1 Samuel 15:5

5 And Saul cometh in unto a city of Amalek, and layeth wait in a valley;

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Samuel 15:5 In-Context

3 Now, go, and thou hast smitten Amalek, and devoted all that it hath, and thou hast no pity on it, and hast put to death from man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, from camel unto ass.'

4 And Saul summoneth the people, and inspecteth them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand [are] men of Judah.

5 And Saul cometh in unto a city of Amalek, and layeth wait in a valley;

6 and Saul saith unto the Kenite, `Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I consume thee with it, and thou didst kindness with all the sons of Israel, in their going up out of Egypt;' and the Kenite turneth aside from the midst of Amalek.

7 And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah -- thy going in to Shur, which [is] on the front of Egypt,