Difference between revisions of "Agag"

<p> '''Agag''' (''Â'G'' ''Ăg'' ), ''Flame.'' 1. The name or title of a powerful king of the Amalekites, who was contemporary with Moses. &nbsp;Numbers 24:7. 2. An Amalekite king, who was conquered by Saul, and put to death by Samuel for his cruelty. &nbsp;1 Samuel 15:8-33. The term "Agagite" signifies an Amalekite. &nbsp;Esther 3:1; &nbsp;Esther 3:10; &nbsp;Esther 8:3; &nbsp;Esther 8:5. </p>

<p> (Heb. Agag’, אֲגִג '','' perh. ''Flame,'' from an Arab. root, in 1 Samuel always written אֲגָג; Sept. Ἀγάγ, but Γώγ in Numbers.), the name of two kings of the Amalekites, and probably a common name of all their kings (Hengstenberg, ''Pentat.'' 2, 307), like Pharaoh in Egypt, and [[Achish]] or [[Abimelech]] among the Philistines. (See Agagite). </p> <p> '''1.''' The king apparently of one of the hostile neighboring nations, at the time of the [[Exode]] (B.C. 1618), referred to by Balaam (&nbsp;Numbers 24:7) in a manner implying that the king of the Amalekites was, then at least, a greater monarch, and his people a greater people, than is commonly imagined. (See Amalekite). </p> <p> '''2.''' A king of the Amalekites, who was spared by Saul, contrary to the solemn vow of devotement to destruction, (See [[Anathema]]), whereby the nation, as such, had of old precluded itself from giving any quarter to that people (&nbsp;Exodus 17:14; &nbsp;Numbers 14:45). Hence when Samuel arrived in the camp of Saul he ordered Agag to be brought forth. He came "pleasantly," deeming secure the life which the king had spared. But the prophet ordered him to be cut in pieces; and the expression which he employed — "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women" — indicates that apart from the obligations of the vow, some such example of retributive justice was intended as had been exercised in the case of Adonibezek; or, in other words, that Agag had made himself infamous by the same treatment of some prisoners of distinction (probably Israelites) as he now received from Samuel (see Diedrichs, Hinrichtung Agag’ s, Gott. 1776). The unusual mode in which his death was inflicted strongly supports this conclusion (&nbsp;1 Samuel 15:8-33). B.C. cir. 1070. (See Samuel). </p>

<p> '''''ā´gag''''' ( אגג , <i> ''''''ăghāgh''''' </i> , or אגג , <i> ''''''ăghagh''''' </i> , meaning unknown, possibly "violent," <i> BDB </i> ): 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 (&nbsp;Numbers 24:7 ) in his blessing of Israel; (2) A later king, in the days of King Saul (1 Sam 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 (&nbsp;1 Samuel 15:8 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 15:9 ). After rebuking Saul, Samuel had Agag put to death for all the atrocities committed by himself and his nation (&nbsp;1 Samuel 15:32 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 15:33 ). </p>