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David Raids Israel’s Foes. David and his men went out on raids against the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites—peoples living in the land between Telam, on the approach to Shur, and the land of Egypt.(A)

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The Plunder Recovered. 17 From dawn to sundown the next day David attacked them, allowing no one to escape except four hundred young men, who mounted their camels and fled.(A)

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16 for he said, “Take up the banner of the Lord![a] The Lord has a war against Amalek through the ages.”

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Footnotes

  1. 17:16 Take up the banner of the Lord: lit., “a hand on the Lord’s banner,” apparently a war cry for the Israelite troops in the conduct of Holy War; however, the Hebrew text is difficult to interpret.

20 Upon seeing Amalek, Balaam recited his poem:

First[a] of the nations is Amalek,
    but their end is to perish forever.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 24:20 First: lit., “the beginning.” In the Bible, Amalek is a people indigenous to Palestine and therefore considered as of great antiquity. There is a deliberate contrast here between the words “first” and “end.”

17 (A)The city and everything in it is under the ban. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are in the house with her are to live, because she hid the messengers we sent.

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