The name Agag appears a few times in the Old Testament, referring to kings of the Amalekites. The Amalekites were enemies of the Israelites, descended from Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). God commanded Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3), but Saul disobeyed and spared their king Agag (1 Samuel 15:8-9). Later, the prophet Samuel killed Agag as punishment for his crimes against Israel (1 Samuel 15:32-33). Centuries later, the book of Esther mentions Haman the Agagite, implying he was a descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1). So in summary:
- Agag was the title of kings of the Amalekites, Israel’s enemies.
- The first Agag mentioned was spared by Saul against God’s command and later killed by Samuel.
- Haman the Agagite in Esther’s time was likely a descendant of the Amalekite kings.
Agag, King of the Amalekites
The Amalekites were nomadic tribes who lived in the Negev and Sinai deserts near Israel. They descended from Amalek, grandson of Esau and son of Eliphaz (Genesis 36:12). The Amalekites were one of Israel’s earliest enemies, attacking them after the exodus at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-16). God pronounced His curse on the Amalekites, vowing to blot out their memory (Exodus 17:14). They later allied with Eglon king of Moab against Israel (Judges 3:12-13).
The first Agag mentioned in Scripture was a king of the Amalekites during Israel’s time of judges. He is unnamed except for his title Agag (Numbers 24:7). Balaam prophesied the rise of Israel and Agag’s defeat. Saul was later commanded by Samuel to completely destroy the Amalekites as judgment for opposing Israel (1 Samuel 15:2-3). But Saul disobeyed and spared their king Agag (1 Samuel 15:8-9). Samuel rebuked Saul’s disobedience and announced God had rejected him as king. Samuel then killed Agag at Gilgal before the Lord,likely by decapitation (1 Samuel 15:32-33).
Key Facts
- Agag was king of the Amalekites, Israel’s enemies
- God commanded Saul to destroy all the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3)
- Saul disobeyed and spared Agag’s life (1 Samuel 15:8-9)
- Samuel later executed Agag at Gilgal (1 Samuel 15:32-33)
Saul’s Disobedience and Rejection
First Samuel 15 details Saul’s rebellion against God’s command to utterly destroy the Amalekites. The Lord was punishing them for ambushing Israel after the exodus (1 Samuel 15:2). God sent Saul to strike down all the Amalekites, including women, children, infants, and even their animals (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul and his troops spared king Agag and the best livestock, only destroying what was worthless (1 Samuel 15:7-9).
When Samuel confronted Saul, he defended his actions, claiming he obeyed most of the Lord’s commands. But Samuel declared rebellion was as the sin of divination. Partial obedience equated total disobedience in God’s eyes (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Because of this, Samuel announced God had rejected Saul as king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:26). Samuel called for Agag to be brought before him at Gilgal. And Samuel hacked Agag into pieces, likely decapitating him (1 Samuel 15:32-33). Though Saul tried repenting, God’s choice was irreversible.
Key Facts
- God commanded Saul to destroy all the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3)
- But Saul spared Agag and the best livestock (1 Samuel 15:7-9)
- Samuel rebuked Saul for partially obeying God’s word (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
- Samuel executed Agag before the Lord at Gilgal (1 Samuel 15:32-33)
- Saul’s disobedience resulted in God rejecting him as king (1 Samuel 15:26)
Agag in 1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel 15 details Saul’s ill-fated battle against the Amalekites. Samuel had previously anointed Saul king over Israel (1 Samuel 9:16). But now Saul faced a test of obedience to God’s command. The prophet Samuel ordered Saul to completely wipe out the Amalekites, sparing no one (1 Samuel 15:3). This was punishment for the Amalekites opposition to Israel after the exodus (1 Samuel 15:2).
Saul mustered 200,000 troops and defeated the Amalekites. But he disobeyed Samuel’s instructions, sparing king Agag and the best livestock (1 Samuel 15:7-9). When Samuel confronted him, Saul claimed he obeyed the Lord, but had spared the animals for sacrifice. But Samuel declared obedience better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). For rebelling against God’s clear command, Samuel announced the Lord had rejected Saul as king (1 Samuel 15:23, 26).
Samuel called for Agag to be brought to him. At Gilgal, Samuel hacked Agag into pieces before the Lord, likely by decapitating him (1 Samuel 15:32-33). Though Saul pleaded for forgiveness, Samuel said God’s choice to replace him was irreversible. So 1 Samuel 15 records Saul’s disobedience bringing about the fall of his kingship.
Key Facts
- Samuel commanded Saul to destroy all the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3)
- Saul defeated them but spared Agag and livestock (1 Samuel 15:7-9)
- Samuel rebuked Saul for his disobedience (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
- At Gilgal, Samuel executed Agag before God (1 Samuel 15:32-33)
- Saul’s rebellion resulted in God rejecting him as king (1 Samuel 15:26)
The Execution of Agag
First Samuel 15 climaxes in Samuel’s dramatic execution of Agag, king of the Amalekites. Saul had defeated the Amalekites but disobeyed God by sparing king Agag and the best livestock (1 Samuel 15:7-9). Samuel sternly rebuked Saul for his rebellion and partial obedience (1 Samuel 15:22-23). As punishment, Samuel announced the Lord had rejected Saul as king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:26).
To carry out divine retribution on the Amalekites, Samuel ordered king Agag to be brought to him at Gilgal (1 Samuel 15:32). Though Agag likely expected mercy from Samuel, he showed none. Samuel violently hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord, indicating he decapitated him (1 Samuel 15:33). It was swift, violent justice against an enemy of God’s people.
Though Saul pleaded with Samuel to forgive his disobedience, the prophet refused. Just as Agag could not be physically reassembled, Saul’s fractured relationship with God could not be repaired. His kingship was irreparably damaged by compromising God’s explicit commands. Agag’s brutal execution illustrated the seriousness of Saul’s offense before God.
Key Facts
- Samuel rebuked Saul for sparing Agag (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
- He ordered Agag brought before him at Gilgal (1 Samuel 15:32)
- Samuel violently hacked Agag to pieces, likely decapitating him (1 Samuel 15:33)
- Agag’s execution displays God’s justice against enemies
- It illustrated the severity of Saul’s disobedience
Haman the Agagite
While Agag the Amalekite is only mentioned in 1 Samuel 15, the book of Esther features a later descendant named Haman the Agagite. King Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all princes in his kingdom (Esther 3:1). But Mordecai the Jew refused to bow down to Haman (Esther 3:2). Furious, Haman plotted to destroy all Jews in Persia (Esther 3:6).
After the king permitted Haman’s genocide (Esther 3:11), Mordecai persuaded Esther to intercede (Esther 4:14). Risking her life, Queen Esther exposed Haman’s plot to the king (Esther 7:3-4). Ironically, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). Haman’s attempted extermination of the Jews backfired into his own death sentence.
Esther 3:1 and 10 identify Haman as “the Agagite”, likely meaning he was a descendant of Agag, the Amalekite king. Just as Saul failed to wipe out the Amalekites centuries earlier, one of Agag’s offspring nearly destroyed the Jews. But God again delivered His people from an Agagite enemy.
Key Facts
- Haman the Agagite sought to destroy the Jews (Esther 3:6)
- He likely descended from the Amalekite king Agag (Esther 3:1, 10)
- Haman’s genocide was authorized by king Ahasuerus (Esther 3:11)
- But Esther’s intervention led to Haman’s execution (Esther 7:10)
- God again delivered His people from an Agagite enemy
Descendants of Agag
While the Amalekite king Agag was executed by Samuel in 1 Samuel 15, he apparently left descendants who continued his hatred of the Israelites. The book of Esther features Haman the Agagite, likely a descendant of the Amalekite king. He plotted to exterminate all the Jews in Persia (Esther 3:6). But thanks to queen Esther, Haman’s plan was exposed and he was executed instead (Esther 7:10).
According to Balaam’s oracle in Numbers 24:7, the Amalekite kingdom would one day perish. But king Agag still left heirs to carry on his anti-Israel legacy. Centuries after Saul failed to wipe out the Amalekites, an Agagite named Haman nearly accomplished what his forefather could not. But God again protected His chosen people from annihilation.
Agag represented Israel’s ancient enemy Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). The Amalekites attacked Israel soon after the exodus (Exodus 17:8). God declared war against Amalek (Exodus 17:16), commanding Saul to completely destroy them (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul’s incomplete obedience allowed Agag’s posterity like Haman to arise as dangerous enemies.
Key Facts
- Saul failed to destroy all the Amalekites as God commanded (1 Samuel 15:3, 9)
- This allowed king Agag to have heirs like Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1, 10)
- Centuries later, Haman plotted to exterminate all Jews (Esther 3:6)
- But thanks to Esther, Haman’s genocide backfired (Esther 7:4-10)
- Agag represents Israel’s ancient Amalekite enemies
Agag and Saul’s Legacy
King Saul’s legacy is unfortunately characterized by incomplete obedience and rejection by God. One major example is his battle with the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15. God commanded Saul to utterly destroy all the Amalekites, including king Agag (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul’s partial obedience left Agag and the best livestock alive (1 Samuel 15:9).
This rebellion cost Saul the kingdom. Samuel rebuked his compromise and announced God had rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:22-23, 26). Samuel executed Agag before the Lord at Gilgal (1 Samuel 15:32-33). Though Saul pleaded forgiveness, the damage was irreversible.
Centuries later, the book of Esther features Haman the Agagite plotting genocide of the Jews (Esther 3:6). As an Amalekite descendant, Haman’s hatred likely flowed from king Agag. Saul’s failure to completely wipe out the Amalekites allowed Israel’s enemies to endure.
Agag represents rebellion against God’s clear commands. Though Saul tried defending his actions, partial obedience was disobedience. His unwillingness to fully execute God’s justice allowed an ancient foe to reemerge generations later. Saul’s legacy is tarnished by this tragic compromise.
Key Facts
- God commanded Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3)
- But Saul spared king Agag, allowing his legacy to continue (1 Samuel 15:9)
- Samuel declared this rebellion cost Saul the kingdom (1 Samuel 15:23, 26)
- Centuries later Haman the Agagite (descendant of Agag) plotted to kill the Jews (Esther 3:1, 6)
- Saul’s legacy is stained by his unwillingness to fully obey God
Agag in the Bible
In summary, the Amalekite king Agag appears a few times in the Old Testament as an enemy of Israel:
- Agag was king of the Amalekites, descended from Esau (Numbers 24:7, Genesis 36:12)
- God commanded Saul to destroy all Amalekites including king Agag (1 Samuel 15:3)
- But Saul disobeyed and spared Agag (1 Samuel 15:8-9)
- The prophet Samuel killed Agag at Gilgal before the Lord (1 Samuel 15:32-33)
- Centuries later, Haman the Agagite in Persia tried killing all Jews (Esther 3:1, 6)
- Haman was likely a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag
- But thanks to Esther, Haman’s genocide backfired (Esther 7-10)
- Agag represents Israel’s ancient Amalekite enemies descended from Esau
So in the Bible, Agag was an Amalekite king defeated by Saul but later executed by Samuel for crimes against Israel. His legacy endured in Persia through Haman the Agagite. But God protected His people from destruction by these enemies descended from Agag.
