The Kenites were a tribe of metalworkers in the desert south of Israel, who lived among the Amalekites (according to the Greek Septuagint translation of Judges 1:16).1 Moses’ father-in-law was a Kenite and he came to meet Moses after the Amalekite attack (Judges 4:11; Exodus 17:8 – 18:12). Jael, the woman who killed one of Israel’s enemies in the time of the Judges, was another Kenite who showed kindness to Israel (Judges 4:17, Judges 4:21).
6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.