Exodus 17

KJV · Chapter 17/40

1And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.

2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?

3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

4And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

5And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

8Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

10So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

15And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it JEHOVAH–nissi:

16For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The people again grumble for lack of water at Rephidim, and God instructs Moses to strike a rock at Horeb so that water flows from it; afterward, Israel defeats the Amalekites in battle while Moses keeps his hands raised with help from Aaron and Hur.

Explanation

This chapter continues to show the practical challenges of the wilderness journey, with the people again questioning God's presence amid their thirst ('Is the LORD among us, or not?', v. 7). God's response, instructing Moses to strike the rock before the elders of Israel, turns a moment of complaint into another public demonstration of divine provision. The battle against Amalek, a hostile people who attacked Israel during this vulnerable journey, introduces an interesting element of cooperation between faith and practical action: while Joshua physically leads the battle, the victory is directly tied to Moses' hands raised in prayer, physically supported by Aaron and Hur when he grows weary. This scene powerfully illustrates how spiritual intercession and practical effort go hand in hand, and how mutual support among people of faith (Aaron and Hur helping Moses) can be decisive in sustaining victory over time.

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