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Exodus Chapter
Seventeen
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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, Exodus 17:1 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,
Exodus 17:8, 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, Exodus 17:14
Exodus 17:1 Then all the
congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the
Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in
Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
YLT 1And all the company of the sons of Israel
journey from the wilderness of Sin, on their journeyings, by the command of
Jehovah, and encamp in Rephidim, and there is no water for the people to drink;
And all the
congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin,.... Where
they had stayed some time, at least a week, as it should seem, from the
gathering the manna there six days, and resting on the seventh:
after their
journeys: first from the wilderness of Sin to Dophkah, and from Dophkah to
Alusb, and from Alush to Rephidim, as appears from Numbers 33:12 their
two stations at Dophkah and Alush are here omitted, nothing very remarkable or
of any moment happening at either place:
according to
the commandment; or "mouth of the Lord"F4על
פי "super ore", Montanus, "ad
os", Vatablus. , who, either with an articulate voice out of the cloud,
ordered when they should march, and where they should encamp; or else this was
signified by the motion or rest of the pillar of cloud or fire, which always
went before them, in which the Lord was:
and pitched in
Rephidim; which was a place on the western side of Mount Sinai: according
to BuntingF5Travels, p. 82. , Dophkah was twelve miles from the
wilderness of Sin, and Alush twelve miles from Dophkah, and Rephidim eight
miles from Alush: and Jerom saysF6Epist. ad Fabiolam de 42 mansion.
tom. 3. fol. 15. B. , according to the propriety of the Syriac language, it
signifies a remission of hands: and to which the Targum of Jonathan seems to
have respect, adding,"the place where their hands ceased from the precepts
of the law, wherefore the fountains were dried up;'and it follows:
and there was
no water for the people to drink; being a sandy desert
place.
Exodus 17:2 2 Therefore the people
contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”
So Moses said
to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”
YLT 2and the people strive with Moses, and say,
`Give us water, and we drink.' And Moses saith to them, `What? -- ye strive
with me, what? -- ye try Jehovah?'
Wherefore the
people did chide with Moses,.... Contended with him by words,
expostulating with him in a very angry and indecent manner for bringing them
thither; loading him with reproaches and calumnies, wrangling and quarrelling
with him, and using him very ill, giving hard words and bad language:
and said, give
us water, that we may drink; directing their speech both to Moses and
Aaron, as the word "give"F7תנו
"Date", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. being in the plural number shows;
which was requiring that of them which only God could do and signifying as if
they were under obligation to do it for them, since they had brought them out
of Egypt, and had the care of them; and having seen so many miracles wrought by
them, might conclude it was in their power to get them water when they pleased:
had they desired them to pray to God for them, to give them water, and
exercised faith on him, that he would provide for them, they had done well;
which they might reasonably conclude he would, who had brought them out of
Egypt, led them through the Red sea, had sweetened the waters at Marah for
them, conducted them to fountains of water at Elim, and had rained flesh and
bread about their tents in the wilderness of Sin, and still continued the manna
with them:
and Moses said
unto them, why chide ye with me? as if it was I that brought you hither,
whereas it is the Lord that goes before you in the pillar of cloud and fire,
and as if I kept water from you, or could give it you at pleasure; how
unreasonable, as well as how ungenerous is it in you to chide with me on this
account
wherefore do
you tempt the Lord? the Lord Christ, as appears from 1 Corinthians 10:9
who with the Father and Spirit is the one Jehovah; him they tempted or tried;
they tried whether he was present with them or not, Exodus 17:7, they
tried his power, whether he could give them water in a dry and desert land; and
they tried his patience by chiding with his servants, and showing so much distrust
of his power and providence, of his goodness and faithfulness; and by their
wretched ingratitude and rebellion they tempted him to work a miracle for them.
Exodus 17:3 3 And the people thirsted
there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is
it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our
livestock with thirst?”
YLT 3and the people thirst there for water, and
the people murmur against Moses, and say, `Why [is] this? -- thou hast brought
us up out of Egypt, to put us to death, also our sons and our cattle, with
thirst.'
And the people
thirsted there for water,.... They saw there was no water when they first came thither,
and therefore chid Moses for bringing them to such a place, where they could
not subsist; and having stayed some little time here, and all the water they
brought with them from Alush being spent, and having none to drink, began to be
very thirsty:
and the people
murmured against Moses; became more impatient and enraged, and threw out their
invectives against him with much acrimony and severity:
wherefore is
this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt? where it would have been
much better for us to have continued:
to kill us and
our children and our cattle with thirst: which is intolerable to
any, and especially to children and cattle, which require frequent drinking:
they could not suppose that Moses had such a murderous view in bringing them
out of Egypt, or that this was his intention in it, but that this would be the
issue and event of it.
Exodus 17:4 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What
shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
YLT 4And Moses crieth to Jehovah, saying, `What do
I to this people? yet a little, and they have stoned me.'
And Moses cried
unto the Lord..... Or prayed unto him, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan;
which shows the distress he was thrown into, the vehemence of his prayer, and
perhaps the loud and lamentable tone in which he expressed it: this was the
method he always took, and the refuge he fled unto in all his times of trouble;
in which he did well, and set a good example of piety and devotion to God, of
faith and trust in him: saying:
what shall I do
unto this people? or, "for this people"F8לעם
הזה "populo haic", V. L. Pagninus,
Montanus, &c. ; to relieve them in their present exigency; suggesting his
own inability to do any thing for them: yet not despairing of relief, but
rather expressing faith in the power and goodness of God to keep them, by his
application to him; desiring that he would open a way for their help, and
direct him what he must do in this case for them: something, he intimates, must
be done speedily for the glory of God, for his own safety, and to prevent the
people sinning yet more and more, and so bring destruction upon them; for, adds
he:
they be almost
ready to stone me or, "yet a little, and they will stone me"F9עוד מעט "adhuc paululum et
lapidabit me." V. L. "parum abest", Tigurine version;
"adhuc modicum", Pagninus, Montanus; "adhuc paulisper",
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth. ; if the time of help is
protracted, if relief is not in a short time given, he had reason to believe
from the menaces they had given out, the impatience they had showed, the rage
they were in, they would certainly take up stones and stone him, being in a
stony and rocky place; and this they would do, not as a formal punishment of
him as a false prophet, telling them they should be brought to Canaan, when
they were brought into the wilderness and perishing there; which law respecting
such an one was not yet in being; but this he supposed as what an enraged
multitude was wont to do, and which was more ready at hand for them to do than
anything else, see Exodus 8:26.
Exodus 17:5 5 And the Lord said to Moses,
“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also
take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
YLT 5And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Pass over
before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod with
which thou hast smitten the River take in thy hand, and thou hast gone:
And the Lord
said unto Moses,.... Out of the pillar of cloud:
go on before
the people, lead them on nearer to Mount Sinai or Horeb, within sight of
which they now were. Jarchi adds, by way of explanation, "and see if they
will stone thee"; fear not, go on boldly, no harm shall come to thee:
and take with
thee of the elders of Israel; some of them for a witness, as the above
writer observes, that they may see that by thine hand water comes out of the
rock, and may not say there were fountains there from the days of old. These
were taken, because they were the principal men among the people, who, as they were
men of years, so of prudence and probity, and whose veracity might be depended
upon; and since so great a multitude could not all of them see the miracle, the
rock being smote, and the water only flowing in one part of it, and perhaps the
road to it but narrow, it was proper some persons should be singled out as
witnesses of it, and who so proper as the elders of the people?
and thy rod,
wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go; wherewith the
river Nile was smitten, and the water became blood, when Moses and Aaron first
went to Pharaoh; and which, though smitten by Aaron, yet being with the rod of
Moses, and by his order, is attributed to him; or else with which the Red sea
was smitten by Moses, and divided; which being but a narrow channel, or an arm
of the sea, might be called a river: and this circumstance is observed, as the
afore mentioned writer thinks, to let the Israelites know, that the rod was
not, as they thought, only designed for inflicting punishment, as on Pharaoh
and the Egyptians, but also for bringing good unto them; and when they saw this
in his hand, by which so many miracles had been wrought, they might be
encouraged to hope that something was going to be done in their favour, and
that water would be produced for them to drink.
Exodus 17:6 6 Behold, I will stand
before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you 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.
YLT 6Lo, I am standing before thee there on the
rock in Horeb, and thou hast smitten on the rock, and waters have come out from
it, and the people have drunk.' And Moses doth so before the eyes of the elders
of Israel,
Behold, I will
stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb,.... Or "upon that
rock"F11על הצור
"super illam petram", Junius & Tremellius; "super illa
petra", Piscator. , a particular rock which was pointed unto, where the
Lord in the pillar of cloud would stand; not as a mere spectator of this
affair, but as a director of Moses where to smite the rock; and to exert his
power in producing water from it, and by his presence to encourage Moses to do
it, and to expect and believe the issue of it:
and thou shalt
smite the rock: or "on the rock", or "in it"F12בצור "in petram", Pagninus, Montanus, "in
petra seu rupe"; so Jarchi, and the Targums. ; which made Jarchi fancy
that the rod of Moses was something very hard, that it was a sapphire by which
the rock was cleft:
and there shall
come water out of it, that the people may drink, they, their children,
and their cattle, ready to die for thirst. Thus God showed himself gracious and
merciful to a murmuring and ungrateful people:
and Moses did
so in the sight of the elders of Israel; he smote the rock with
his rod, and the waters gushed out in great abundance, like streams and rivers,
for the refreshment of the people, and their flocks, Psalm 78:20. The
Heathens have preserved some footsteps of this miracle in their writings,
though disguised. PausaniasF13Laconic sive, l. 3. p. 209. speaks of
a fountain of cold water springing out of a rock, and reports how Atalantes,
coming from hunting thirsty, smote a rock with his spear, and water flowed out.
This rock at Rephidim, and the apertures through which the waters flowed, are
to be seen to this day, as travellers of veracity relate. Monsieur ThevenotF14Travels
into the Levant, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 26. p. 167. says the rock at Rephidim is
only a stone of a prodigious height and thickness, rising out of the ground: on
the two sides of that stone we saw several holes, by which the water hath run,
as may be easily known by the prints of the water, which hath much hollowed it,
but at present no water issues out of them. A later travellerF15Dr.
Shaw's Travels, p. 317. Ed. 2. gives us a more distinct account of it: after we
had descended the western side of this Mount (Sinai), says he, we came into the
plain or wilderness of Rephidim, where we saw that extraordinary antiquity, the
rock of Meribah, which was continued to this day, without the least injury from
time or accidents. This is rightly called, from its hardness, Deuteronomy 8:15, צור החלמיש, "a rock of
flint", though, from the purple or reddish colour of it, it may be rather
rendered the rock of חלם or אחלמה,
amethyst, or the amethystine, or granite rock. It is about six yards square,
lying tottering as it were, and loose, near the middle of the valley, and seems
to have been formerly a cliff of Mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of
precipices all over this plain; the water which gushed out, and the stream
which flowed withal, Psalm 78:20 have
hollowed across one corner of this rock, a channel about two inches deep, and
twenty wide, all over incrusted like the inside of a tea kettle that has been
long used. Besides several mossy productions that are still preserved by the
dew, we see all over this channel a great number of holes, some of them four or
five inches deep, and one or two in diameter, the lively and demonstrative
tokens of their having been formerly so many fountains. Neither could art nor
chance be concerned in the contrivance, inasmuch as every circumstance points
out to us a miracle; and, in the same manner with the rent in the rock of Mount
Calvary at Jerusalem, never fails to produce the greatest seriousness and
devotion in all who see it. The Arabs, who were our guards, were ready to stone
me in attempting to break off a corner of it: and another late travellerF16Journal
from Cairo to Mount Sinai, A. D. 1722, 35, 36, 37. Ed. 2. informs us, that the
stone called the stone of the fountains, or the solitary rock, is about twelve
feet high, and about eight or ten feet broad, though it is not all of one equal
breadth. It is a granite marble, of a kind of brick colour, composed of red and
white spots, which are both dusky in their kind; and it stands by itself in the
fore mentioned valley (the valley of Rephidim) as if it had grown out of the
earth, on the right hand of the road toward the northeast: there remains on it
to this day the lively impression of the miracle then wrought; for there are
still to be seen the places where the water gushed out, six openings towards
the southwest, and six towards the northeast; and in those places where the
water flowed the clefts are still to be seen in the rock, as it were with lips.
The account Dr. PocockF17Travels, p. 148. gives of it is
this,"it is on the foot of Mount Seriah, and is a red granite stone,
fifteen feet long, ten wide, and about twelve high: on both sides of it toward
the south end, and at the top of it for about the breadth of eight inches, it
is discoloured as by the running of water; and all down this part, and both
sides, and at top, are a sort of openings and mouths, some of which resemble
the lion's mouth that is sometimes cut in stone spouts, but appear not to be
the work of a tool. There are about twelve on each side, and within everyone is
an horizontal crack, and in some also a crack down perpendicularly. There is
also a crack from one of the mouths next to the hill, that extends two or three
feet to the north, and all round to the south. The Arabs call this the stone of
Moses; and other late travellersF18Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol.
2. p. 174, 175. say, that about a mile and a half, in the vale of Rephidim, is
this rock; this, say they, is a vast stone, of a very compact and hard granite,
and as it were projecting out of the ground; on both sides are twelve fissures,
which the monk our guide applied to the twelve apostles, and possibly not
amiss, had he joined the twelve tribes of Israel with them: as we were observing
these fissures, out of which the water gushed, one would be tempted to think,
added he, it is no longer ago than yesterday the water flowed out; and indeed
there is such an appearance, that at a distance one would think it to be a
small waterfall lately dried up: and oneF19Baumgarten. Peregrinatio,
l. 1. c. 24. p. 62. that travelled hither in the beginning of the sixteenth
century says, that to this day out of one of the marks or holes there sweats a
sort of moisture, which we saw and licked.'We are taught by the Apostle Paul
the mystical and spiritual meaning of this rock, which he says was Christ, that
is, a type of him, 1 Corinthians 10:4
as it was for his external unpromising appearance among men at his birth, in
his life and death; for his height, being higher than the kings of the earth,
than the angels of heaven, and than the heavens themselves, and for strength,
firmness, and solidity. The water that flowed from this rock was typical of the
grace of Christ, and the blessings of it, which flow from him in great
abundance to the refreshment and comfort of his people, and to be had freely;
and of the blood of Christ, which flowed from him when stricken and smitten.
And the rock being smitten with the rod of Moses, typified Christ being smitten
by the rod of the law in the hand of justice, for the transgressions of his
people; and how that through his having being made sin, and a curse for them,
whereby the law and justice of God are satisfied, the blessings of grace flow
freely to them, and follow them all the days of their lives, as the waters of
the rock followed the Israelites through the wilderness.
Exodus 17:7 7 So he called the name of
the place Massah[a] and
Meribah,[b] because of
the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is
the Lord
among us or not?”
YLT 7and he calleth the name of the place Massah,
and Meribah, because of the `strife' of the sons of Israel, and because of
their `trying' Jehovah, saying, `Is Jehovah in our midst or not?'
And he called
the name of the place Massah, and Meribah,.... The former signifies
"temptation", and the latter "contention": the reason of
which names being given by Moses, or whoever was the name of the place,
follows: "because of the chiding of the children of Israel"; that was
the reason why it was called by the last name, Meribah, because here, the
Israelites chid and contended with Moses, and used him opprobriously:
and because
they tempted the Lord; therefore it had the former name of Massah:
saying, is the
Lord among us or not? as if they should say, if we perish through thirst, the Lord is
not among us, nor takes any care of us; nor was it he that brought us out of
Egypt, but Moses; nor is he in the pillar of cloud and fire, as is said; but if
he works a miracle, and gives us water, for us, our children, and cattle, then
it will appear he is among us; and thus they tempted the Lord, though without
this they had full proof, by many instances, that he was among them, and even
in a very extraordinary manner.
Exodus 17:8 8 Now Amalek came and fought
with Israel in Rephidim.
YLT 8And Amalek cometh, and fighteth with Israel
in Rephidim,
Then came
Amalek,.... The Amalekites, who were not the posterity of Amalek, a son
of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, by Timna the concubine of Eliphaz, Genesis 36:12 who
dwelt in the desert, to the south of Judea, beyond the city Petra, as you go to
Aila, as Jerom saysF20De locis Hebr. fol. 87. M. ; and so the Targum
of Jonathan describes them as coming from the south; and Aben Ezra interprets
them a nation that inhabited the southern country. JosephusF21Antiqu.
l. 3. c. 2. sect. 1. calls them the inhabitants of Gobolitis and Petra; but
they were the descendants of Cush, and the same with those who were in
Abraham's time long before Amalek, the descendant of Esau, was in being, Genesis 14:7 and
who bordered eastward on the wilderness of Shur:
and fought with
Israel in Rephidim; so that this was before they came from hence to Sinai, very
probably as they were on the march thither, and before the rock was smitten,
and they had been refreshed with water, and so while they were in distress for
want of that, and therefore this must be a great trial and exercise to them.
What should move the Amalekites to come and fight with them, is not easy to
say; it is by many thought to be the old grudge of the children of Esau against
the children of Israel, because of the affair of the birthright and blessing
which Jacob got from Esau, who were now on their march for the land of Canaan,
which came to him thereby: but it is hardly probable that these people should
know anything of those matters at this distance, and besides were not of the
race of Esau; and if anything of this kind was in remembrance, and still
subsisted, it is most likely that the Edomites would have been concerned to
stop them, rather than these: it is more probable, that these had heard of
their coming out, of Egypt with great riches, the spoils of the Egyptians; and
being an unarmed, undisciplined people, though numerous, thought to have taken
this advantage against them of their distress and contentious, and plundered
them of their wealth; unless we can suppose them to be an ally of the
Canaanites, and so bound by treaty to obstruct their passage to the land of
Canaan: but be it as it may; they came out against them, and fought with them
without any provocation, the Israelites not attempting to enter their country,
but rather going from it; for these seem to follow them, to come upon the back
of them, and fall upon their rear, as appears from Deuteronomy 25:17.
Exodus 17:9 9 And Moses said to Joshua,
“Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the
top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
YLT 9and Moses saith unto Joshua, `Choose for us
men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I am standing on the top of the
hill, and the rod of God in my hand.'
And Moses said
unto Joshua,.... The son of Nun, who was his minister, and was a man of war
from his youth, trained up in the art of war, and afterwards succeeded Moses,
and was captain of the armies of Israel, and fought at the head of them, and
subdued the Canaanites. Moses knew he was a fit person for the present purpose,
and therefore gave him the following orders:
choose us out
men; the stoutest and most courageous, best able to bear arms, and
engage in war; for the multitude in common was not qualified for such service,
nor was there any necessity of engaging them all in it:
and go out; out of the
camp, and meet them at some distance, that the women and children might not be
terrified with the enemy:
fight with
Amalek; for their cause was just, Amalek was the aggressor, Israel was
on the defensive part; and should it be asked where they had arms to fight
with, it may be remembered that the Egyptian army that was drowned in the Red
sea, and whose bodies were cast upon the shore, might furnish them with a large
quantity of armour, which they stripped them of, and arrayed themselves with:
tomorrow I will
stand upon the top of the hill, with the rod of God in my hand: on the top of
Mount Horeb or Sinai, where he might be seen by the army of Israel with that
rod in his hand, lifted up as a banner, by which God had done so many wonderful
things; and by which they might be encouraged to hope that victory would go on
their side, and this he promised to do "tomorrow", the day following;
for sooner a select body of men could not be taken out from the people, and
accoutred for war, and go forth to meet the enemy.
Exodus 17:10 10 So Joshua did as Moses
said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the
top of the hill.
YLT 10And Joshua doth as Moses hath said to him, to
fight with Amalek, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, have gone up [to] the top of the
height;
So Joshua did
as Moses had said to him,.... He singled out some proper persons for the battle, and
arrayed them with armour, and led them forth out of the camp, and went forth at
the head of them:
and fought with
Amalek; upon both armies meeting, a battle ensued:
and Moses,
Aaron, and Hur, went up to the top of the hill; to the top of Mount
Sinai or Horeb, not so much to see the battle fought, as to be seen by Joshua
and the people of Israel, especially Moses with the rod in his hand lifted up,
that they might behold it, and be encouraged through it to hope for and expect
victory; and the other two went up with him to assist him in holding up his
hands with the rod, as appears by what follows. Aaron, it is well known, was
his brother, but who Hur was is not so clear, though no doubt a very eminent
and principal man. There was an Hur, the son of Caleb, who descended from Judah
in the line of Phares and Hezron, and which Hur was the grandfather of Bezaleel
1 Chronicles 2:5,
but whether the same with this cannot be said with certainty; it is most likely
that he was the husband of Miriam, as Josephus saysF23Antiqu. l. 3.
c. 2. sect. 4. , and so the brother-in-law of Moses and Aaron; though some
Jewish writers sayF24Pirke Eliezer, c. 45. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol.
7. 1. that he was their sister's son, the son of Miriam.
Exodus 17:11 11 And
so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let
down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
YLT 11and it hath come to pass, when Moses lifteth
up his hand, that Israel hath been mighty, and when he letteth his hands rest,
that Amalek hath been mighty.
And it came to
pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed,.... With his
rod in it as a banner displayed, as some think, which inspired the Israelites
with courage to fight, and they had the better of it; though Aben Ezra rejects
that notion, observing, that if that had been the case, Aaron or Hur would have
lifted it up, or fixed it in a high place on the mount, that it might have been
seen standing; and therefore he thinks the sense of the ancients the most
correct, that it was a prayer gesture. And among the Heathens, Moses was famous
for the efficacy of his prayers; Numenius, the Pythagoric philosopherF25Apud
Euseb. Praepar, Evangel. l. 9. c. 8. p. 411. , says of him, that he was a man
very powerful in prayer with God: and so all the Targums interpret it, and
particularly the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the
words,"when Moses lift up his hands in prayer, the house of Israel
prevailed, but when he restrained his hands from prayer, the house of Amalek
prevailed,'as it follows:
when he let
down his hand, Amalek prevailed; so that victory seemed to go sometimes on
one side, and sometimes on the other, according as the hand of Moses, with the
rod in it, was held up or let down; when it was held up, and Israel saw it,
they fought valiantly, but when it was let down, and they could not see it,
their hearts failed them, and they feared it portended ill to them, which
caused them to give way to the enemy. The spiritual Israel of God are engaged
in a warfare with spiritual enemies, some within, and some without; and
sometimes they prevail over their enemies, and sometimes their enemies prevail
over them for a while; and things go on very much as a man either keeps up or
leaves off praying, which is signified by the lifting up of holy hands without
wrath and doubting, 1 Timothy 2:8 and
which when rightly performed, under the influence of the divine Spirit in
faith, in sincerity, and with fervency and constancy, has great power with God
and Christ, and against Satan and every spiritual enemy.
Exodus 17:12 12 But Moses’ hands became
heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And
Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other
side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
YLT 12And the hands of Moses [are] heavy, and they take
a stone, and set [it] under him, and he sitteth on it: and Aaron and Hur have
taken hold on his hands, on this side one, and on that one, and his hands are
stedfast till the going in of the sun;
But Moses's
hands were heavy,.... And hung down through weariness, holding up the rod first in
one hand, and then in another, for so long a time; and thus sometimes, through
infirmity, the best of men grow remiss in prayer, their hands are weak and hang
flown through the corruptions of their hearts, the power of unbelief, the
temptations of Satan, and want of immediate answers of prayer, or through long
delays of it, and then the enemy gets an advantage over them:
and they took a
stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; so that it seems not
only that his hands were heavy, but he could not well stand on his feet any
longer, being a corpulent man as well as in years, as Ben Gersom suggests; and
therefore Aaron and Hur took a stone that lay on the mount for him to sit upon,
where he might be raised as high, and be as well seen, as standing: this stone
may be an emblem of Christ the stone of Israel, the foundation of his people,
their prop and support, which sustains and upholds them, their Ebenezer, or
stone of help in all their times of difficulty and distress:
and Aaron and
Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other
side; the one was on his right, and the other on his left; and when
the rod was in his right hand, he that was on that side held up that; and when
it was in his left hand, he that was on the left side supported that: these may
be an emblem of Christ, and of the Spirit of Christ, from whom the saints have
their supports and assistance in prayer: Aaron the priest may represent Christ,
from whose blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and from whose advocacy,
mediation, and intercession, the people of God receive much encouragement and
strength in their addresses at the throne of grace: and Hur, who has his name
from a word which signifies freedom and liberty, may be an emblem of the Holy
Spirit of God; who helps the saints in prayer under all their infirmities, and
makes intercession for them, by filling their hearts and mouths with arguments,
and is a free spirit to them; by whom they are upheld, and where he is there is
liberty, and a soul can come forth in prayer to God, and in the exercise of
grace with freedom:
and his hands
were steady until the going down of the sun; when the victory was
decided in favour of Israel; this may denote steadiness of faith in prayer, the
constant performance of it, and continuance in it as long as a man lives.
Exodus 17:13 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword.
YLT 13and Joshua weakeneth Amalek and his people by
the mouth of the sword.
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
JeromF26Ut supra. (De Locis Hebr. fol. 87. M.) 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.
Exodus 17:14 14 Then the Lord said to Moses,
“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the
hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from
under heaven.”
YLT 14And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Write this, a
memorial in a Book, and set [it] in the ears of Joshua, that I do utterly wipe
away the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens;'
And the Lord
said unto Moses,.... After the battle was over, and the Israelites had got the
victory:
write this for
a memorial in a book: not in loose papers, but in a book, that it might continue;
meaning that the account of this battle with Amelek should be put down in the
annals or journal of Moses, in the book of the law he was writing, or was about
to write, and would write, as he did, see Joshua 1:7 that so
it might be kept in memory, and transmitted to the latest posterity; it being
on the one hand an instance of great impiety, inhumanity, and rashness, in
Amalek, and on the other a display of the goodness, kindness, and power of God
on the behalf of his people: and
rehearse it in
the ears of Joshua; who was a principal person concerned in this battle, and
therefore, when the account was written and rehearsed, could bear witness to
the truth of it, as well as he was to be the chief person that should be
concerned in introducing the Israelites into the land of Canaan, and subduing
the Canaanites; and therefore this, and what follows, was to be rehearsed to
him, as the rule of his conduct toward them, and particularly Amalek:
for I will
utterly put out the remembrance of Amelek from under heaven; so that they
shall be no more a nation, and their name never mentioned, unless with disgrace
and contempt. This was fulfilled partly by Saul, 1 Samuel 15:8 and
more completely by David, 1 Samuel 30:17, and
the finishing stroke the Jews give to Mordecai and Esther, as the Targum of
Jerusalem on Exodus 17:6.
Exodus 17:15 15 And Moses built an altar
and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;[c]
YLT 15and Moses buildeth an altar, and calleth its
name Jehovah-Nissi,
And Moses built
an altar,.... On Horeb, as Aben Ezra; on the top of the hill, as Ben
Gersom, where sacrifices of thanksgiving were offered up for the victory
obtained, or however a monument erected in memory of it:
and he called
the name of it Jehovahnissi; which signifies either "the Lord is my
miracle" who wrought a miracle for them in giving them the victory over
Amalek, as well as, through smiting the rock with the rod, brought out water
from thence for the refreshment of the people, their children and cattle; or
"the Lord is my banner": alluding to the hands of Moses being lifted
up with the rod therein, as a banner displayed, under which Joshua and Israel
fought, and got the victory. This may fitly be applied to Christ, who is both
altar, sacrifice, and priest, and who is the true Jehovah, and after so called;
and who is lifted up as a banner, standard, or ensign in the everlasting
Gospel, in order to gather souls unto him, and enlist them under him, and to
prepare them for war, and encourage them in it against their spiritual enemies;
and as a token of their victory over them, and a direction to them where they
shall stand, when to march, and whom they shall follow; and to distinguish them
from all other bands and companies, and for the protection of them from all
their enemies, see Isaiah 11:10. These
words were inscribed upon the altar, or the altar was called the altar of
Jehovahnissi, in memory of what was here done; from hence it has been thoughtF1Vid.
Bochart. Canaan, l. 1. c. 18. col. 440. , that Baachus, among the Heathens, had
his name of Dionysius, as if it was Jehovahnyssaeus.
Exodus 17:16 16 for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the
Lord will have
war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
YLT 16and saith, `Because a hand [is] on the throne
of Jah, war [is] to Jehovah with Amalek from generation -- generation.'
For he said,
because the Lord hath sworn,.... So some Jewish writersF2R.
Sol. Urbin. fol. 95. 1. take it for an oath, as we do; or "because the
hand is on the throne of the Lord"F3כי
יד על כס־יה
"quia manus super thronum Domini", Pagninus, Montanus; "sublata
manu super solium Dei (juro)", Tigurine version. ; which the Targum of
Jonathan, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra, interpret of the hand of the Lord being lifted
up, of his swearing by the throne of his glory; but, as Drusius observes, it is
not credible that God should swear by that which is prohibited by Christ, Matthew 5:24 rather
the words are to be rendered, "because the hand", that is, the hand
of Amalek, "is against the throne of the Lord"F4"Quia
manus (Hamaleki) fuit contra solium Jah", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator; so Ainsworth. ; against his people, among whom his throne was, and
over whom he ruled, so against himself, and the glory of his majesty; because
he was the first that made war upon Israel, when the Lord brought them out of
Egypt, and unprovoked fell upon their rear, and smote the hindmost, faint and
weary among them: therefore
the Lord will
have war with Amalek from generation to generation; until they
are utterly destroyed; and so in fact he had, and thus it was. The Targum of
Jonathan is,"he by his word will make war against those that are of the
house of Amalek, and destroy them to three generations, from the generation of
this world, from the generation of the Messiah, and from the generation of the
world to come;'and Baal Hatturim on the place observes, that this phrase,
"from generation to generation", by gematry, signifies the days of
the Messiah. Amalek may be considered as a type of antichrist, whose hand is
against the throne of God, his tabernacle, and his saints; who, with all the
antichristian states which make war with the Lamb, will be overcome and
destroyed by him.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 17:7
Literally Tempted
b.
Exodus 17:7 Literally
Contention
c.Exodus 17:15
Hebrew YHWH Nissi