Agag (/ˈeɪɡæɡ/; Hebrew: אֲגַג ʾĂgāg) is a Northwest Semitic name or title applied to a biblical king. It has been suggested that "Agag" was a dynastic name of the kings of Amalek, just as Pharaoh was used as a dynastic name for the ancient Egyptians.[1][2] The etymology is uncertain, according to John L. McKenzie (1995),[3] while Cox (1884) suggested "High."[4]
In the Torah, the expression "Its king higher than Agag, and its kingdom exalted" was uttered by Balaam in Numbers 24:7, in his third prophetic utterance, to describe a king of Israel who would be higher than the king of Amalek. This is understood to mean that Israel's king would take a higher position than even Amalek himself, and would exercise a wider authority. The writer uses an allusion to the literal significance of the word "Agag", meaning "high", to convey that the king of Israel would be "higher than High". A characteristic trait of biblical poetry is to use puns.[4]
Agag also refers to the Amalekite king who survived King Saul's extermination campaign, as punishment for Amalekite crimes, in the Book of Samuel.[5] Saul failed to execute Agag and allowed the people to keep some of the spoil, and this resulted in Samuel's pronouncement of God's rejection of Saul as king.[6] Agag was then executed by Samuel, to punish him for his offense of "bereaving women of children with the sword".[7]
- ^ Cox 1884, p. 110.
- ^ J. D. Douglas; Merrill C. Tenney (3 May 2011). Moisés Silva (ed.). Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Harper Collins. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-310-49235-1.
- ^ John L. Mckenzie (October 1995). The Dictionary Of The Bible. Simon and Schuster. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-684-81913-6.
- ^ a b Cox 1884, p. 111.
- ^ Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:17-19; 1 Samuel 15:1-7
- ^ 1 Samuel 15:8-29
- ^ 1 Samuel 15:32, 33