Deuteronomy 25:18 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.
Deuteronomy 25:18 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.
Deuteronomy 25:18 niv
When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.
Deuteronomy 25:18 esv
how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.
Deuteronomy 25:18 nlt
They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God.
Deuteronomy 25 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 17:8 | Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. | First unprovoked attack by Amalek. |
| Exod 17:14 | And the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." | God's eternal war and decree against Amalek. |
| Num 24:20 | Then he looked on Amalek and took up his oracle and said: "Amalek was first among the nations, but his latter end shall be that he perish forever." | Balaam's prophecy against Amalek. |
| Deut 9:14 | Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. | God's intent to blot out rebellious names. |
| 1 Sam 15:2-3 | "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed them on the way when they came up from Egypt... now go and attack Amalek...'" | Saul's specific command from God to destroy Amalek based on this historical event. |
| 1 Sam 15:8-9 | He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive... but Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings... | Saul's disobedience in not utterly destroying Amalek as commanded. |
| 1 Sam 15:18 | Then the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' | God's clear directive against Amalek due to their past sin. |
| Neh 9:1 | Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dirt on their heads. | Israel's separation from foreign peoples, reminiscent of blotting out evil. |
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge... | Emphasizes the significance of fearing God. |
| Rom 3:18 | "There is no fear of God before their eyes." | Describes the unrighteous condition of humanity without God. |
| Ps 37:14-15 | The wicked have drawn the sword... to cast down the poor and needy... their sword shall enter their own heart... | God's judgment against those who oppress the vulnerable. |
| Ps 68:5-6 | A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. | God's character as a protector of the vulnerable and His opposition to the rebellious. |
| Isa 1:17 | Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. | Exhortation to care for the vulnerable, implicitly condemning those who harm them. |
| Job 24:4 | They push the needy off the road; the poor of the land hide themselves together. | Depicts the injustice and oppression of the wicked. |
| Matt 25:40 | "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." | Christ's identification with the vulnerable and those in need. |
| 1 Cor 16:22 | If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. | While distinct, parallels the concept of a "ban" against those fundamentally opposed to God's ways. |
| Eph 6:12 | For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. | Amalek as an archetype of persistent, godless opposition to God's people. |
| Rev 20:15 | And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. | The ultimate "blotting out" for those eternally separated from God. |
| Deut 10:12 | "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God..." | Underscores the central importance of fearing God in Israel's covenant. |
| Mal 3:5 | "And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien—because they do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts. | Links social injustice and oppression directly to a lack of fear of God. |
Deuteronomy 25 verses
Deuteronomy 25 18 Meaning
Deuteronomy 25:18 vividly recalls the treacherous ambush by the Amalekites against the Israelites during their wilderness journey. This attack specifically targeted the weakest, the stragglers and the vulnerable at the rear of the weary column. The verse underscores the heinous nature of Amalek's act by declaring that "he did not fear God," signifying their utter disregard for divine morality, human decency, and the covenant people of the Lord, making their cruelty without justification or moral restraint.
Deuteronomy 25 18 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 25 continues Moses' final address to Israel, detailing specific statutes and laws given by God for their life in the promised land. It covers diverse aspects of social justice and humane treatment, including rules about fair dealings, punishments, treatment of animals, and property rights. Immediately preceding verse 18 are laws concerning marriage practices and physical punishment, highlighting God's order and justice. The account of Amalek in verse 18 is part of a direct historical reminder (verses 17-19), distinct from general legal statutes. It serves as a preamble to the specific command in verse 19 to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek." This specific commandment stands out due to its severity, indicating the uniquely vile nature of Amalek's transgression against Israel, stemming from a fundamental lack of respect for God and His people, demonstrating an example of wickedness that must not endure. Historically, this event refers to the first battle Israel had after crossing the Red Sea, an unprovoked attack in Rephidim (Exod 17:8-16), a memory deeply ingrained in Israel's consciousness as a defining moment of struggle against an insidious enemy.
Deuteronomy 25 18 Word analysis
- how he met you: Hebrew, qārǝkā (קָרְךָ). While meaning "to meet" or "to encounter," in this context, it implies an ambush or a hostile "falling upon" rather than a casual encounter. It highlights the unexpected and aggressive nature of Amalek's approach.
- on the way: Hebrew, baddereḵ (בַּדֶּרֶךְ). Refers to Israel's journey in the wilderness after exiting Egypt. It signifies their vulnerable state during a difficult transit, reinforcing Amalek's opportunism.
- attacked: Hebrew, zinnēb (זִנֵּב). Literally "to cut off the tail" or "to strike the hindmost." This term paints a grim picture of attacking the weakest and most defenseless parts of the Israelite column—the rear where the stragglers, the weary, the sick, and often the women and children would be. It emphasizes a cowardly and inhumane act.
- all who were lagging behind: Hebrew, kol hannenᵉḥǎšālı̄m (כָּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים). "All the exhausted ones," "the weary ones," "the feeble ones," or "those falling out." This highlights the particular cruelty and calculated malice of Amalek's assault, targeting those least able to defend themselves.
- when you were faint and weary: Hebrew, wǝʼattâ ‘âyêp wǝyāgêa‘ (וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ). Describes Israel's physical condition after their journey through the desert. This condition made them extremely vulnerable and the attack particularly heinous, showing no mercy or consideration.
Words-group analysis
- "how he met you on the way and attacked all who were lagging behind": This phrase succinctly describes Amalek's method: a strategic, predatory ambush. It conveys the deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable and the element of surprise used against a people in transit and vulnerable, showing a lack of valor or direct, fair combat.
- "when you were faint and weary": This part emphasizes the helpless state of the victims, serving as a powerful indictment of Amalek's mercilessness. It underlines that the attack was not against a formidable army, but against the weak and suffering.
- "and he did not fear God": This is the profound theological condemnation. It signifies Amalek's absolute moral depravity and spiritual bankruptcy. Their actions stemmed from a complete lack of reverence for the Creator and His divine moral order, including respect for human life and justice. This phrase explains why the attack was so egregious in God's eyes—it was not just a military encounter but a manifestation of pure godlessness and hostility toward the divine.
Deuteronomy 25 18 Bonus section
The historical enmity with Amalek takes on symbolic meaning in later biblical and Jewish thought. Amalek often represents the enduring archetype of radical opposition to God's people and His purposes, driven by irrational hatred and utter godlessness. Their nature, attacking the weakest and lacking fear of God, positions them as antithetical to the very principles of compassion and justice central to the Mosaic Law. In some spiritual interpretations, Amalek represents the persistent internal "flesh" or sin nature that tirelessly seeks to weary and discourage believers, especially in their spiritual journey. Just as Israel was commanded to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek," believers are called to deal decisively with sin and all that opposes God's reign in their lives and in the world, recognizing that unchecked evil stems from a lack of reverence for God.
Deuteronomy 25 18 Commentary
Deuteronomy 25:18 recounts a pivotal and heinous act by the Amalekites that defined their national character in God's sight. The verse is a memory verse, commanding Israel to never forget Amalek's unprovoked, opportunistic attack on their weakest members during the wilderness wanderings. It highlights the cowardly strategy of striking the vulnerable from the rear, underscoring Amalek's absolute lack of human empathy or military honor. The climax of the verse, "he did not fear God," reveals the ultimate theological ground for God's extreme judgment upon Amalek (mandated in the subsequent verse, Deut 25:19). This lack of fear signifies not merely an absence of piety, but a foundational rejection of moral order and divine justice. It portrays a people completely devoid of ethical restraint, who willingly perpetrated profound cruelty. The divine mandate to eradicate Amalek therefore stems not from arbitrary vindictiveness, but from the principle that unchecked godless evil, particularly that which preys on the innocent and weak, cannot be allowed to stand within God's moral universe. This serves as a perpetual reminder for Israel to remain vigilant against godlessness and unbridled cruelty in any form.