Exodus 17 Study Notes

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.