Amalek Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Amalek was the son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau, and he became the ancestor of the Amalekite people.
son of Eliphaz (GEN 36:12) and chief of Edom (GEN 36:16)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Isaac › Esau › Eliphaz › Amalek
Names
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en
Amalek
a people that licks up
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en
Amalek
· Also called · H6002 · GEN 36:12 a people that licks up
- he עֲמָלֵק amaleq · H6002 · GEN 36:12
- el Αμαληκ Amalēk · GEN 36:12
- bg Амалик
Mentioned in (23)
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
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Conditional birth estimate
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
The anchors give incompatible conditional intervals. This calculation establishes no birth year.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Esau · 1836 BC Ancestor |
2 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1796 BC – 1746 BC |
| Isaac · 1895 BC Ancestor |
3 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1835 BC – 1760 BC |
| Rebekah · 1876 BC Ancestor |
3 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1816 BC – 1741 BC |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
4 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1915 BC – 1815 BC |
| Sarah · 1985 BC Ancestor |
4 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1905 BC – 1805 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
5 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2000 BC – 1475 BC |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
6 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2006 BC – 1376 BC |
| Haran · 2056 BC Ancestor |
6 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1906 BC – 1276 BC |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
7 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2011 BC – 1276 BC |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
8 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2018 BC – 1178 BC |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
9 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2023 BC – 1078 BC |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
10 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2032 BC – 982 BC |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
11 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2037 BC – 882 BC |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
13 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2022 BC – 657 BC |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
14 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2097 BC – 627 BC |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
15 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2573 BC – 998 BC |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
16 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2730 BC – 1050 BC |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
17 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2892 BC – 1107 BC |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
18 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2932 BC – 1042 BC |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
19 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3069 BC – 1074 BC |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3109 BC – 1009 BC |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3154 BC – 949 BC |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3479 BC – 1274 BC |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3219 BC – 909 BC |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3454 BC – 1144 BC |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3455 BC – 1145 BC |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3299 BC – 884 BC |
Descendants (1)
Amalek Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Amalek is mentioned in the genealogy of Esau, the son of Isaac and the brother of Israel (or 'Jacob'), who became the ancestor of the Edomites. Amalek was the son of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn son, and his concubine Timna. (Gen 36:12)
As a grandson of Esau, Amalek became the ancestor of the Amalekite people, a nomadic tribe that inhabited the Negev desert region south of Canaan. The Amalekites became a significant enemy of the Israelites during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land and in the period of the judges and early monarchy.
In the book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, but they were defeated by Joshua and the Israelite army under the leadership of Moses. (Exo 17:8-16) God declared that He would be at war with the Amalekites from generation to generation because of their opposition to Israel. (Exo 17:16)
Later, during the period of the judges, the Amalekites joined forces with the Moabites and Ammonites to attack Israel, but they were defeated by Ehud and the Israelite army. (Jdg 3:12-30)
In the time of King Saul, God commanded him to completely destroy the Amalekites because of their past hostility towards Israel. (1Sa 15:1-3) However, Saul disobeyed God's command by sparing the Amalekite king Agag and some of the livestock. This act of disobedience led to God's rejection of Saul as king. (1Sa 15:4-35)
The Amalekites continued to be a threat to Israel until the time of King David, who defeated them and secured Israel's borders. (1Sa 27:8; 30.1-20)
Amalek's mention in the genealogy of Esau and the subsequent history of the Amalekites highlight the ongoing conflict between the descendants of Jacob and Esau and the fulfillment of God's prophecy that the two nations would be in opposition to each other. (Gen 25:23)
Amalek Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Dweller in a valley, the son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:12; 1 Chr. 1:36); the chief of an Idumean tribe (Gen. 36:16). His mother was a Horite, a tribe whose territory the descendants of Esau had seized.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Amalek_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Amalek@Gen.36.12-) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, amalek_197)