Exodus, Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Verses 1-16: Water from the Rock and Victory over the Amalekites

1. The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
3. But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4. Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5. The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6. “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
8. Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.
9. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10. So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
12. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
13. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
15. Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is My Banner.
16. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

Interpretation: Chapter 17 illustrates the Israelites’ dependence on God for their physical and military needs. The miraculous provision of water from the rock at Rephidim demonstrates God’s power and care for His people, addressing their physical thirst in a direct and miraculous manner. The battle against the Amalekites, with victory contingent on Moses’ raised hands, symbolizes the need for steadfast faith and reliance on God’s strength over human might. The actions of Aaron and Hur in supporting Moses’ arms serve as a powerful example of community support and unity in the face of adversity. This chapter reinforces the theme of God’s faithfulness and provision, reminding the Israelites (and readers) of the importance of trusting in God’s presence and help in every situation.