Agag is a significant figure in the Old Testament, primarily known as the king of the Amalekites during the time of King Saul. The Amalekites were a nomadic tribe that frequently opposed Israel, and their enmity with the Israelites is well-documented throughout the Scriptures.

Historical Context

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, making them distant relatives of the Israelites. Despite this kinship, they were one of Israel's most persistent enemies. The conflict between the Israelites and the Amalekites began during the Exodus when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-16). This battle led to a divine decree that the Lord would be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Agag in the Bible

Agag is mentioned explicitly in the context of King Saul's reign. In 1 Samuel 15, God commands Saul, through the prophet Samuel, to utterly destroy the Amalekites as an act of divine judgment for their opposition to Israel. This command includes the destruction of all their people and livestock. However, Saul disobeys God's command by sparing Agag, the king, and keeping the best of the livestock.

1 Samuel 15:8-9 states: "He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword. Saul and the troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and all that was good. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction everything that was despised and worthless."

Saul's failure to fully obey God's command leads to his rejection as king. When Samuel confronts Saul, he emphasizes the importance of obedience over sacrifice. Samuel then takes it upon himself to execute Agag, fulfilling the divine command that Saul had neglected.

1 Samuel 15:32-33 recounts: "Then Samuel said, 'Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.' Agag came to him cheerfully, thinking, 'Surely the bitterness of death is past.' But Samuel declared: 'As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.' And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal."

Theological Significance

Agag's account is often cited as a lesson in the importance of complete obedience to God's commands. Saul's partial obedience, which he attempted to justify, ultimately led to his downfall. The narrative underscores the principle that God's instructions are to be followed fully, without compromise.

Furthermore, Agag's execution by Samuel serves as a reminder of God's justice and the seriousness of sin. The Amalekites' persistent opposition to God's people and their refusal to repent resulted in divine judgment, as exemplified in Agag's fate.

Legacy

The name "Agag" later becomes a title or a generic name for Amalekite kings, similar to "Pharaoh" for Egyptian rulers. This is seen in the Book of Esther, where Haman, the antagonist, is referred to as an Agagite (Esther 3:1). This connection suggests a continued enmity between the descendants of Agag and the Jewish people, further illustrating the long-standing conflict between the Amalekites and Israel.

Agag's account serves as a powerful narrative about the consequences of disobedience and the fulfillment of divine justice, themes that resonate throughout the biblical text.Agag

roof; upper floor

Agag

(flame), possibly the title of the kings of Amalek, like Pharaoh of Egypt. One king of this name is mentioned in (Numbers 24:7) and another in 1Sam 15:8,9,20,32 The latter was the king of the Amalekites, whom Saul spared contrary to Jehovah's well-known will. (Exodus 17:14; 25:17) For this act of disobedience Samuel was commissioned to declare to Saul his rejection, and he himself sent for Agag and cut him in pieces. (B.C. about 1070.) [SAMUEL]. Haman is called the AGAGITE in (Esther 3:1,10; 8:3,5) The Jews consider him a descendant of Agag the Amalekite.

Agag

1. A general name of the kings of the Amalekites; apparently like Pharaoh for the Egyptian kings, Numbers 1:1-36:13 24:7 1 Samuel 15:8. The last one mentioned in Scripture was "hewed in pieces" by Samuel, before the Lord, because Saul had sinfully spared him and the flocks and herds, when ordered utterly to exterminate them. He seems to have incurred an uncommon punishment by infamous cruelties, 1 Samuel 15:33

2. Agagite, in Esther 3:1,10 8:3,5 is used to mark the nation whence Haman sprung. Josephus explains the word by Amalekite.

Flame, the usual title of the Amalekite kings, as "Pharaoh" was of the Egyptian.

(1.) A king of the Amalekites referred to by Balaam (Numbers 24:7). He lived at the time of the Exodus.

(2.) Another king of the Amalekites whom Saul spared unlawfully, but whom Samuel on his arrival in the camp of Saul ordered, in retributive justice (Judges 1), to be brought out and cut in pieces (1 Samuel 15:8-33. Comp. Exodus 17:11; Numbers 14:45).

AGAG

a'-gag ('aghagh, or 'aghagh, meaning unknown, possibly "violent," BDB): A name, or title, applied to the king of the Amalekites, like Abimelech in Philistia and Pharaoh in Egypt. It is used of two of these kings:

(1) A king of Amalek, mentioned by Balaam (Numbers 24:7) in his blessing of Israel;

(2) A later king, in the days of King Saul (1 Samuel 15). Saul was sent with his army to destroy the Amalekites, who had so violently opposed Israel in the Wilderness. He disregarded the Divine command, sparing the best of the spoil, and saving Agag the king alive (1 Samuel 15:8, 9). After rebuking Saul, Samuel had Agag put to death for all the atrocities committed by himself and his nation (1 Samuel 15:32, 33).

Edward Mack

90. Agag -- king of Amalek
... 89, 90. Agag. 91 . king of Amalek. Transliteration: Agag Phonetic Spelling:
(ag-ag') Short Definition: Agag. Word Origin from the ...
/hebrew/90.htm - 6k

91. Agagi -- a descriptive term for Haman
... Word Origin from Agag Definition a descriptive term for Haman NASB Word Usage Agagite
(5). Agagite. ... see HEBREW 'Agag. 90, 91. Agagi. 92 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/91.htm - 6k

89. Age -- the father of one of David's heroes
... 1). Agee. Of uncertain derivation (compare 'Agag); Age, an Israelite -- Agee.
see HEBREW 'Agag. 88, 89. Age. 90 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/89.htm - 6k

Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
... rule out of Jacob," may be considered as just a commentary on the words, "A sceptre
riseth out of Israel." So also is ver.7, "More elevated than Agag be his ...
/.../christology of the old testament/balaams prophecy numb xxiv 17-19.htm

The History of Saul
... two hundred thousand footmen and twenty thousand men of the tribe of Judah, and
went forth and fought against Amalek and slew them, sauf he saved Agag the King ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the history of saul.htm

Saul's War with the Amalekites, and Conquest of Them.
... He also took Agag, the enemies' king, captive,"the beauty and tallness of whose
body he admired so much, that he thought him worthy of preservation. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 sauls war with.htm

Saul Rejected
... 20. And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have
gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/saul rejected.htm

Two Essential Things
... No sin is spared by the true penitent. He abhors all sin. Brethren, we must
not imitate Saul, who spared Agag and the best of the sheep. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/two essential things.htm

Christ's First and Last Subject
... When sin cometh to thee delicately, like Agag, saying, "Surely the bitterness of
death is past," if thou hast true repentance it will rise like Samuel and hew ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/christs first and last subject.htm

The Second Part.
... lights, they sparkle & spet at others, or like ill couched fire-workes let fly on
all sides: onely out of their wisdome they know how to spare Agag and the ...
/.../ward/a coal from the altar to kindle the holy fire of zeale/the second part.htm

Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation
... The flesh whimpers against the rigor of God's inexorable sentence and begs like
Agag for a little mercy, a little indulgence of its carnal ways. It is no use. ...
/.../tozer/the pursuit of god/viii restoring the creator-creature relation.htm

Conjunctions, 99-111
... For other instances of the former take -. 1 K. [1 Sam.] 15:32 kai eipen Agag Ei
houtos pikros ho thanatos; 2 K. [2 Sam.] 20:17 kai eipen he gune Ei su ei Ioab; ...
/.../conybeare/a grammar of septuagint greek/conjunctions 99-111.htm

How the Bishop is to Treat the Innocent, the Guilty, and the ...
... X. But he who does not consider these things, will, contrary to justice, spare him
who deserves punishment; as Saul spared Agag, [2634] and Eli [2635] his sons ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iii how the bishop is.htm

Agag (6 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. AGAG. ... Edward Mack. Multi-Version Concordance Agag
(6 Occurrences). Numbers 24:7 Water shall flow from his buckets. ...
/a/agag.htm - 10k

Amal'ekites (24 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). 1 Samuel 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and
utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. (See RSV). ...
/a/amal'ekites.htm - 13k

Delicately (11 Occurrences)
... The King James Version reads, "And Agag came unto him delicately," with a possible
suggestion of weakness or fear. ... And Agag came unto him delicately. ...
/d/delicately.htm - 11k

Agagite (5 Occurrences)
... a'-gag-it, ('aghaghi, from, 'aghagh, "a member of the house of Agag"): A title of
opprobrium given to Haman (Esther 3:1, 10; Esther 8:3, 5; 9:24). ... See AGAG. ...
/a/agagite.htm - 9k

Amalekites (36 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS NAS NIV). 1 Samuel 15:8 He took Agag the king of the
Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ...
/a/amalekites.htm - 18k

Gaily (2 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 15:32 And Samuel said, Bring ye near to me Agag the king of Amalek. And
Agag came to him gaily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. ...
/g/gaily.htm - 7k

Daintily (2 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 15:32 and Samuel saith, 'Bring ye nigh unto me Agag king of Amalek,' and
Agag cometh unto him daintily, and Agag saith, 'Surely the bitterness of ...
/d/daintily.htm - 7k

Confidently (32 Occurrences)
... (YLT). 1 Samuel 15:32 Then said Samuel, "Bring here to me Agag the king
of the Amalekites!" Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said ...
/c/confidently.htm - 15k

Cheerfully (4 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 15:32 Then said Samuel, "Bring here to me Agag the king of the
Amalekites!" Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, "Surely ...
/c/cheerfully.htm - 7k

Bitterness (37 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NIV). 1 Samuel 15:32 Then said Samuel, "Bring here to me
Agag the king of the Amalekites!" Agag came to him cheerfully. ...
/b/bitterness.htm - 21k

Why is obedience better than sacrifice? | GotQuestions.org

Why did God command the extermination / genocide of the Canaanites, women and children included? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Amalekites? | GotQuestions.org

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