1 Kings 15:3
Now therefore go, and smite Amalec, and utterly destroy all that he hath: spare him not, nor covet any thing that is his: but slay both man and woman, child and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Nunc ergo vade, et percute Amalec, et demolire universa ejus : non parcas ei, et non concupiscas ex rebus ipsius aliquid, sed interfice a viro usque ad mulierem, et parvulum atque lactentem, bovem et ovem, camelum et asinum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ νῦν πορεύου καὶ πατάξεις τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ καὶ Ἰερεὶμ καὶ πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ περιποιήσῃ ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξολεθρεύσεις αὐτόν· καὶ ἀναθεματιεῖς αὐτὸν καὶ πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ φείσῃ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀποκτενεῖς ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἕως γυναικὸς καὶ ἀπὸ νηπίου ἕως θηλάζοντος, καὶ ἀπὸ μόσχου ἕως προβάτου καὶ ἀπὸ καμήλου ἕως ὄνου.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד שֶׂ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל וְעַד חֲמֽוֹר
Haydock's commentary
Destroy, as a thing accursed. (Haydock)
Child. The great master of life and death (who cuts off one half of mankind whilst they are children) has been pleased sometimes to ordain that children should be put to the sword, in detestation of the crimes of their parents, and that they might not live to follow the same wicked ways. But without such ordinance of God, it is not allowable in any wars, how just soever, to kill children. (Challoner)
The Israelites were now to execute God's orders with blind obedience, as he cannot be guilty of injustice.
Nor covet....his, is omitted in Hebrew, &c. (Calmet)
Amalec is stricken when the flesh is chastised
He is destroyed when we repress evil thoughts. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.