1 Samuel 15:5

1Sa 15:5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

Ver. 5. And laid wait in the valley.] Or, Skirmished by the burn or brook: declining the mountains, lest it should have proved prejudicial to the Kenites who dwelt there.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 15:5. Saul came to a city of Amalek — Or, to the city of Amalek. For the metropolis of the kingdom seems to be here meant, the name of which some have thought was Amalek. And laid wait in the valley — Or fought them in the valley; for they came out to give him battle.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:5 The unnamed town in the valley was located somewhere near a Negev wadi, a streambed or riverbed that fills with water only when rain falls.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, fought in the valley.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Saul came to a city of Amalek--probably their capital.

laid wait in the valley--following the strategic policy of Joshua at Ai (Jos 8:4).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. Saul came to a city of Amalek] I believe the original should be translated, and Saul came to the city Amalek; their capital being called by the name of their tribe.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(5) A city of Amalek.—Better rendered, The city of Amalek: no doubt, their principal place of arms.

And laid wait in the valley.—Better, in a torrent bed, then dry (Arabic, “Wady”). There is a strange tradition in the Talmud that Saul’s mind misgave him when he came to this “torrent bed;” thus he called to mind the command of Deu_21:4 to slay an heifer at a torrent in expiation of a murder, and determined not to carry out the stern charge of Samuel, but to spare rather than to slay.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. a city of Amalek] Perhaps the capital or chief settlement was simply called Ir-Amalek = “the city of Amalek,” as Rabbah was called Ar or Ir-Moab = “the city of Moab” (Num_21:28; Num_22:36).

in the valley] Heb. nachal, which signifies a ravine or torrent-bed. See Sinai and Palestine, p. 505.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Saul came to a city of Amalek,.... With his army, perhaps the nearest city of it to the land of Israel; though some think that Amalek was the name of the city, and was the metropolis of the nation, and had its name from thence: and laid wait in the valley; which was near the city, to intercept the inhabitants when they should come out against him: or "he contended" (w) as some render it, he fought with them there; the Targum,"he ordered his army,''set them in battle array, or pitched his camp there.

(w) "et certavit Pagninus"; "ut contenderet cum eo", Junius & Tremellius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Amelac. The people dwelt in tents, and removed from one place to another. So in Ethiopia there are properly no cities, the place where the prince encamps is deemed the capital. (Calmet) --- Torrent. Hebrew, or "valley."

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

A city of Amalek; their chief city, where their king was, as is probable from 1Sa 15:8.

Laid wait, intending to draw them forth of their city by some pretence, like that of Joshua, Jos 7, and then to intercept them, and so surprise their city: which haply they did, though it be not here recorded, it being not worth while to mention all the minute circumstances of such matters.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Laid wait in the valley — That is, set an ambush (from ארב) in one of the great wadies of the Negeb, or south country. Strategic warfare was likely to be most successful with those wild sons of the desert.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A city of Amalek. More probably Ir-Amalek, the name of their one town. Laid wait. Many commentators follow the Syriac in rendering this verb contended, strove; others, like the A.V, with the Septuagint and Vulgate, regard it as a contracted form of a verb signifying to lay an ambuscade. It is not, however, a valley, but a "torrent bed," which was more fit for an ambush than for a strife or dispute. Rashi explains the verb as signifying "contended with himself," and quotes from the Talmud an opinion that when Saul reached the torrent he called to mind the command Deu_21:4, to slay a heifer at a torrent in expiation of a murder, and had misgivings whether a slaughter so indiscriminate as that on which he was engaged could be justified. The law of the Herem was soon softened down, but we find David in several of his wars guilty of fearful cruelty. The translation of the A.V is the more probable.

Vers. 5, 6. (THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAS.)

Come out from among them.

The Kenites were descendants of Abraham (Gen_25:2; Numbers Jud_1:16) like the Amalekites, but they were unlike the latter in character and conduct. Many of them were incorporated with Israel; others, whilst standing in friendly relationship to them, lived in close contact with "the sinners the Amalekites." They may be regarded as representing those who are "not far from the kingdom of God," but imperil their salvation by evil companionship. In this message (sent by Saul, perhaps, according to the direction of Samuel) we notice

I THE PERIL OF UNGODLY ASSOCIATION. It is not every association with irreligious persons indeed that is to be deprecated, (1Co_5:10) but only such as is unnecessary, voluntary, very intimate, and formed with a view to personal convenience, profit, or pleasure rather than to their improvement. (Gen_13:12) This

1. Destroys the good which is possessed.

2. Conforms to the evil which prevails (Psa_1:1; Rev_18:4)

3. Involves in the doom which is predicted certain, terrible, andimminent. The ban has been pronounced (1Co_16:22; 2Th_1:9) and it will ere long be executed. "A companion of fools shall be destroyed". (Pro_13:20)

II THE OPPORTUNITY OF EFFECTUAL ESCAPE, which

1. Is afforded by the mercy of God, of which the message spoken by man isthe expression.

2. Shows the value which he sets upon even the least measure of kindnessand piety. "Ye showed kindness," etc. (ver. 6). Moral goodness, like moral evil (ver. 2), tends to perpetuate itself. God honours it by the blessing which he causes to follow in its track, he desires its preservation and perfection, and hence he says, "Destroy it not". (Isa_65:8)

3. Offers a certain, great, and immediate benefit. "Come out from amongthem and be separate, saith the Lord, and I will receive you". (2Co_6:14-18)

III THE NECESSITY OF IMMEDIATE SEPARATION.

1. This requires decision, self-denial, sacrifice, and effort.

2. Nothing else can avail. (Eph_5:11)

3. And every moment"s delay increases danger.

for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain". (Gen_19:17) "Be wise today, "tis madness to defer. D.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he fought in the valley. [Meaning the same as] וַיִלָּחֵם בַּנַּחַל [=and he fought in the valley]. Our Rabbis said, concerning the valley, he argued and concluded, that if for the sake of one life, the Torah said to decapitate a calf in the valley, how much more for the sake of all these lives. If man has sinned, what have the animals sinned?

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.