Exodus 17: Who was Amalek?

Chapter 17 has the first encounter with the sworn enemy of the Israelites—Amalek. Where did Amalek come from? Amalek first appears in the battle between the four kings and five kings in the time of Avraham. The text describes the battle:“On their way back they came to En mishpat, which is Kadesh, and subdued all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon tamar.” (Genesis 14:7) —וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־עֵין מִשְׁפָּט הִוא קָדֵשׁ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־כָּל־שְׂדֵה הָעֲמָלֵקִי וְגַם אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּחַצְצֹן תָּמָר. (בראשית יד:ז)But this reference seems like an anachronism, because the next time that Amalek appears is the listing of the descendants of Esav.“Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. Those were the descendants of Esau’s wife Adah.” (Genesis 36:12) —וְתִמְנָע הָיְתָה פִילֶגֶשׁ לְאֱלִיפַז בֶּן־עֵשָׂו וַתֵּלֶד לֱאֱלִיפַז אֶת־עֲמָלֵק אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי עָדָה אֵשֶׁת עֵשָׂו. (בראשית לו:יב)Amalek seems to dwell in the Sinai desert area, somewhere to the south of Canaan. In Numbers 13:29, the spies report that Amalek lives in the south:“Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.” (Numbers 13:29) —הָעֲמָלֵקִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב וְהַחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי יוֹשֵׁב בָּהָר וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב עַל־הַיָּם וְעַל יַד הַיַּרְדֵּן. (במדבר יג:כט)When God punishes the group that leaves Egypt by requiring them to wander for 40 years in the desert, a group tries to enter the land of Canaan anyway.“And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah.” (Numbers 14:45) —וַיֵּרֶד הָעֲמָלֵקִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּהָר הַהוּא וַיַּכּוּם וַיִּכְתְּמוּם עַד־הַחָרְמָה. (במדבר יד:מה)The description in chapter 17 of Exodus of the start of the battle is quite vanilla:“Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.” (Exodus 17:8) —וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם. (שמות יז:ח)But the word “VaYavo”—“and he/they came”—is deliberate. As mentioned above, Amalek is a descendant of Esav. In the story of Esav selling his birthright to Yaakov, the text uses similar language:“Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in (VaYavo) from the open, famished.” (Genesis 25:29) —וַיָּזִיד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף. (בראשית כה:כט)It seems that Amalek serves a dual role here. On the one hand, Amalek represents the lineage of Esav. Isaac’s blessing contained the promise that when one son was ascendant the other would descend. Therefore, Amalek would thrive when the Israelites were down. On the other hand, it seems like Amalek plays the role of spoiler and containment for the Israelites. In chapter 17, the Israelites once again complain to God. Right after, Amalek attacks. The weakened position of the people and God causes this friction that opens the door for Amalek. Similarly, later on in Numbers, the people believe the spies, and lose the protection of God. When they try to advance anyway, it is once again Amalek that serves as the messenger of God in containing them. The ambiguity surrounding Amalek’s location—sometimes in the Negev, sometimes near Sinai, and even hinted at in patriarchal times—underscores a deeper truth: Amalek is not just a tribe bound to geography but an idea that emerges wherever Israel is vulnerable. Their elusive presence mirrors their enduring role as a historical and spiritual adversary, appearing in moments of weakness to challenge Israel’s destiny.More on Amalek in Deuteronomy 25…