Topical Bible: The Amalekites with Midian, Oppressed Israel

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The Amalekites, a nomadic tribe descended from Esau's grandson Amalek, are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as persistent adversaries of the Israelites. Their hostility towards Israel is first recorded during the Exodus, when they attacked the Israelites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-16). This enmity continued throughout Israel's history, with the Amalekites often joining forces with other nations to oppose God's chosen people.

One significant instance of this alliance is found in the Book of Judges, where the Amalekites joined the Midianites to oppress Israel. This period of oppression is detailed in Judges 6-7. The Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other eastern peoples, would invade Israel during the harvest, devastating the land and leaving the Israelites impoverished and desperate. Judges 6:3-4 states, "Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples would invade the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys."

The oppression by the Midianites and Amalekites was so severe that the Israelites cried out to the LORD for deliverance. In response, God raised up Gideon as a judge to deliver Israel from their oppressors. Gideon's account is a testament to God's power and faithfulness, as he led a small army of 300 men to victory against the vast forces of Midian and Amalek. Judges 7:12 describes the enemy forces: "Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the people of the east lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand on the seashore in abundance."

The alliance between the Amalekites and Midianites highlights the recurring theme of Israel's struggle against surrounding nations and the spiritual battle against forces opposed to God's purposes. The Amalekites, in particular, are often seen as symbolic of the perpetual conflict between good and evil, as their enmity with Israel is rooted in a deeper spiritual opposition to God's covenant people.

Throughout the biblical narrative, the Amalekites serve as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the need for reliance on God's strength. Their repeated attacks on Israel underscore the importance of faithfulness to God's commands and the assurance of His deliverance for those who trust in Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 6:3-5
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

From Egypt to Sinai.
... to undertake the task of leaving Midian and championing ... the race, the cry of the
oppressed or needy ... that they encountered and defeated the Amalekites, a tribe ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter v from egypt to.htm

The Israelites
... of all repression, however, the oppressed people continued ... in contact with their
kinsmen of Edom and Midian. ... the Old Testament are the Amalekites, and between ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... represent them at this juncture as oppressed either by ... extreme outpost of the children
of Israel: these families ... not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian?"*. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... In fabulous times, one of her mythical kings"Khumbaba the Ferocious"had oppressed. ...
on the confines of the Sinaitic desert, and as the Amalekites who ranged ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm