Exodus 17

Chapter context

What is happening in Exodus 17?

redemptionPassovercovenantlaw

Exodus 17 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as plagues, Passover, and the crossing of the sea. Exodus tells the story of Israel’s rescue from Pharaoh, the revelation of the divine name, the covenant at Sinai, and the tabernacle where God chooses to dwell among his people. Read this chapter with the wider themes of redemption, Passover, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And 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. ² Wherefore 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? ³ And 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? ⁴ And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. ⁵ And 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. ⁶ Behold, 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. ⁷ And 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? ⁸ Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And 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. ¹⁰ So 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. ¹¹ And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But 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. ¹³ And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. ¹⁴ And 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. ¹⁵ And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: ¹⁶ For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Study helps

Glossary

Rephidim Place v. 1, 8: Biblical campsite. Modern identification: Wadi Rufaiyil.
Sin Place v. 1: Biblical region. Modern identification: Debbet er Ramleh.
Egypt Place v. 3: The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.
Nile Place v. 5: Biblical river. Modern identification: Nile River.
Mount Horeb Place v. 6: Biblical mountain. Modern identification: Jebel Musa.
Massah Place v. 7: Biblical campsite. Modern identification: Wadi Rufaiyil.
Meribah Place v. 7: Biblical campsite. Modern identification: Wadi Rufaiyil.
Amalek Place v. 8-11, 13-14, 16: Biblical region. Modern identification: Ain el Qudeirat.
Joshua Tribe v. 9-10, 13-14: Jehovah is his help, or Jehovah the Saviour. The son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, the successor of Moses as the leader of Israel. He is called Jehoshua in Num. 13:16 (A. V. ), and Jesus in Acts 7:45 and Heb. 4:8 .
Hur Person v. 10, 12: A hole, as of a viper, etc. (1. ) A son of Caleb ( 1 Chr. 2:19 , 50; 4:1, 4; comp. 2 Chr. 1:5 ). (2. ) The husband of Miriam, Moses’ sister ( Ex. 17:10-12 ).