Exodus 17:6-16

6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at ¹Horeb; and ²you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 He named * the place ³Massah and ⁴Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they ⁵tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?"

Amalek Fought

8 Then ⁶Amalek came and fought against Israel at ⁷Rephidim.

9 So Moses said to ⁸Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with ⁹the staff of God in my hand."

10 Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and ¹⁰Hur 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 ¹¹supported 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, "¹²Write this in a book as a memorial and recite * it to Joshua, that ¹³I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

15 Moses built an ¹⁴altar and named * it ¹⁵The LORD is My Banner;

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

Exodus 17:6-16 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.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 3:1
• 2. Numbers 20:10, 11; Deuteronomy 8:15; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalms 78:15; Psalms 105:41; Psalms 114:8; 1 Corinthians 10:4
• 3. Deuteronomy 6:16; Deuteronomy 9:22; Psalms 95:8
• 4. Numbers 20:13, 24; Numbers 27:14; Psalms 81:7
• 5. Numbers 14:22; Deuteronomy 33:8
• 6. Genesis 36:12; Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 25:17-19; 1 Samuel 15:2
• 7. Exodus 17:1
• 8. Exodus 24:13
• 9. Exodus 4:20
• 10. Exodus 24:14; Exodus 31:2
• 11. Isaiah 35:3
• 12. Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:27; Numbers 33:2
• 13. Deuteronomy 25:19; 1 Samuel 15:3
• 14. Exodus 24:4
• 15. Genesis 22:14; Judges 6:24
• 16. Genesis 22:16

Footnotes

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