“Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek.“-Genesis 36:12
So in the Esau genealogy, we are also told of the birth of Amalek.
The Amalekites are a people group who will go on to become the super arch enemies of Israel.
Eventually God will go on to order their extermination.
“Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind [typically women and children]: they had no fear of God. 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 25:17-19
The last mention of the Amalekites is found in the book of Esther.
I’m talking about Haman the Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite King Agag who will scheme to have all the Jews in Persia killed per the order of King Xerxes.
Now although Amalek is obviously an Edomite tribe, in the Scriptures, they are treated as distinct from the Edomites.
The reason is because Amalek’s mother was a concubine and NOT a legal wife.
According to the tribal mindset of those times, she was considered of inferior status which made Amalek inferior.
Another reason that made Amalek inferior in the eyes of the others is that his mother was a Horite which is a Canaanite tribe.
This made Amalek inferior to the other descendants who married more closely within the family.
It is for these reasons that Amalek is NOT considered to be kinsmen of Israel.
As we move along, we will see that Amalek indeed becomes the hereditary enemy of Israel, whereas the other descendants of Edom will in general have normal dealings with their neighbors to the West.
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