Deuteronomy 25:17-18

Treatment of the Amalekites

25:17 Remember what the Amalekites ¹  did to you on your way from Egypt, 25:18 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. ² 

Joshua 6:9

6:9 Armed troops marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark blowing rams’ horns.

Isaiah 52:12

52:12 Yet do not depart quickly

or leave in a panic. ³ 

For the Lord goes before you;

the God of Israel is your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:8

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ⁴ 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ⁵ 

your godly behavior ⁶  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ⁷ 

[25:17]  ¹ tn Heb “what Amalek” (so NAB, NRSV). Here the individual ancestor, the namesake of the tribe, is cited as representative of the entire tribe at the time Israel was entering Canaan. Consistent with this, singular pronouns are used in v. 18 and the singular name appears again in v. 19. Since readers unfamiliar with the tribe of Amalekites might think this refers to an individual, the term “Amalekites” and the corresponding plural pronouns have been used throughout these verses (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[25:18]  ² sn See Exod 17:8-16.

[52:12]  ³ tn Heb “or go in flight”; NAB “leave in headlong flight.”

[58:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ⁶ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ⁷ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.