Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
This verse contains a command from the prophet Samuel to King Saul, Israel's first king, to completely destroy the Amalekites — a nation that had repeatedly attacked Israel throughout its history, most notably ambushing the weakest and most vulnerable Israelites during their long journey out of Egypt. The command uses a Hebrew concept called "herem," meaning total consecration to God through destruction — a form of ancient holy war. This is one of the most disturbing passages in the entire Bible, and many thoughtful believers — including longtime Christians — have wrestled deeply with it. It raises honest questions about the nature of God's justice, the relationship between Old and New Testament commands, and how we read difficult Scripture. Understanding this verse requires sitting with the cultural and theological gap between ancient Near Eastern warfare and the God revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
God, I won't pretend this passage is easy. I bring my confusion and my honest questions to you, trusting that you are big enough to hold them. Help me not to run from hard things, but to wrestle toward a deeper, truer understanding of who you are. Amen.
There are passages in the Bible that don't resolve neatly — and if you read this verse and felt your stomach drop, that reaction is honest and worth trusting. Christians across centuries have wrestled with commands like this one. Some argue it reflects the brutal moral context of ancient warfare being sanctioned by God within a specific historical moment. Others see it as part of a longer story in which God's ultimate answer to human violence is not more violence, but a cross. What we know is this: the same God connected to this command is the one Jesus called "Father" — and Jesus spent his life touching the untouchable, forgiving enemies, and dying for those who hated him. You don't have to have all of this figured out to have faith. Honest wrestling is not the opposite of belief — it's often the deepest form of it. When you encounter a passage that troubles you, resist the urge to either explain it away too quickly or throw the whole book out. Sit with the discomfort. Ask hard questions. Read widely. And let the full arc of Scripture — from ancient war commands to a God who says "Father, forgive them" — stretch your understanding rather than shrink it.
What is the historical background of the Amalekites' relationship with Israel, and why does that context matter for how we read this command?
When you encounter a Bible passage that troubles or disturbs you, how do you typically respond — and what does your reaction reveal about your relationship with Scripture?
How do you hold together a command like this one with Jesus's teaching to love your enemies? Does one cancel out the other, or can both be part of the same God's unfolding story?
How might your willingness to wrestle honestly with hard biblical passages affect how you talk about faith with someone who is skeptical or has been hurt by religion?
What is one concrete step you could take this week to go deeper into a passage of Scripture that has always confused or troubled you — through reading, a trusted conversation, or structured study?
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exodus 20:5
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Romans 8:22
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
Jeremiah 48:10
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Romans 8:20
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities .
Isaiah 14:21
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
Numbers 31:17
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Genesis 3:17
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Genesis 3:18
Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"
AMP
Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
ESV
'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.''
NASB
Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
NIV
Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
NKJV
Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation — men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
NLT
Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.' "
MSG