Old Testament Agag, whose name means “fiery one,” was king of the Amalekites, a tribal people living in the Negev and in the Sinai peninsula. The Amalekites had attacked the Israelites in the wilderness and were therefore cursed (Exodus 17:14 ). In 1 Samuel 15:8 , Saul destroyed all the Amalekites but King Agag. Since the Lord had ordered the complete destruction of the Amalekites, Samuel, Saul's priest, rebuked Saul for his disobedience and reported God's rejection of Saul as king. Then Samuel himself executed Agag.

In Numbers 24:7 , Agag is used to refer to the Amalekite people. Agag was a common name among Amalekite kings much as Pharaoh among Egyptian rulers.