Deuteronomy 25:19
in Deuteronomy 25When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore it shall be, when Jehovah thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget.
KJV
Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseIt was nearly 400 years after this that Saul was ordered to put this sentence in execution ( 1 Sam. xv. ), and was rejected of God because he did not do it effectually, but spared some of that devoted nation, in contempt, not only of the particular orders he received from Samuel, but of this general command here given by Moses, which he could not be ignorant of.
This site's exposition
Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt
on Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Amalek struck the stragglers at the back when Israel was “tired and weary”. Exodus 17:14 had ordered the deed written down as a memorial, and here remembering and blotting out are commanded together.
This site's exposition
gives you rest from the enemies
The command waits until the LORD gives rest from the enemies around, and Henry counts nearly 400 years before Saul received it. The Simeonites struck the last of Amalek in Hezekiah's day, at 1 Chronicles 4:43. Calvin reads it as God's judgment on Amalek's sin.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about,....
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
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֡ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְּהָנִ֣יחַ | behaniach | when gives rest | H5117 → | 142 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ׀ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְ֠ךָ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֹ֨יְבֶ֜יךָ | ʾoyeveikha | enemies your | H341 → | 282 times |
| מִסָּבִ֗יב | misaviv | from round about | H5439 → | 336 times |
| בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָֽה־ | yahweh- | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֨ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֤ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| נַחֲלָה֙ | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ | lerishtah | to take possession of it | H3423 → | 231 times |
| תִּמְחֶה֙ | timcheh | you will wipe out | H4229 → | 36 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זֵ֣כֶר | zekher | [the] remembrance of | H2143 → | |
| עֲמָלֵ֔ק | ʾamalek | Amalek | H6002 → | |
| מִתַּ֖חַת | mitachat | from under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| לֹ֖א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִּשְׁכָּֽח׃ פ | tishkach | you will forget | H7911 → | 102 times |
וְהָיָ֡הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
בְּהָנִ֣יחַwhen gives rest
behaniachH5117 →142 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ׀God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לְ֠ךָto <the> you
lekha
מִכָּל־from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
אֹ֨יְבֶ֜יךָenemies your
ʾoyeveikhaH341 →282 times
מִסָּבִ֗יבfrom round about
misavivH5439 →336 times
בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙in the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְהוָֽה־Yahweh
yahweh-H3068 →6520 times
אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֨ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֤to <the> you
lekha
נַחֲלָה֙an inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּto take possession of it
lerishtahH3423 →231 times
תִּמְחֶה֙you will wipe out
timchehH4229 →36 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
זֵ֣כֶר[the] remembrance of
zekherH2143 →
עֲמָלֵ֔קAmalek
ʾamalekH6002 →
מִתַּ֖חַתfrom under
mitachatH8478 →505 times
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
לֹ֖אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִּשְׁכָּֽח׃ פyou will forget
tishkachH7911 →102 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
Exodus 17:14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
it leads to
- Exodus 34:27
The LORD also said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
- 1 Samuel 30:17
And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels.
- 1 Samuel 30:1
On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.
- Numbers 24:20
Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”
- Exodus 34:27
Through
Deuteronomy 9:14Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 29:20
The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot…
- Exodus 32:10–13
Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
- Deuteronomy 29:20
Through
Joshua 6:3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
Through
Exodus 17:16“Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the LORD. The LORD will war against Amalek from generation to generation.”
it leads to
- Psalms 21:8–11
Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
- Psalms 21:8–11
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.