Deuteronomy 25:19 kjv
Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
Deuteronomy 25:19 nkjv
Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.
Deuteronomy 25:19 niv
When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!
Deuteronomy 25:19 esv
Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
Deuteronomy 25:19 nlt
Therefore, when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!
Deuteronomy 25 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 17:8-16 | "Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim... The LORD said to Moses... blot out the remembrance of Amalek..." | Origin of the command for perpetual war and blotting out. |
| Num 24:20 | "And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his discourse and said, 'Amalek was first among the nations, but its end will be destruction.'" | Balaam's prophecy echoing divine judgment against Amalek. |
| 1 Sam 15:2-3 | "Thus says the LORD of hosts... 'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have...'" | God reiterates the command to Saul for specific execution. |
| 1 Sam 15:18-23 | "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD...? ...because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." | Saul's disobedience to this command results in his rejection. |
| Esth 3:1 | "After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him..." | Haman, an Agagite (Amalekite king's descendant), continues the enmity against Israel. |
| Ps 9:5-6 | "You have rebuked the nations... You have blotted out their name forever and ever." | Divine judgment includes erasing the memory of wicked nations. |
| Ps 83:4-8 | "For they conspire with one accord... Amalek, and the Philistines..." | Amalek is consistently listed among Israel's determined enemies. |
| Prov 10:7 | "The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot." | A general principle reflecting the lasting judgment on the wicked. |
| Ps 109:13 | "May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out from the next generation." | A petition for comprehensive eradication of a wicked person's lineage. |
| Gen 12:3 | "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse..." | Fundamental covenant promise regarding judgment on Israel's enemies. |
| Deut 7:23-26 | "But the LORD your God will give them over to you... 'You shall burn the carved images...'" | Similar commands for utter destruction of other Canaanite nations. |
| Joshua 11:20 | "For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they might be devoted to destruction and might receive no mercy..." | Divine hand in delivering enemies to destruction according to His will. |
| Isa 14:22 | "'I will rise up against them,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendent and posterity,' declares the LORD." | Prophetic example of comprehensive obliteration of an enemy nation. |
| Zeph 1:2-3 | "'I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,' declares the LORD... 'I will sweep away mankind.'" | Divine judgment involving complete eradication for sin. |
| Jer 46:28 | "Do not fear, O Jacob my servant... for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end." | God's specific judgment on nations while preserving His people. |
| Rom 13:4 | "for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God's servant, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." | Illustrates the principle of God's wrath being executed through human instruments. |
| Heb 10:26-31 | "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." | Highlights God's terrifying and inescapable judgment for rebellion and unrepentance. |
| Rev 19:15-21 | "From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations... And the rest were slain by the sword..." | Ultimate depiction of God's final, absolute judgment against His enemies. |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." | New Testament spiritual application of "blotting out" for the believer's inner life (sin). |
| Eph 6:12 | "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." | New Testament understanding of spiritual warfare against spiritual enemies. |
| Luke 10:19 | "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you." | Christ gives His disciples authority over the power of the spiritual enemy. |
| 2 Cor 10:4-5 | "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." | The means of spiritual "destruction" in the New Covenant are spiritual, not physical. |
Deuteronomy 25 verses
Deuteronomy 25 19 Meaning
Deuteronomy 25:19 is a solemn divine command given to the Israelites through Moses. It mandates the complete and utter annihilation of the Amalekite people, along with their very memory, once Israel has secured its inheritance and peace in the Promised Land. This command is presented as a definitive, unyielding act of judgment from the LORD against Amalek for their cruel and cowardly attack on the weakest Israelites during the Exodus journey.
Deuteronomy 25 19 Context
Deuteronomy 25:19 concludes a series of diverse civil, ethical, and compassionate laws given by Moses to Israel just before their entry into the Promised Land. Specifically, verses 17-18 immediately precede this command, detailing Amalek's perfidious attack on the weak and straggling Israelites at Rephidim, demonstrating their lack of fear for God. This command of total annihilation, therefore, is not a standalone act of arbitrary vengeance, but a divine response to a particularly heinous and unprovoked act of cruelty against God's chosen people, viewed as an affront to God Himself. It emphasizes God's justice against a persistent, arch-enemy whose actions had defied His providence.
Deuteronomy 25 19 Word analysis
"Therefore" (וְהָיָה vehaya): This connective word signifies consequence. It links the command directly to Amalek's egregious acts described in the preceding verses, establishing the reason and justification for the severity of the decree.
"it shall be" (וְהָיָה vehaya): A standard Hebrew phrase introducing a future event or condition, here specifically contingent on Israel's achievement of rest.
"when the LORD your God has given you rest" (כִּי הֵנִֽיחַ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ ki henich YHWH Eloheicha): "Rest" (menuchah) signifies a period of peace, security, and tranquility achieved after conquering the promised land and being free from external threats. This highlights that the command was for a later, settled period, not an immediate or chaotic reprisal. It underscores divine timing and provision before judgment.
"from all your enemies round about": This reinforces the state of comprehensive peace and security Israel would attain before fulfilling the command, indicating that the focus was on establishing God's dominion without constant threats.
"in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess": The fulfillment of this divine command is tied directly to Israel's receiving and settling into their covenantal inheritance. It emphasizes the land as a divine gift and the responsibilities that come with it.
"that you shall blot out" (תִּמְחֶה timcheh, from root מָחָה machah): This is a strong verb meaning "to wipe out," "to erase," "to annihilate completely," leaving no trace. It implies a thorough and active destruction, not just allowing something to fade away. It goes beyond mere physical extermination to include the cessation of their name, memory, and any form of continuation.
"the remembrance of Amalek" (זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק zeker Amalek): "Remembrance" (zeker) refers to a name, reputation, memorial, or even the progeny and continuation of a people. "Amalek" represents a specific, identified nation that embodies an anti-God, anti-Israel spirit, originating from Esau (Gen 36:12). Their nature was to specifically target the weak and vulnerable (Deut 25:18), exhibiting no fear of God. The command targets their continued existence and any perpetuation of their antagonistic spirit.
"from under heaven" (מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם mittachat hashshamayim): This phrase emphasizes the complete, total, and universal scope of the obliteration. Nothing related to Amalek is to remain anywhere on earth.
"you shall not forget" (לֹא תִשְׁכָּח lo tishkach): This is an emphatic negative command. Paradoxically, to "blot out" means you must never forget why and that you must blot them out. It ensures the command remains active and relevant until fulfilled. It's a command for active memory and unwavering execution of divine justice.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess,": This phrase sets the precondition and divine context for the command. It's an act of holy war and judgment to be carried out once Israel is established and secure by divine provision. This rest is not just military quietude but a state of peace within their covenantal land.
- "that you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven;": This is the core command – an act of definitive, comprehensive, and ultimate judgment. It's the execution of a divine decree that leaves no stone unturned in ensuring Amalek's obliteration.
- "you shall not forget.": This final phrase is a solemn injunction, serving as a constant reminder of the covenant obligation to perform this righteous judgment. It underscores the severity of Amalek's sin and the unwavering nature of God's justice, ensuring future generations understood the gravity of the command.
Deuteronomy 25 19 Bonus section
The unique intensity of the command against Amalek distinguishes it from instructions for other nations. While other Canaanite nations were also to be dispossessed or destroyed (e.g., Deut 7:2), the emphasis on "blotting out their remembrance from under heaven" and the repeated injunction "you shall not forget" highlights Amalek as a particularly odious adversary in God's eyes. They were the first to aggressively oppose Israel after the Exodus, making their assault not just against a people, but against God's manifest presence and plan. The theological implication is profound: God, in His holiness, will not tolerate those who utterly despise Him and ruthlessly attack His people, particularly the weak. The subsequent historical failures of Israel, notably Saul's disobedience (1 Sam 15), to fully execute this command allowed the Amalekite threat to re-emerge, culminating with Haman in the Book of Esther, thus reinforcing the gravity and prophetic insight behind God's initial command.
Deuteronomy 25 19 Commentary
Deuteronomy 25:19 is a severe but highly specific divine directive, rooted in God's perfect justice and Israel's covenant responsibilities. The command to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek" is an ancient Near Eastern idiom signifying absolute destruction—eradicating a people so completely that no trace of their name, lineage, or influence remains. This judgment was specifically commissioned by God because of Amalek's utterly depraved attack on the most vulnerable among God's people (women, children, and the elderly) as they emerged from Egypt, demonstrating a profound lack of reverence for God (Deut 25:18; Exod 17:8-16). Their action was an audacious defiance of the very God leading Israel.
This isn't merely human vengeance but divine wrath against an enemy who set himself in opposition to God's redemptive purposes for Israel. The delayed execution of the command ("when the LORD your God has given you rest") indicates it was not born of immediate, hot anger, but of a calculated, righteous judgment, waiting for Israel's secure establishment. The final admonition, "you shall not forget," highlights the importance of the command, serving as a perpetual reminder of God's unwavering justice against evil and Israel's solemn duty to act as instruments of that justice in this particular case. It signifies that forgetting this divine instruction would be tantamount to neglecting God's judgment against ungodly rebellion. In the New Covenant, believers apply this principle spiritually, eradicating spiritual "Amalekites"—those patterns of sin and rebellion that oppose God's Spirit in their lives (Col 3:5), waging war against spiritual forces (Eph 6:12).