Amalek

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Pronunciations

Amalek (ah-MUH-layk) listen
Amalek (ah-mah-LEK) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The Biblical name of the nomadic people descended from Esau who became the enemies of the people of Israel.

  • n. Any enemy of the Jewish people.

Example Sentences

  • "The Torah is filled with several stories of Israel fleeing or fighting Amalek."

  • "No longer a foreign nation, today's Amalek is an internal enemy. We each have an Amalekite lurking within our very self. The inner Amalek is unholy cynicism." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • עמלק amalek 'Amalek, enemy of Israel'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      Amaleik, Amallek, Amalleik, Amaleyk, Amolek, Amolleik, Amollek, Amoleik, Amoleyk, Amolleyk, Amalleyk

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