Exodus 17: Water from the rock, and the battle with Amalek
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
The people have no water at Rephidim and quarrel with Moses. Yahweh tells him to strike the rock at Horeb, and water comes out; Moses names the place Massah and Meribah. Amalek then attacks, and Israel prevails while Moses holds up his hands, and Yahweh says he will wipe out the memory of Amalek.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 3 of the 16 verses: his instructions to Moses about the rock in verses 5 and 6, and his words about Amalek in verse 14. The people speak in verses 2, 3 and 7, and Moses speaks in verses 2, 4, 9 and 16. In verse 4 Moses is speaking to Yahweh. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, starting according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
In plain English: The whole community of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, going on by stages (literally: according to their journeys) at Yahweh's command (literally: on the mouth of Yahweh), and camped at Rephidim. But there was no water for the people to drink.
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2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”
In plain English: The people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?"
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3The people were thirsty for water there; so the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
In plain English: The people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?"
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4Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
In plain English: Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, "What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."
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5Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the rod with which you struck the Nile, and go.
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6Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.God speaks
In plain English: Look, I will be standing there before you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people can drink." Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
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7He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”
In plain English: He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, "Is Yahweh among us, or not?"
The Hebrew words: "Massah" and "Meribah" are place names. The verse gives a reason for each: the people quarreled (riv) and they tested Yahweh (nasah). has both: "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?"
Good to know: The dictionary lists Meribah as the name of two places in the desert. also names "the waters of Meribah", because Israel strove with Yahweh.
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8Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
In plain English: Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim.
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9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.”
In plain English: Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, and go out and fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God's rod in my hand."
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10So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
In plain English: Joshua did as Moses had told him and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
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11When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
In plain English: Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. Whenever he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.
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12But Moses’ hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset.
In plain English: Moses' hands became heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. His hands stayed steady until the sun went down.
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13Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
In plain English: Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword (literally: the mouth of the sword).
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14Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Write this down in a book (or: in the book) as a reminder, and tell it to Joshua (literally: put it in the ears of Joshua): I will completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the sky."
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15Moses built an altar, and called its name “Yahweh our Banner”.
In plain English: Moses built an altar and called its name "Yahweh our Banner" (the Hebrew says: Yahweh is my banner, or: my standard).
The Hebrew words: "Yahweh our Banner" is Yahweh nissi, and the Hebrew says "my banner", not "our". The word nes is given in the dictionary as "a flag; also a sail; by implication, a flagstaff; generally a signal".
How it is translated: This Bible says "banner" in 11 of the 20 verses that use nes and "standard" in 5.
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16He said, “Yah has sworn: ‘Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’”
In plain English: He said, "Yah has sworn (literally: a hand is on the throne of Yah, or: on the banner of Yah): Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."
The Hebrew words: The Hebrew says literally "a hand on the throne of Yah". The word for "throne" here is kes, which appears only in this verse. The usual word for throne is kisse. The dictionary used for this study gives kes the same meaning as nes, the word for banner in verse 15: "a flag; also a sail; by implication, a flagstaff; generally a signal; figuratively, a token". The Hebrew has no word for "sworn"; "Yah has sworn" is this Bible's reading of the words.
What changes: Read as "a hand on the banner of Yah", the verse names Yah's banner, as the altar's name does in verse 15, and then says that Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
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