Exodus 17:13

13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.

Exodus 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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

Exodus 17:13 In-Context

11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel would start winning the battle. Whenever Moses lowered his hand, Amalek would start winning.
12 But Moses' hands grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under Moses so he could sit down on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side of him so that his hands remained steady until sunset.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a reminder on a scroll and read it to Joshua: I will completely wipe out the memory of Amalek under the sky."
15 Moses built an altar there and called it, "The LORD is my banner."
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