1 Samuel 15:5

5 And when Saul came to the city of Amalek, he made ready ambushments in the (dry bed of the) strand. (And when Saul came to the Amalekite city/And when Saul came to the city of Amalek, he prepared an ambush in the dry riverbed.)

1 Samuel 15:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:5

And Saul came to a city of Amalek
With his army, perhaps the nearest city of it to the land of Israel; though some think that Amalek was the name of the city, and was the metropolis of the nation, and had its name from thence: and laid wait in the valley; which was near the city, to intercept the inhabitants when they should come out against him: or "he contended" F23 as some render it, he fought with them there; the Targum,

``he ordered his army,''

set them in battle array, or pitched his camp there.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (bryw) "et certavit Pagninus"; "ut contenderet cum eo", Junius & Tremellius.

1 Samuel 15:5 In-Context

3 Now therefore go thou, and slay Amalek, and destroy thou all his things; spare thou not him, nor covet thou anything of his things; but slay thou from man unto woman, and little child, and sucking, ox, and sheep, and camel, and ass. (And so now go thou, and kill the Amalekites, and destroy thou all of their things; spare thou not any of them, nor covet thou any of their things; but kill thou every man and woman, and little child, and suckling, yea, every ox, and sheep, and camel, and donkey.)
4 And so Saul commanded the people to be gathered together, and he numbered them as lambs, two hundred thousand of footmen, and ten thousand of men of Judah. (And so Saul commanded the people to be gathered together, and he counted, or registered, them in Telaim, and there were two hundred thousand footmen, and also ten thousand men of Judah.)
5 And when Saul came to the city of Amalek, he made ready ambushments in the (dry bed of the) strand. (And when Saul came to the Amalekite city/And when Saul came to the city of Amalek, he prepared an ambush in the dry riverbed.)
6 And Saul said to (the) Kenites, Go ye, depart ye, and go ye away from Amalek, lest peradventure I wrap thee in with them; for thou didest mercy with all the sons of Israel, when they went up from Egypt. And Kenites departed from the midst of Amalek (And so the Kenites departed from the midst of the Amalekites).
7 And Saul smote Amalek, from Havilah, till thou come to Shur, which is even against Egypt. (And Saul struck down the Amalekites, from Havilah until thou come to Shur, which is on the border with Egypt.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.