וַיִּתְפֹּ֛שׂ אֶת־אֲגַ֥ג מֶֽלֶךְ־עֲמָלֵ֖ק חָ֑י וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֖ם הֶחֱרִ֥ים לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃
Er ergriff den Agag, König von Amalek, lebendig, und das ganze Volk bannte er mit der Schärfe des Schwertes.
Ramban
AND HIS KING SHALL BE HIGHER THAN AGAG. “Their first king [Saul] will conquer Agag208I Samuel 15:8. king of the Amalekites. Agag is here called by his name before he was born.209This whole paragraph — from “Agag is here called” until “…before they were born” — is not found in our texts of Rashi. Similar cases are [the expressions]: to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden;210Isaiah 45:1. Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name.211I Kings 13:2. So also were the names of Isaac,212Genesis 17:19. Ishmael,213Ibid., 16:11. and Solomon214I Chronicles 22:9. [given before they were born]. AND HIS KINGDOM — that is, Jacob’s — SHALL BE EXALTED more and more, because David and his son Solomon will come after him [Saul].” This is Rashi’s language, and he has explained it well.
It is possible that every king of the Amalekite people was called Agag, because the first king whom they set up over them was so called [Agag], and thus all his descendants who occupied his throne were called by his name,215Thus there is no need to say, as Rashi did, that Agag here refers to the specific Amalekite king of King Saul’s days, and that his name is foretold a few hundred years before he was born, as Scripture would not foretell the birth of a wicked man. as are most kings even nowadays, who are called by the name of those who [originally] seized the kingdom. So also Haman the Agagite216Esther 3:1. [was so called] because he was a descendant of that royal family. For it is unlikely that the prophet [Balaam] would cite the name of a wicked man [Agag] even before he was formed in the womb.217See Jeremiah 1:5. So also [the name] Gog218Ezekiel 39:1. was one by which all the princes of Magog were called.
Thus Balaam added with this third prophecy of his [to his previous two prophecies] by telling Balak that Jacob’s tents are goodly,219Verse 5. referring to the period from the time that they were dwellers in tents until they would inherit the land [of Canaan], and the dwellings of Israel219Verse 5. after the conquest and division of the Land will also be good, meaning that they will dwell therein in safe habitations. And [Balaam further informed Balak that] Israel’s land will be full of all goodly things, like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,220Isaiah 58:11. and that Israel will conquer Amalek because he attacked him, and will destroy his memory; and that the kingdom of Israel will be even more exalted,221Verse 7. because they will have afterwards mighty kings, who will be exceedingly elevated. And he further told him that Israel would eat up his adversaries and break their bones in pieces,222Verse 8. referring to their wealth and all their belongings. And [finally, in Verse 9] he told him that Israel would dwell in the Land safely, fearing no people, as a lion, and as a lioness that does not fear any ravenous beast.223Isaiah 35:9. And so now Balak despaired of [ever fighting] Israel, for [he realized that] if he would fight against him, he would be truly destroyed, for Israel would eat up all his adversaries222Verse 8. in the same way that he would destroy Amalek because he attacked him. Therefore Balak now told Balaam to flee to his place,224Verse 11. for he has no more desire for him [and his counsel].
It is possible that every king of the Amalekite people was called Agag, because the first king whom they set up over them was so called [Agag], and thus all his descendants who occupied his throne were called by his name,215Thus there is no need to say, as Rashi did, that Agag here refers to the specific Amalekite king of King Saul’s days, and that his name is foretold a few hundred years before he was born, as Scripture would not foretell the birth of a wicked man. as are most kings even nowadays, who are called by the name of those who [originally] seized the kingdom. So also Haman the Agagite216Esther 3:1. [was so called] because he was a descendant of that royal family. For it is unlikely that the prophet [Balaam] would cite the name of a wicked man [Agag] even before he was formed in the womb.217See Jeremiah 1:5. So also [the name] Gog218Ezekiel 39:1. was one by which all the princes of Magog were called.
Thus Balaam added with this third prophecy of his [to his previous two prophecies] by telling Balak that Jacob’s tents are goodly,219Verse 5. referring to the period from the time that they were dwellers in tents until they would inherit the land [of Canaan], and the dwellings of Israel219Verse 5. after the conquest and division of the Land will also be good, meaning that they will dwell therein in safe habitations. And [Balaam further informed Balak that] Israel’s land will be full of all goodly things, like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,220Isaiah 58:11. and that Israel will conquer Amalek because he attacked him, and will destroy his memory; and that the kingdom of Israel will be even more exalted,221Verse 7. because they will have afterwards mighty kings, who will be exceedingly elevated. And he further told him that Israel would eat up his adversaries and break their bones in pieces,222Verse 8. referring to their wealth and all their belongings. And [finally, in Verse 9] he told him that Israel would dwell in the Land safely, fearing no people, as a lion, and as a lioness that does not fear any ravenous beast.223Isaiah 35:9. And so now Balak despaired of [ever fighting] Israel, for [he realized that] if he would fight against him, he would be truly destroyed, for Israel would eat up all his adversaries222Verse 8. in the same way that he would destroy Amalek because he attacked him. Therefore Balak now told Balaam to flee to his place,224Verse 11. for he has no more desire for him [and his counsel].
Rashbam
פרעה קצף על עבדיו, the word Pharaoh in Egyptian means “king.” All the Egyptian kings are known as “Pharaoh,” whereas the kings of the Philistines are known as “Avimelech” even as late as the time of King David when the latter pretended to be mentally disturbed (Psalms 34,1) The city of Jerusalem used to be known as “Tzedek,” as we know from Genesis 14,18 as well as Joshua 10,1) During the reign of David, compare Psalms 110,4, G’d refers to Jerusalem as such, seeing that Malki Tzedek is described as “King of Jerusalem. The kings of the nation Amalek were known as “Agag,” [not only the one mentioned in the Book of Samuel. Ed.] (Numbers 24,7, Samuel I 15,8) In our verse here Pharaoh is not the name of an individual but that of the title accorded the Egyptian head of state. The proof for this is simple. Who would dare to address the King by his first name or even by his family name instead of by his title? Certainly not a cup bearer or a recently released prisoner such as Joseph at the time! This is also why Joseph was renamed אברך, meaning אב למלך, “father of the king,” provider. The author of the book לקח טוב has also written in this vein.
Rashi
Why should you die before your time. As Shaul did, as it is stated, “and Shaul died for his transgressions that he committed [against Adonoy],”42I Divrei Hayomim 10:13. in the case of Nov, the city of kohanim,43See I Shmuel 22:16-19. and in the case of Amoleik.44See I Shmuel 15:8-15.