Exodus 17:9-16

9 So Moses said to ¹Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with ²the staff of God in my hand."

10 Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and ³Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur ⁴supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.

13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "⁵Write this in a book as a memorial and recite * it to Joshua, that ⁶I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

15 Moses built an ⁷altar and named * it ⁸The LORD is My Banner;

16 and he said, "⁹The LORD has sworn * *; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation."

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Exodus 17:9-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 17

The children of Israel coming to Rephidim, want water, and chide with Moses about it, who, crying to the Lord, is bid to smite the rock, from whence came water for them, and he named the place from their contention with him, Ex 17:1-7 at this place Amalek came and fought with Israel, who, through the prayer of Moses, signified by the holding up of his hands, and by the sword of Joshua, was vanquished, Ex 17:8-13, for the remembrance of which it was ordered to be recorded in a book, and an altar was built with this inscription on it, "Jehovahnissi": it being the will of God that Amalek should be fought with in every generation until utterly destroyed, Ex 17:14-16.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 9

1. Exodus 24:13
2. Exodus 4:20
3. Exodus 24:14; Exodus 31:2
4. Isaiah 35:3
5. Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:27; Numbers 33:2
6. Deuteronomy 25:19; 1 Samuel 15:3
7. Exodus 24:4
8. Genesis 22:14; Judges 6:24
9. Genesis 22:16

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "said to"
[b]. Lit "to fight"
[c]. Lit "rest"
[d]. Lit "weakened"
[e]. Lit "the book"
[f]. Lit "place it in the ears of"
[g]. Or "for"
[h]. Or "Because a hand is against the throne of the LORD";" lit "Because a hand upon the throne of YAH