Exodus 17 Study Notes

17:1-7 At Rephidim the Israelites complained about lack of water, but again the core issue was their mistrust of the Lord. The level of their hostility continued to increase.

17:2-3 The verb translated complained here and in v. 7 has not been used before in Exodus. It and a closely related noun describe disputes like the one between Jacob and Laban (Gn 31:36). Later in Exodus they describe interpersonal conflict that might lead to blows between two men (Ex 21:18) or to formal legal proceedings (23:2; cp. Dt 17:8; 25:1). By continuing to accuse Moses, the Israelites were testing the Lord.

17:5 The instruction to take some of the elders fits the thought that the Israelite “complaining” had become a quasi-official legal case. The mention of striking the Nile indicates that while Moses might have been unpopular, he was still designated to represent the Lord and lead the Israelites.

17:6 Moses pointed back to this and similar events in Dt 8:15. The apostle Paul considered the rock here to be a significant sign pointing to Christ (1Co 10:4). The Lord is referred to in the OT as “the Rock” (Dt 32:4,15,18,30; 1Sm 2:2). God could also bring fire out of rock (Jdg 6:21).

17:7 To remind everyone of conduct to be avoided in light of God’s presence and provision, Moses renamed the place. The name Massah is closely related to the verb translated “tested,” and the name Meribah is cognate to the verb translated complained (see Ps 95:8-9). So the new name was something like “Testing and Complaint” or “Quarrelsome Trial.” The Israelites’ question expressed their impatience with what they considered unsatisfactory performance.

17:8 Deuteronomy 25:18 describes how Amalek preyed on the weakest among the Israelites. Amalekites troubled Israel intermittently for many years (Nm 14:40-45; Jdg 3:12-13; 6:3-6; 7:12; 10:12; 1Sm 14:47-48; 15:1-33; 27:8; 30:1-18; 2Sm 1:1-16; 1Ch 4:43).

17:9-11 Raising the staff in this case likely symbolized God’s exercise of power (v. 11; 7:20; 14:16,21,26-27). Joshua would go on to serve Moses and succeed him as leader of the Israelites (24:13; Nm 27:18-23; Jos 1:1-9). Hur is best known for his part in this event and for Moses trusting him to help the Israelites when Moses was away (24:14).

17:12-13 The weakness of Moses showed that he was not the source of the victory.

17:14-15 The scroll could be a kind of diary from which Moses would write the book of Exodus. It is clear that knowledge of the Lord by means of his actions must be preserved. When Moses called the altar Yahweh Nissi (The Lord Is My Banner), the sort of “banner” that he referred to was commonly hoisted high on a pole as a rallying point or signal. The image asserts Moses’s intention to orient his life and actions according to the Lord’s direction.

17:16 Moses’s testimony of faith here conveys far more than first appears. Moses’s uplifted hand may seem small and insignificant, but it symbolizes all that is implied by the Lord’s throne. The solemn affirmation that follows offered reassurance to the Israelites and a warning to the Amalekites and others like them that the Lord would be at enmity with predators who attacked the Israelites. It confirmed the promise made in v. 14—retribution against Amalek would be complete and lasting.