Deuteronomy 25:18
in Deuteronomy 25how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.
KJV
How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseSmote the hindmost of thee - See the note on Exo 17:8. It is supposed that this command had its final accomplishment in the death of Haman and his ten sons, Esther iii., vii., ix., as from this time the memory and name of Amalek was blotted out from under heaven, for through every period of their history it might be truly said, They feared not God.
This site's exposition
Remember what Amalek did unto
on Deuteronomy 25:17-19
The charge rests on what Amalek did by the way, striking the stragglers who were faint and weary at the back, and the text adds that he feared not God. Exodus 17:14 had told Moses to write it in a book for a memorial, which is the first command in Scripture to write anything down, and the memorial is discharged here. Remembering and blotting out are commanded in one breath, so Israel keeps the record of a people whose remembrance it is to end. Saul is sent to carry it out at 1 Samuel 15 and spares Agag, and Esther 3:1 brings in Haman the Agagite generations later.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
How he met thee by the way,....
Well, here was the ground of the quarrel: and it shows how God takes what is done against his people as done against himself, and that he will particularly reckon with those that discourage and hinder young beginners in religion, that (as Satan's agents) set upon the weak and feeble, either to divert them or to disquiet them, and offend his little ones.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Remember what Amalek did--This cold-blooded and dastardly atrocity is not narrated in the previous history (Ex 17:14). It was an unprovoked outrage on the laws of nature and humanity, as well as a daring defiance of that God who had so signally shown His favor towards Israel (see on 1 Samuel 15;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| קָֽרְךָ֜ | karecha | it met you | H7136 → | |
| בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ | baderekh | on the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב | vayzanev | and it attacked in [the] rear | H2179 → | |
| בְּךָ֙ | bekha | <in> <the> you | ||
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣ים | hanecheshalim | the stragglers | H2826 → | |
| אַֽחַרֶ֔יךָ | ʾachareikha | behind you | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְאַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עָיֵ֣ף | ʾayef | [were] exhausted | H5889 → | |
| וְיָגֵ֑עַ | veyagea' | and weary | H3023 → | |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָרֵ֖א | yare' | it feared | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
קָֽרְךָ֜it met you
karechaH7136 →
בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְon the way
baderekhH1870 →707 times
וַיְזַנֵּ֤בand it attacked in [the] rear
vayzanevH2179 →
בְּךָ֙<in> <the> you
bekha
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣יםthe stragglers
hanecheshalimH2826 →
אַֽחַרֶ֔יךָbehind you
ʾachareikhaH310 →715 times
וְאַתָּ֖הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
עָיֵ֣ף[were] exhausted
ʾayefH5889 →
וְיָגֵ֑עַand weary
veyagea'H3023 →
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָרֵ֖אit feared
yare'H3372 →315 times
אֱלֹהִֽים׃God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
it leads to
- Psalms 36:1
An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
- Psalms 36:1
Through
Nehemiah 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of…
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:6
By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 16:6
Through
Proverbs 16:6By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:16
A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
- Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Daniel 4:27
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be…
- Proverbs 14:16
Through
Psalms 36:1An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
it leads to
- Romans 3:18
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
- Romans 3:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.