Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 25:18
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.
18. how he met thee by the way ] better, fell on thee. Cp. 1Sa 15:2: how he set himself against him (Israel) in the way.
and smote the hindmost of thee ] Lit. docked the tail of thee; elsewhere only in Jos 10:19 (E?).
all that had broken down in thy rear ] The vb. is not found elsewhere.
feared not God ] See E, Gen 20:11; Gen 42:18, Exo 1:17, all of non-Israelites; and cp. Amos’ denunciations of foreign peoples for inhumanity (Amo 1:3 to Amo 2:3). A people so devoid of natural religion as to kill the non-combatants deserved no mercy, as the next v. declares.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 18. Smote the hindmost of thee] See Clarke on Ex 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Smote the hindmost of thee; which God permitted, both for the punishment of Israels sins, and to harden and prepare them for the difficulties of their expedition.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
How he met thee by the way,…. Not with necessary provisions, food and drink, which would have been but a piece of kindness and humanity to travellers; but met them sword in hand, in order to stop their journey, and make them captives, at least to harass and distress them:
and smote the hindmost of thee; came upon them in a sly cowardly manner, and attacked their rear:
[even] all [that were] feeble behind thee: women and children, and such men as were weak, sickly, labouring under some disorder, and so lagged behind, and could not keep up with the rest; on these Amalek first fell, and began his attack here:
when thou [wast] faint and weary; with travelling, and the more so for want of water, which was their case at Rephidim, when Amalek came out against them; which is another aggravation of their unkind usage of them they were not to forget:
and he feared not God; who was then in the pillar of cloud and fire with Israel, which phenomenon Amalek might see, and yet did not fear; and who had done such wonders for Israel in Egypt, and had brought them from thence, and had drowned Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, of which doubtless Amalek had heard, and yet feared not the Lord, who had done such great things.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Deu 25:18 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.
Ver. 18. How he met thee by the way. ] Not with bread and water, but with fire and sword. See Exo 17:8 .
And he feared not God.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
feared: Neh 5:9, Neh 5:15, Psa 36:1, Pro 16:6, Rom 3:18
Reciprocal: Lev 25:17 – fear Lev 25:43 – but shalt Num 10:25 – the rereward Num 11:1 – the uttermost 2Sa 17:2 – weary