Shemot 17:13

13 And Yehoshua disabled Amalek and his army with the edge of the cherev.

Shemot 17:13 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 17:13

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of
the sword.
] Amalek being distinguished from "his people", has led some to think that Amalek was the name of the king, or general of the army, and that it was a common name to the kings of that nation, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt; but for this there is no foundation in the Scriptures: as Amelek signifies the Amalekites, his people may design the confederates and auxiliaries, the other people, as Ben Gersom expresses it, they brought with them to fight against Israel. And so Jerom ^F26 says, by him another Canaanite dwelt, who also fought against Israel in the wilderness, of whom it is so written, and Amalek and the Canaanite dwelt in the valley, ( Numbers 14:25 ) and who were all, the one as the other, at least the greatest part of them, cut to pieces by the edge of the sword of Joshua and the Israelites, who obtained a complete victory over them; as the spiritual Israel of God will at last over all their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, the world, and death.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Ut supra. (De Locis Hebr. fol. 87. M.)

Shemot 17:13 In-Context

11 And it came to pass, as long as Moshe held up his yad, that Yisroel prevailed; and when he let down his yad, Amalek prevailed.

12 When the hands of Moshe grew heavy, they took an even (stone), and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aharon and Chur supported his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands held emunah (steady) until bo hashemesh (sunset).

13 And Yehoshua disabled Amalek and his army with the edge of the cherev.

14 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Write this for a zikaron (memorial, remembering) in a sefer, and rehearse it in the ears of Yehoshua; for I will utterly efface the memory of Amalek from under Shomayim.

15 And Moshe built a Mizbe’ach, and called the shem of it Hashem Nissi (Hashem is my Standard [rallying point]);