Exodus 17:8-16

Expanded Bible

The Amalekites Fight Israel

⁸ At Rephidim the Amalekites came and fought the Israelites. ⁹ So Moses said to Joshua, “·Choose [Select] some men and go and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, ·holding [extending; stretching out] the ·walking stick [staff] of God in my hands.”

¹⁰ Joshua ·obeyed Moses [^Ldid as Moses said] and went to fight the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses ·held [raised] his hands up, the Israelites would ·win the fight [prevail], but when Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites ·would win [prevailed; ^Cthe staff represented the presence of God, who fought for Israel]. ¹² Later, when Moses’ arms became ·tired [^Lheavy], the men put a large rock under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands—Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his hands steady until the sun went down. ¹³ So Joshua defeated ·the Amalekites [^LAmalek and his people] ·in this battle [^Lwith the sword].

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write about this battle in a ·book [or scroll] ·so people will remember [^Las a memorial]. And ·be sure to tell [^Lplace this in the ear of] Joshua, because I will completely ·destroy [annihilate; blot out] the Amalekites from ·the earth [^Lunder heaven; Deut. 25:17–19].”

¹⁵ Then Moses built an altar and named it ·The Lord Is My Banner [^LYahweh Nissi]. ¹⁶ Moses said, “I lifted my hands toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will fight against the Amalekites forever.”