Saul, David, & Amalekites

The Amalekite curses:

The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in Joshua’s hearing; for I will surely wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.  Moses built an altar, and he called it “The Lord is my Banner,” for he said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the Lord – that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” ~ Exodus 17:14-16

Remember what the Amalekites did to you on your way from Egypt, how they met you along the way and cut off all your stragglers in the rear of the march when you were exhausted and tired; they were unafraid of God.  So when the Lord your God gives you relief from all the enemies who surround you in the land he is giving you as an inheritance, you must wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven – do not forget! ~ Deuteronomy 25:17-19

Depending on how you date the Exodus the Amalekite curse was given either in the 1400's or the 1200's.  400-200 years later Saul is given the order to execute the Bronze Age Amalekite curse in the Iron Age 1000's.

We all know the story of Saul and the Amalekites.  Saul was sent to destroy the city of Amalek with these instructions.

So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, [nursing] infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike. ~ 1 Samuel 15:3

However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised and worthless. ~ 1 Samuel 15:9

 As we all know Saul killed the women, children, and infants. He killed all the men, but one. He spared King Agag, the oxen, sheep, and possibly the camels and the donkeys.  Due to the bleating sheep this story is taught to toddlers and teenagers as a warning to what happens when you kill the nursing infants and not the sheep.  God demands total obedience.

When David would attack a district, he would leave neither man nor woman alive. He would take sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and would then go back to Achish. ~ 1 Samuel 27:9

When the Amalekites raided David's home at Ziklag they spared everyone.

They took captive the women who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way. When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. ~ 1 Samuel 30:2-3 

Notice that David kills the men, women, and presumably the children, but spares the sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels.  I really had no real point here.  I just found the parallels between the two stories interesting in how both seemed to execute the Amalekite curse.  David receiving no prohibition freely took the livestock of the Amalekite towns that he conquered.  Also, I would note that David killed more women and children than giants.  A man after God's own heart, he still was a product of his age that valued enemy livestock more than human life.