Exodus 17

Exodus 17:1

PItched in Rephidim] Moses nameth not every place where the people of Israel encamped; but onely those places where some notable thing was done, or happened to them.

Exodus 17:2

did chide with Moses] Numbers 20:4.

tempt the LORD] By requiring a miraculous evidence of his presence among them, vers. 7. as if he had said, Why distrust you God? Why looke ye not for succour of him, without murmuring against us? this is to tempt him to wrath, to your owne ruine.

Exodus 17:3

for water] Heb. at the waters.

murmured] See Annot. on Chap. 16. vers. 24.

Exodus 17:4

cried unto the LORD] When the people murmure for meat or drinke, Moses betakes him to the Lord: for the belly hath no eares, and a rude multitude are as like to be provoked, as pacified with words: but the godly may alwaies have recourse unto God, and find acceptance with him; and he that can still the noise of the waves of the Sea, can still the tumult of the people, Psalms 65:7.

to stone me] How madly do the common people (sometimes) mutinie against their most godly Governours? there is great cause, to pitie and pray for those who are set over a multitude: since it is difficult to please them, and to displease them dangegerous: but no cause to thinke the worse of them, because their rage is rash and irreligious.

Exodus 17:5

take with thee the Elders] Not all the people, who by their murmuring against God, and their furie against Moses, were unworthy to see the miracle, but the Elders who were not so wicked, and who were sufficient witnesses of what was done.

wherewith thou smotest the river] Ch. 7. 5: 20. The river Nilus by the hand of Aaron: some meane by the river, the Red Sea, because (as some hold) it is rather narrow like a river, then broad like the Ocean: and it is true he used the Rod, and it is like the selfe same Rod to both; but the Sea is very rarely called a river.

Exodus 17:6

Behold, I will] Numbers 20:9. Psalms 78:15. 41. 1 Corinthians 10:4. Wisd. 11. 4.

water out] This miracle was wrought twice, the first time the first yeare of the peoples journeying; and the second many yeares afterwards, to wit, in or about the beginning of their fourtieth yeare, and thirtie ninth mansion, or station, Numbers 20. Some thinke the miracle is the same, because in the twentieth of Numbers, and the fifth verse, the people (in their murmuring expostulations) say, Wherefore have you made us to come out of Egypt? now by that time, they conceive, that all that generation (which came out of Egypt) were destroyed, for their murmurings: so that such as were alive (except Aaron, Moses, and Caleb) could not say, they were brought out of Egypt: but if we looke upon Numbers 14. vers. 29. it will appeare that many more might be then alive, since the Commination is there made against those, (who at their first numbring) were twentie yeares old and upward: besides which, there were very many under twenty, of whom divers might be alive, at this latter miraculous issuing of water out of the Rock, and the sonnes of those that were dead, might in their murmurings speake as in their names and persons: this water issuing out of the Rock, is spiritually applied to Christ by the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 10:4. whereunto adde, John 4:13-14.

Exodus 17:7

Massah] That is, temptation.

Meribah] That is, chiding, or strife; there was another Meribah. Or, chiding and murmuring, Numbers 20:13.

is the Lord among us] Impatience under pressures, provokes God by distrust of his promise, reproach of his providence, and deniall of his presence: all this is implied in this passionate, and discontented demand, which (in effect) is a renunciation of all Religion at once, even to the deniall of the Deitie of God; for if he be not every where present, he is no where; no God: if there be not a divine omnipresence, there is not adivine Essence. Their words may (notwithstanding) be mollified with a more gentle construction: and they may be said to question his presence but in relation to his providence, in providing for them, their extreme thirst felt the want of this, and that might occasion the questioning or doubting of that: but excesse of passion, keeps no bounds of moderation in better men, then most of this mixed and tumultuating multitude. See Jonah 4:9.

Exodus 17:8

Amelek] (Deuteronomy 25:17. Genesis 26:12.) That is, the Amalekites who were the posteritie of Esau, by Duke Amalek, the grand child of Esau, Genesis 36:16. and the heires of his hatred against the Israelites, the off-spring of his brother Jacob; with remembrance and emulation (as it is like) for the old Quarrell of the birth-right, and blessing gotten by Jacob from Esau.

Exodus 17:9

unto Joshua, Choose us out] Moses was as a Prince unto the people, and Joshua (as a Lord Generall) managed the Military matters.

rod of God in my] Chap. 4. 20.

Exodus 17:11

• held up his hand] With the Rod in it; the lifting up of the hand, is rather a naturall, then an instituted gesture of prayer; and though outward gestures of themselves be not acceptable to God, yet gestures of devotion (such as are warrantable in the Word) he both alloweth of, and will accept of, when they are moved, and quickened by the fervencie of affection within: and this lifting up of the hands toward heaven shewed, that to God there, he directed his prayer, and from thence hoped for help, to prevaile against the enemie. See Psalms 121:1. Psalms 24:2. Esa. 1. 15. James 5. 16. Psalms 56:9.

let down his hand] When his devotion fainted his hands were enfeebled: where we see, how dangerous a thing it is to faint in prayer, and how powerfull prayer is, against the power of warlike enemies.

Exodus 17:12

and Hur] Who is thought to be the brother in law of Aaron and Moses, by the marriage of their sister Miriam; or if not so, an associate with Aaron, for the government of the people in the absence of Moses.

so his hands were steady] It is like he held up first one hand with the Rod in it, and that wearie he used the other; and when both were weary, and his whole body also, with long standing, a stone was set under him, and his hands held up on each side, and so having that ease and assistance, his devotion might hold out with more vigour, and the people seeing the miraculous Rod, still held up on the top of the hill, might take more courage in the battell below.

Exodus 17:14

• Write this for a memoriall in a booke] In the Chronicles or Annals of the time, that the wickednesse of Amalek, in assaulting Gods people, may be remembred for revenge, untill they be all rooted out: here is the first mention of writing of a booke, there might for all that be writing of Bookes before Moses his time, as of Enochs prophecie mentioned, Judg. 16. which some cite as a written Volume, yet the Apostle might have that he citeth in Enochs name, out of some other later Booke which now is not extant; or by the spirit of revelation, which discovereth things past, as well as to come, as the history of the Creation sheweth. Exodus 34:27.

the remembrance of Amalek] Deuteronomy 25:19. 1 Samuel 15. Not that it should never be remembred, that there was such a man, or not such a people, (as appeareth by the precedent Note) but that their houses, castles, and other memorials of their greatnesse, and honour, shall be demolished, razed and ruined: and they either not remembred at all, or not without detestation and disgrace; which is worse then a meere oblivion, or silent forgetfulnesse.

Exodus 17:15

Jehovah-Nissi] That is, the Lord is my Banner, as he declareth, by holding up his Rod, in his hand professing thereby that he and the Israelites, (under his colours, and in armes for his cause) expected, and obtained good successe by the favour and power of the Lord of hosts. See Psal. 105.

Exodus 17:16

Because the LORD hath sworne] Heb. the hand upon the throne. By which may be meant, either that Amalek presumptuously endevoured to make an assault upon the Throne of God, in setting upon his people to ruine them; in whose deliverance and defence, he had engaged the glory of his Throne, and the power of his Scepter in a perpetuall warre against Amalek: or that Moses had taken a solemn oath (as it were laying his hand upon Gods Throne) for asseveration and assurance, that he and the people will have an unreconciliable warre with the posteritie of Amalek.