they wished for flesh, and He gave them quails. After all their
wishes had been granted, they began to doubt, saying, "Is the Lord
among us, or not?" Then God answered, "You doubt My power; so
surely as you live shall you discover it; the dog will soon bite you."
Then came Amalek. [136]

This enemy of Israel bore the name Amalek to denote the rapidity
with which he moved against Israel, for like a swarm of locusts he
flew upon them; and the name furthermore designates the purpose
of this enemy, who came to suck the blood of Israel. [137] This
Amalek was a son of Eliphaz, the first-born son of Esau, and
although the descendants of Jacob had been weaker and more
insignificant in earlier times, Amalek had left them in peace, for
he had excellent reasons to delay his attack. God had revealed to
Abraham that his seed would have to serve in the land of the
Egyptians, and had put the payment of this debt upon Isaac, and
after his death, upon Jacob and his descendants. The wicked
Amalek now said to himself, "If I destroy Jacob and his
descendants, God will impose the Egyptians bondage upon, me,
grandson of Esau, descendant of Abraham." Therefore he kept
himself in restraint as long as Israel dwelt in Egypt, but only after
the bondage predicted to the seed of Abraham had been served in
full, did he set out to accomplish the war of annihilation against
Israel, which his grandfather Esau had enjoined upon him. [138]

No sooner had he heard of Israel's departure from Egypt, then he
set out against them and met them by the Red Sea. There, indeed,
he could work them no ill, for Moses uttered against him the
Ineffable Name; and so great was his confusion, that he was forced
to retreat without having effected his object. [139] Then, for some