Deuteronomy 25

11–12 The woman described here who seizes a man by his private parts must be presumed to have endangered or destroyed that man’s ability to procreate; that is why the penalty is so harsh. The harshness of the penalty would also serve to deter others from making a similar attack.

13–16 See Leviticus 19:35–37 and comment.

17–18 The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (Genesis 36:1516). Soon after the Israelites left Egypt, the Amalekites tried to block their progress to the promised land (Exodus17:8–13). They attacked the Israelites again when they tried to enter Canaan (Numbers 14:39–45). The Amalekites had no fear of God⁶⁷ (verse 18).

19 Therefore, God determined to blot out their memory (Exodus 17:14); and here in Deuteronomy Moses reminds the Israelites that they are to do the same. Israel’s final great battle against the Amalekites is described in 1 Samuel 15:2–9; those Amalekites who survived that battle were killed some time later (1 Chronicles 4:43).

God deals severely with people who are defiantly and persistently wicked—people who have no fear of Him. Just as He dealt with people in Noah’s time (Genesis 6:121), just as He dealt with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1–29), so would He deal with the Amalekites. But to His own people, Israel, the Lord would give rest—peace, security, prosperity, blessing—as long as they feared Him and obeyed all of His commands (see Deuteronomy 6:1–3; 12:8–14 and comments).