They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God.
Parallel translations
- WEB how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn’t fear God.
- KJV How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.
- BSB how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God.
- NKJV how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God.
- NASB how he confronted you on the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Amalek attacked the weak and weary stragglers at the rear, showing no fear of God. Their cowardly cruelty made them objects of divine judgment.
Overview
By striking the faint and exhausted from behind, Amalek displayed both cruelty toward the vulnerable and contempt for God. 'He did not fear God' names the root of their wickedness. This sin against the helpless, whom God specially protects, sealed Amalek's coming judgment and warns all who oppose the Lord's people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ps 36:1For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of Yahweh. An inner sanctuary is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.”
- Rom 3:18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
- Neh 5:15But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people; but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.
- Neh 5:9Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
- Prov 16:6By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 25:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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