Exodus 17

1 Then the whole [entire, all-inclusive] congregation [gathering, community] of Israel [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] left [departed, set out] the Desert [wilderness, barren land] of Sin [Pelusium, a place of refuge], moving [journeying, traveling] from place to place [from one location to another] as the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] commanded [gave orders, instructed]. They camped [pitched their tents, settled] at Rephidim [resting places, a stop in the wilderness], but there was no [none, nothing] water [liquid refreshment, source of life] for the people [nation, community] to drink [consume, satisfy their thirst]. word study 2 So the people [strove] contended with Moses, “Give us water [a source of refreshment, liquid] to drink [to quench our thirst].” “Why do you [chide, strive] contend with me [as an accompaniment, together with me]?” Moses replied. “Why do you [tempt] test the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]?” word study 3 But the people thirsted [felt a strong physical and emotional need] for water [a source of refreshment and life] there, and they grumbled [complained and murmured in discontent] against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt [a place of bondage and slavery]—to make us and our children [our sons and daughters, our descendants] and livestock [our domestic animals, our possessions] die of thirst [to suffer and perish from lack of water]?” word study 4 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] cried out [with distress, in need] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “What [in what way, how] should I do [make, act] with these people [a nation, a tribe]? A little [a small amount, briefly] more and they will stone me [kill me by throwing stones, execute]!” word study 5 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Walk on ahead [pass over, go before] of the people [the nation of Israel] and take some [a group, several] of the elders [old, elderly, respected leaders] of Israel with you [in your company, accompanying you]. Take along [carry, bring] in your hand [with your power, under your direction] the staff [rod] with which [that, the one] you struck [smote, hit] the Nile [the river, a stream], and go [walk, proceed, move forward]. word study 6 Behold [look, take notice], I will stand [be present, take my place] there before you by the rock [a large boulder] at Horeb [Mount Sinai, the mountain of God]. And when you strike [hit, smite] the rock, water [a source of refreshment] will come out of it for the people [the nation of Israel, God’s chosen ones] to drink [to receive spiritual nourishment].” So Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] did this in the sight [the presence, the watchful eye] of the elders [the respected leaders, the wise ones] of Israel [God’s chosen people, a nation set apart]. word study 7 He named the place [a location of spiritual significance] Massah [a testing, a proving] and Meribah [a place of strife, contention] because the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] quarreled [strived, contended with one another], and because they tested [tried, proved] the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], saying, “Is the LORD [present] among us or not [is He with us or have we been abandoned]?” word study 8 After this, the Amalekites [descendants of Esau, enemies of Israel] came [approached, drew near] and attacked [fought against, made war on] the Israelites [Jacob’s descendants, God’s people] at Rephidim [a place of rest, a stop in the wilderness]. word study 9 So Moses [the Israelite leader] said to Joshua, “Choose [select, pick out] some of our men [individuals, warriors] and go out [come out, march out] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] the Amalekites [enemies of the Israelites, a tribe in southern Canaan]. Tomorrow [the next day, in the future] I will stand [station myself, take my position] on the hilltop [the top of the hill, a high place] with the staff [rod, walking stick] of God [Elohim, the supreme God] in my hand [my power, my authority].” word study 10 Joshua [the leader, as instructed by Moses] did as Moses had instructed him [to fight against, to engage in battle with] and fought [to war, to battle] against the Amalekites [enemies of the Israelites, descendants of Esau], while Moses, Aaron [the high priest, brother of Moses], and Hur [a chief assistant to Moses] went up [to ascend, to rise] to the top [the highest point, the summit] of the hill [a small elevation, a gibeat]. word study 11 As long as Moses [the Israelite leader] held up his hands [in prayer, lifted to God], Israel [God’s chosen people] prevailed [was strong, gained the upper hand]; but when he lowered them [let down, rested], Amalek [the enemy, a descendant of Esau] prevailed [gained power, overcame]. word study 12 When Moses’ [the Israelite leader, prophet] hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] grew [became] heavy [severe, weighed down], they took [got, received] a stone [a rock or weight] and put it under him, and he sat [dwelt, remained] on it [the stone, a place of rest]. Then Aaron [the high priest, brother of Moses] and Hur [a chief assistant, supporter] held his hands [strength or guidance] up, one [united] on each side [this and that, left and right], so that his hands remained [were] steady [faithful, firm] until the sun [the celestial body, east or west direction] went down [to go or come, to set]. word study 13 So Joshua [the leader] overwhelmed [discomfited, weakened] Amalek [a descendant of Esau, the ancestor of a tribe in southern Canaan] and his army [people, nation] with the sword [edge of the sword, by the mouth of the sword]. word study 14 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Write [record, inscribe] this [this event, this battle] on a scroll [a written document, a book] as a reminder [a memorial, a remembrance] and recite [rehearse, read aloud] it to Joshua [the leader, the successor], because I will utterly [completely, totally] blot out [erase, wipe away] the memory [the remembrance, the mention] of Amalek [the Amalekites, the enemies of Israel] from under [beneath, underneath] heaven [the sky].” word study 15 And Moses [the Israelite leader] built [constructed, established] an altar [a place of sacrifice] and named [called, designated] it The LORD [Yehovah] Is My [personal, intimate] Banner [of victory]. word study 16 “Indeed,” he said, “a hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] was lifted up toward the throne [seat of honor and authority] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. The LORD [Yehovah, the covenant-keeping God] will war [engage in battle or conflict] against Amalek [a tribe of enemies] from generation [a period of time or a group of people] to generation [successive ages].” word study