This at least was the theory. Some scholars say there is some evidence that the theory was not strictly applied.
While we may believe God to be cruel & unloving, He did have His reasons for “utter destruction,” idolatry being one of them.
When King Saul refused to slay ALL the Amalekites the LORD was angry! 1 Sam. 15 records this: “Now go & attack Amalek, & UTTERLY DESTORY ALL that they have, & do not spare them. But kill both man & woman, infant & nursing child…” Our human reasoning would tell us that God was not like that.
But Saul did not obey, “He also took Agag King of the Amalekites alive, & UTTERLY DESTROYED ALL the people with the edge of the sword,” vs.8. This act of disobedience cost Saul his kingship. As pointed out, the words “UTTERLY DESTROYED” are found 8 times in chapter 15 & “consumed” once.
We might ask, “why was the LORD so angry with King Agag & his people?” 15:33 tells us, “… As your sword has made women childless so shall your mother be childless among women.” The Amalekites were a ruthless people. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau (whom God “hated” – Rom. 9:13: Greek “miseō” = “to detest” (especially to persecute.) Mal. 1:2,3 tells us more about Esau, “Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, & laid waste his mountains & his heritage…”
Gen. 25:30 tells us that Esau & Edom were one & the same. Gen. 36:9 tells us that Esau was the father of the Edomites. the Edomites became enemies of Israel. Ezek. 25:13 & 14 tells us that God would stretch out His hand against Edom, “… CUT OFF man & beast from it, & make it DESOLATE…” (vs.13) “I will lay VENGEANCE on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My ANGER & according to My FURY; & they shall know My VENGEANCE, says the Lord God.” (vs.14).
Are we going to deny that God gets ANGRY? I challenge my readers to research the words “anger,” “angered,” angry.” See how many times these words are used. Ps. 7:11 tells us that God is ANGRY with the wicked every day – EVERY DAY! True, these words also apply to man but to God as well. Other words like “fury,” “wrath,” “indignation” et al. See how Jesus (Prince of Peace) was ANGERED in Mark 3:5.
While in the O.T. God exercised His wrath-fury-indignation – which does offend the more tender modern conscience, nevertheless, God had the right to do what needed to be done.
If we take this “anger”/ “wrath” into today’s setting, the democrats (with exceptions) would have all republicans, Christians, & patriots put in prison as domestic terrorists. I have no doubts about this. They (the dems) would find reason to punish, persecute, prosecute, put in prison those whom they deem “enemies” of their communistic agendas. It could come to public executions (as in certain Islamic/commie nations). While these same dems, aka commies/progressives/PC/Woke fake talk about equality, this is BS! They are FULL of HATE & MURDER, the worse kind of MURDER – putting the unborn to DEATH as innocents.
Without doubt the God of the N.T. is the same as the God of the O.T. but His “Wrath” side is not in the forefront; His mercy is. We can’t solve the moral/ethical problems which were part of the O.T. cultures. “Utter destroy” is a bitter thing to deal with. Ruthless warfare was common – some justified, some not. There was at times tension between prophet & king (Saul & Samuel as one example. It was Samuel’s commission/mission to tell kings what God wanted; hence, they were both feared & hated.
It is hard for man (at least most with a conscience that has not been hardened) to understand God’s will & His ways. God knows the difference between man’s ways & His own when confronted by ethical/moral situations which seem to us insoluble. When it comes to the type of ethical/moral situations as we find in Scripture – “Utterly destroy” – God knows how to & how not to deal with them. The Bible says that God is patient, i.e. long suffering (see Rom. 2:4; 9:22; Gal. 5:22; 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Pet. 3:9,15) says a lot: “The Lord is… longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (NJKV). The key words are “any should perish” & “all should come to repentance.” There are 2 Greek words, “Makrothumeō” (2 Pet. 3:9) & “Makrothumia” (2 Pet. 3:15 = “consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…” Both Gk. words speak of patience/endure. The O.T. Hebrew words for “longsuffering” (found in Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:15, & Jer. 15:15) are “’aph” = “forbearing” & “’ârêk” = “slow in anger.”
So, what am I saying? I’m saying that the LORD/Lord suffers with humanity patiently before His anger is stirred up enough to issue punishment. Look how quick a man’s or woman’s temper can flare up, kill someone. The easiest way to handle your adversary is to kill them! We’ve all had these urgent feelings. The man or woman with a more conscious conscience of his/her sins, will not act before thinking about the consequences. We need to learn how to deal with problems – deal with it or them compassionately, wisely, mercifully. If there was ever a time to do so it is NOW! America is about to explode into another civil war!
Since God is creator/overseer of humankind, He has every right to say & do whatever He likes… without our input. What does it say about the days of Noah? “… when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah… in which a few… eight souls, were saved…” – 1 Pet. 3:20
[note: The Nestle-Aland Gk. N.T. has “when the longsuffering of God waited patiently;” so says the Majority Text (M) of the M.T.]. God said in Gen. 6:3, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be 120 years.” God waited all that time before He brought “utter destruction” upon the world’s people (sinners). And, lest we forget, He also destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah et al. Because of their sexual sins (see my sex-sins articles) Jude tells us this (Jude 7) – they suffered “utter destruction.”