Exodus 17:8-16
The Voice
8 While the Israelites were camped at Rephidim, soldiers of Amalek came and attacked them. 9 Moses called for a young leader named Joshua.
Moses (to Joshua): Select some of our best men, and go fight against the soldiers of Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand at the crest of that hill overlooking the battlefield with God’s staff in my hand.
10 Joshua did exactly as Moses had instructed him to do. He gathered the strongest men he could find and fought against the soldiers of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of the hill.
11 It happened that whenever Moses raised his hand, the battle went well for Israel; but whenever he lowered his hand to rest, Amalek began to win. 12 When Moses became too tired to hold his hands up any longer, Aaron and Hur took a stone and sat him down on it. Then both men stood beside Moses, one on each side, holding his hands up and keeping them steady until sunset. 13 In the end, Joshua and the men of Israel defeated Amalek and his soldiers with the sword.
Eternal One (to Moses): 14 Write down what I say on a scroll as a memorial record of these events, and read it aloud so Joshua can hear: “I will erase all traces of the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Then Moses constructed an altar and called it, “The Eternal Is My Battle Flag.”
Moses: 16 Because Amalek raised a defiant hand against the throne of the Eternal, He has promised to wage war against Amalek through future generations.
Exodus 17:8-16
Amplified Bible
Amalek Fought
8 Then [a]Amalek [and his people] came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to [b]Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek [and his people]. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and [c]Hur went up to the hilltop. 11 Now when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his hand [due to fatigue], Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy and he grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 So Joshua overwhelmed and defeated [d]Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in the book as a memorial and [e]recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek [and his people] from under heaven.”(A) 15 And Moses built an altar and named it [f]The Lord Is My Banner; 16 saying, “The Lord has sworn [an oath]; the Lord will have war against [the people of] Amalek from generation to generation.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 17:8 These were a group of nomads descended from Amalek, a grandson of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother.
- Exodus 17:9 Joshua, leader of the tribe of Ephraim, was one of the great warriors of the OT and was an attendant to and the successor of Moses.
- Exodus 17:10 According to Josephus, Hur was the husband of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron.
- Exodus 17:13 These nomadic people were the descendants of Esau.
- Exodus 17:14 Lit put in the ears of.
- Exodus 17:15 Heb YHWH (Yahweh)-Nissi.
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