Exodus 17

xxxiv. 1,2, &c.) And therefore may well be supposed to have added these words himself to this history, as he did the foregoing, (vcr. 32.) that all belonging to this matter might be put together in one place. Until they came to a land inhabited.’] L e. To Canaan, or the borders of it, as it here follows. For these words, feaith Aben Ezra, have respect to the wilderness in which they now were, which was not inhabited. Until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.] That is, saith he, to Gilgal, which was the borders, when they had passed over Jordan; when they did eat of the corn of the land, and had no further need of manna. Vcr. 36. An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.] From hence also some would fain conclude that Moses did not write this: because, say they, it is not usual, when measures are in common use, to tell in other w r ords how much they contained; which then only is proper when they are grown out of use. But such observations seem to proceed from a humour of cavilling. For why may not an author set down distinctly things very well known in his time, that posterity also may have as distinct a knowledge of them? Besides, the very same men complain, on other occasions, that the writers of history have omitted to givo us an account of several things, which in their time were most notorious; whereby posterity suffers much for want of such information. Nor do I see any proof that these measures were not as common in aftertimes as they were when Moses lived. Several learned men have taken a great deal of pains to reduce these measures to those of the Greeks and Romans, particularly Salmasius in his epistles (n. lxvii.) and Herman. Conringius, in a treatise on this subject, de Mensuris Hebraicis. But none have done it so clearly and exactly as a very learned person of our own country, (Bishop Cumberland, in his Scripture Weights and Measures, chap. 3.) who computes an ephah to have contained seven whitegallons, a bottle, and half a pint: so that an omer was near three quarts: which, if any one imagine too great a proportion to be allowed to one person every day, he propounds these things to be considered: that manna, being of a globular figure (like coriander-seed), must needs have many empty spaces between every three or four grains; and those vacuities may reasonably be estimated a third part of the vessel’s capacity: and it being a light aerial food, must needs be inwardly porous, and of a spongy contexture of parts. So that it wasted something in dressing by fire, as it melted by the sun when it grew hot: and consequently three quarts might, it is probable, be reduced to three pints of an oily liquid substance. Which was not too much in a hungry desert, where they might well be thought to have refreshed themselves thrice a day. Sec also what I have noted before, ver. 18. cccded from a lower to a higher degree of discontent; which made them at first only expostulate and argue with him; but now they murmur against him; and at length fell into such a rage, that they seemed to be ready to stone him, (ver. 4.) It is necessary to stop such motions in their beginning. Wlierefore is this, that thou hast brought tis out of Egypt?] This shews the necessity of preserving the remembrance of God, and of his benefits, in our minds. Which if this people had done, they could not have fallen a third time into such a discontented fit, as made them speak reproachfully of their deliverer, and slight the wonderful deliverance itself, which God had lately given them out of cruel servitude. The character which Plato (in his Axiochus) gives of the vulgar sort of people, belongs to the Israelites above all other; viz* that this sort is axapiarov, aipiicopov, wfibv, j3a<rk-ovov, a-zraidtvTOv, (torn. iii. p. 369.) To kill us, and our children, and our cattle, with thirst.] Children, as Abarbinel observes, can less endure thirst than grown men; and cattle need abundance of water, which is the reason they mention them. [CHAP. -XVII. thors, in his Alnetaiue Quacstiones, lib. ii. cap. 12. n. IS. Aud he thinks it very probable, that the fablo of J anus was forged from hence; for which he alleges many arguments, (in his Dcmonstratio Evang.) and this among the rest: that Albricus describes his imago holding a rod in his left hand, with which he smites a stone, and out of it water flows. called Pharaoh), because he mentions Amalek and his people. Otherwise, if Amalek signifies collectively the Amalekites, then his people must signify those who were confederate with them.

Exodus 17:1

JXND all the cotigregations of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin. Where they had been for some time, (xvi. 1.) and now pitched in Rephidim. That is, they rested here, after some other stations, in their passage hither; for Moses mentions two between the wilderness of Sin and Rephidim, Numb.xxxiii.12 — 14. And that is the reason of the vordshero following. After their journeys.] They proceeded in their journey to Dophckah, and then to Alush; and so to Rephidim: where they stayed some time. According to the commandment of the Lord.] By the direction of the glorious cloud which went before them,. and fixed their station for them where it rested. And pitched in Rephidim.] This place was in the wilderness of Sin also: but called by a particular name; as the place from whence they came was called by the name of the whole. So St. Jerome. All the wilderness, as far as to Mount Sinai, was called Sin, which was the name also of one of their stations (as Moab was both the name of a province and of a city), and there were four others in this wilderness; those by the Red Sea, Dophekah, Alush, and Rephidim. And there was no water for the people to drink.] This gave occasion to another remarkable mercy of God to them; whereas nothing considerable fell out at the two former stations: which is the reason they are here omitted. So Abarbincl judiciously observes. Moses would not set down in this history any of their stations but those in which some new and notable thing happened: the rest, in which no such thing was done, he describes in the book of Numbers, xxxiii.

Exodus 17:2

Wlierefore the people did chide ivith Moses. Expostulate with him in such an undutiful manner, that it may be translated scolded with him. Saying, Give us water.] The word for 0ive is in the plural number: and therefore this was spoken both to Moses and to Aaron; though Moses be only mentioned as the person they contended with. For there was no need (as Aben Ezra and others observe) to mention Aaron, because Moses was not wont to speak to the people but by him. Abarbinel carries it further, and will have this speech directed to Moses and to God, because they came hither by God’s commandment: which made them insolently say, if by God’s providence we were brought to this place, let him take care we be not killed with thirst. And Moses said, Why chide you with me?] Who brought you hither by God’s order? Wherefore do you tempt the Lord?] And why do you distrust his power, and goodness, and faithfulness to his promise?

Exodus 17:3

And the people thirsted there for water. This looks liko a needless repetition; it being said before, there was no water in this place, (ver. 1.) which made the people chide with Moses, for bringing them into such an* inconvenient station. But if we consider it well, we shall find it a necessary explication of the growth and progress of their discontent. For, as Abarbinel hath well observed, as soon as they came to Rephidim, they saw it was no commodious place, because it would not supply them with water: which made them begin to quarrel with Moses before they needed; merely out of fear, that when the water they had brought from Elim w r as spent, there would be none for them. And now, when after a day or two it was all gone, they were really very thirsty, and so fell into the murmuring here spoken of, from a sense of their misery, as before only out of a fear of it. And the people murmured against Moses.] They pro-

Exodus 17:4

And Moses cried unto tlie Lord. Which he did not upon their first complaint, (ver, 2.) because their necessity was not so urgent: but now, seeing their distress, and the height of their discontent, he prays God to take care of them: hoping he would supply them with drink, as lately he had done with bread. What shall I do unto this people?] Hesaid enough, no doubt, to quiet them; by remembering them what God had already done for them, and what reason they had still to trust in his good providence: but this would not satisfy them, unless their thirst was presently quenched; which he could not do for them, and therefore knew not how to appease them. They be almost ready to stone me.] He represents to God not only their importunity, but his own great danger. For having promised to bring them to Canaan, he was afraid (as Abarbinel fancies) that if they continued to think they should die with thirst, they would take him for a false prophet, w T ho had deceived them with lies; and consequently inflict the punishment upon him, which the law enacts against a false prophet, which was stoning. But, the law being not yet given, this could not be in their thoughts.

Exodus 17:5

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people. Be not afraid of their stoning (saith the same Abarbinel), but though they murmur, and are in a great passion, and impatient, go on before them confidently through the midst of their camps; and thou shalt sec they shall not touch the hem of thy garment. And take with thee of tlie elders of Israel.] Not valiant young men to thy life-guard; hut grave persons, to be witnesses, that thou dost really bring water out of a rock; and the people may not say there was a spring there before. Concerning the elders of Israel, see iii.- 16. And thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand.] Not a sword, or a lance (saith the same writer), but that wand wherewith thou smotest the river of Egypt, and turnedst it into blood; or didst divide the Red Sea, as some understand it: an arm of the sea being by good authors called a river. And go.] As I bid thee. When he is commanded to march before the people, it is supposed they were to follow: but they could not all move so soon as he and the elders, who went before to the very place. Which the whole body of the people could not do; the passage to the rock, it is likely, being narrow; so that they could not all see him smite the rock, and behold the water gush out; but expected till it flowed from thence unto their camp.

Exodus 17:6

Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock. That is, the glory of the Lord, which in the cloud appeared in this place (as Abarbinel truly expounds it) to strengthen his faith: and to persuade the ciders that this water was divinely given them, even as the manna was. For before that fell from above, the glory of the Lord appeared, (xvi. 10.) as it did now, before this water flowed to them from the rock. So that they were fed continually by the Divine Providence; from whence they received both their meat and their drink.. There is an emphatical he (as they call it) before the word for rocjc; and therefore it should be translated, upon that rock. Where Abarbinel fancies the Lord was wont to appear to Moses: but this being a rocky place, it may only denote that particular part of the rock to which God directed him to go; and was the same (that author probably thinks) with that mentioned xxxiii. 22. In Horeb.] This was not a distinct mountain from Sinai, but only a different part of the same mountain, which was long, and had many risings, of which this was one. And thou shalt smite the rock.] With the rod wherewith he smote the river, (vii. 17. 20.) And there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.] According to their petition, ver. 2. And Moses did so.] i. e. Smote the rock, and brought water out of it, in such plenty, that the Psalmist saith it ran down like rivers, (lxxviii.15, 16.) to supply the want of the whole camp, unto which it flowed as far as Rephidim; so that they needed not to go to Horeb for it. Which is the difference (as Abarbinel thinks) between this miTacle and that mentioned Numb. xx. where the waters were but like a well, to which they must go; and did not come to them, much less follow them in their journeys, as this did. For this was a continued fountain of water, which flowed out of the rock, (Psal. cxiv. 8.) and made this part of Arabia habitable in future ages, which no man dwelt in before, Moses doth not add, " and the people drank, and their cattle/’ because (as Aben Ezra observes) he studied brevity; and this was easily understood. In the sight of the elders of Israel.] That they might be able: to testify to the people the truth of this miracle, whereby they were relieved in their distress, and preserved in their travels through the wilderness: the fame of which, no doubt, reached other nations; the memory of it being re-, inaining in several of their fables. For there is a manifest allusion to it in Euripides’ Bacchae, ver. 703. where he makes one of them smiting the rock at Clitheeron, and waters gushing out of it. Qvpaov $i Tig Xafiova, liraiatv elg irirpav, “OSev dpoawSng v$arog £K7Ti)S£ votIq. This I find observed by Bochartus, in his Canaan, lib. i. cap. 1G.; and Huetius hath observed many more such in* stances out: of Nonnus, Pausanias, and divers other au- 2H2

Exodus 17:7

And he called the name of the place, Massah and Meribah, &c. That place which before was called Rephidim, was after this called Massah and Meribah: with respect to their chiding there with Moses, which is the import of Meribah; and their tempting God, which is the signification of Massah. Some think this one place was not called by two names; but that, upon the second striking of the rock, almost forty years after this, it was called Meribah, and till then only Massah. But in that story it is not said tho place was called Meribah, but the water, (Numb. xx. 13.)‘Is the Lord among us, or not?] Doth he take care of ns, or not’ regard what becomes of us? For God is said to be among, or (as the phrase is in the Hebrew) in the midst of those whom he protects, and provides for, by a special providence, as wc find Deut. vii. 21. xxiii. 14. Josh. iii. 20. and many other places.

Exodus 17:8

Then came Amalek and fought, &c. The ground of their enmity is commonly thought to bo the ancient grudge of the seed of Esau to those of Israel: for Amalek w r as descended from the eldest son of Esau by a concubine, (Gen. xxxvi. 12.) But it may very fairly also be supposed, that there was some.league between the Amalpkites and the people of Canaan, of mutual defence, which might’move the Amalckitcs to. oppose the passage of the Israelites, and endeavour to hinder their settlement in Canaan; unto which, perhaps, they imagined their oAvn pretences to.be as good, though the Israelites challenged the promise of it belonged to them alone., Then came.] These words import that the Amalekites were the aggressors, without any provocation. If they fancied the Israelites would, invade them, they might have prepared to defend themselves; but it was no ground for assaulting them. Unto which perhaps they were moved (as for other reasons, so) out of greediness of prey, hearing the Israelites were loaded with the spoils of the Egyptians. And fought with Israel.] They came out of their own country to fight with them in the wilderness. Or we may suppose that they attacked their rear, as they were upon their march from Itcphidim to Horeb; and cut off some stragglers, or such as lagged behind through faintness and weariness, as Moses relates, Deut. xxv. 18. The author of Dibrc Hajamin makes the army of Amalek to have consisted of an incredible number, all exercising divinations andenchantments.

Exodus 17:9

And Moses said mito Joshua. Who, it seems, was an eminent person, at their first coming out of Egypt. Choose ns out men.] Whom he knew to be as valiant as himself. And go out and fight with Amalek.] Meet them, and give them battle. To-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill.] To pray to God, who had lately appeared to him there, (ver. 6.) With the rod of God in my hand.] This he said, to encourage Joshua to hope God would not fail to deliver them, though a miracle was required,o bring it to pass.

Exodus 17:10

So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, &c. Nothing but a strong confidence in God could have animated men, inexperienced in the arts of war, to encounter such mighty enemies. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur, tvent up to the top of the hill.] The Jews do but conjecture who this Hur was; but we may be certain he was a person of great eminence for wisdom and piety, otherwise he would not have been joined with the leaders of God’s people, Moses and Aaron. Wc read, indeed, (1 Chron. ii. 19.) of one Hur, who was the son of Caleb, and grandfather of the famous Bczalccl, who was of the tribe of Judah. But there is nothing to persuade us that he was the person here spoken of, nor that he was the son of Moses’s sister, as some of the Jews tell us. See Pirke Eliczcr, cap. 45. where strange stories are told of him. But it is more probable that he w r as Miriam’s husband, as Josephus affirms, (lib. iii. Antiq. cap. 2.) though we cannot tell whence he himself was descended. Ver. II. When Moses held up his hand.] Lifting up the hands was a posture of prayer, and imploring the Divine aid, as.wc find in many places^ particularly Lament, iii. 40. " Let us lift up our hearts with our’ hands to God in the heavens.” And it implies great earnestness in prayer;* as doth also lifting up the eyes, and lifting up the soul, (Psal. xxv. 1. exxi. 1, &c.) But though this be true, and no doubt Moses and his companions prayed to God most earnestly, yet this was not the occasion of his lifting ftp his hand; which was to advance the rod of God, which ho held in his hand, and lifted up as their standard or banner, to which they, should look and hope for help, from the mighty power of God, who had done such wonders by that rod. That Israel prevailed.] The sight of the rod of God inspired them with such courage, that their enemies could not stand before them.’ And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.] Their spirits flagged when they did not sec the rod; and they began to give ground: imagining, perhaps, that Moses despaired of victory; who (the fight being long) was not able alway to keep his hand erect.

Exodus 17:12

But Moses’s hands were heavy. Through weariness, by long holding them out upon the stretch.. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon.] It seems he had been standing before, which gave them the greater advantage of seeing the rod, but made him the more weary. And Aaron and liar stayed up his hands.] Were his supporters; which it is probable was in this manner. Sometimes Moses held up the rod in his right hand, and sometimes in his left (for, ver. 11. he speaks only of one hand which was lifted up, or let down), and Aaron stood on one side of him (suppose his right hand), and Hur stood on the other: who, by that means, helped by turns to uphold his hands in that posture: for if they had done it both together, they might have been as weary as he. And his hands were steady, &c] Were kept up stretched out, without falling down, till sun-set.

Exodus 17:13

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people, &c. Routed their whole army. One would think the name of their kings was Amalek (as the kings of Egypt were

Exodus 17:14

And the Lord said nnto Moses. He appeared, it is likely, to him again in this place, (as he had done, ver. G.) and gave him this order. Write this for a memorial in a book.] Make a record of it; as he did both here, and Deut. xxv. 17, &c. And nobody was so fit to do it as he, who saw all that fell out in this fight; and was the undoubted author of what w T e read in this book; which was written by himself. And rehearse it in the ears of Joshua.’] That he, who was to be the leader of God’s people after Moses, might never enter into* any league with the Amalekites. For his prosperity depended upon the observation of the commands given by God to Moses: which therefore were carefully written in a book, and delivered to him, that they might not be forgotten. See Josh. i. 7, 8. where there is a plain proof, that the laws delivered by Moses were written before Joshua entered into the land of Canaan. For I will utterly put out the name of Amalek from under lieaven.] Have a perpetual quarrel with them, till they be quite extinct; as they were partly by Saul, (1 Sam. xv.) and partly by David, (1 Sam, xxx. 17.) and partly by the children of Simeon, (1 Chron. iv. 43.) Balaam also prophesied of their utter destruction, (Numb xxiv. 20) Which may seem a hard sentence; but it was (as Maimonides observes) to terrify others from the like malice. For as particular persons are sometimes punished very severely, for an example to others; so are families and nations. And Amalek, being the very first that drew a sword against Israel, unprovoked, God passed this heavy doom upon them: whereas Ammon and Moab (saith he) who out of mere covetousness committed what they did against Israel/ and wrought mischief to them by craft and subtlety, had only this punishment inflicted upon them, that Israel should not contract affinity with them, &c. (Deut. xxiii. 3, 4. xxv. ult. More Nevoch. par. iii. cap. 41.)

Exodus 17:15

And Moses built an altar. Commonly altars were built for sacrifice: which Moses, perhaps, here offered in thankfulness to God for his benefits, particularly this great victory. But they were also built sometimes only as memorials, (Josh. xxii. 20, 27.) as this perhaps was: he thinking it fit to preserve the memory of this victory, not only by writing, but by this monument also, and tho inscription he left upon it. And he called the name of it Jehovah-NissL] Or, the Lord my banner; i. e. by him we overcame them. Some. will have it translated, not he called it, but he called him; i. e. the Lord, by the name of the Lord who lifted up a banner; i. e. fought for them, (Psal. lx. G.) From which inscription Bochartus thinks came the name of Dionysus among the Greeks: who, from this word Nissi, called him Nissceus, or Nysceus; and adding the name of their own Jupiter to it, called him Aiowaoc, (lib. i. Canaan, cap. 18.) For Bacchus is said to have been a great warrior, and to have made mighty conquests. And, as Huetius observes, is called Arsaphcs, which is the very name given to Moses by the Egyptians, who called him Osarsiph. Nay, in Orphcus’s hymns, Bacchus is called Mises, which seems to be the same with Moses. Out of whose story all that the Greeks and others say of Bacchus, seems to have been framed; as he shews with great probability, (Demonstr. Evan, propos. iv. cap. 4. n. 3.) Ver. L6. For he said, Because the Lord hath sivorn, &c.] In the Hebrew the words are, the hand upon the throne of the Lord. Which is commonly interpreted, the Lord hatfi sworn by his throne. So R. Solomon, and Aben Ezra; and the Chaldec, whose paraphrase is, this is spoken with an oath, from the face of the terrible One, whose Majesty is upon the throne of glory; that the Lord will have war with Ama-’ lek, &c. That is, saith Maimonides, he hath sworn by himself, (More Nevoch. par. i. cap. 9.) for in this, and all other places, the word kisse(i. e. throne) signifies his magnificence and power: which is not anything without his essence; but is himself. But here being no mention of lifting up the hand, which is the phrase for swearing, (Exod. vi. 8. Deut. xxxii. 40.) it may more simply be expounded, because the hand of the Lord, sitting upon the throne of his Majesty, is stretched out, and holds up his banner, to fight with Amalek throughout all generations. For Moses seems to allude in this phrase to what he had said, ver, 11, 12. " When Moses lifted up his hand, then Israel prevailed," &c. and bids them take notice, it was his hand, i. e. the omnipotent power of God, which gave them this victory: and would perpetually prosecute Amalek, till they were destroyed. Joseph Scaliger would have Kes-jah to be but one word, and to signify the same with Kese; which, according to him, is the last day of the month, on which this battle was fought. And so tins to be a part of the inscription upon the altar; as if he had said, this pillar was set up on the last day of the second month, to declare utnrovSov 7roXc^ov, irreconcileable war with Amalek for ever, (lib. iii. de Emend. Temp, p. 223.) But this is too bold a conceit, and is confuted by Hackspan and Glassius. There is a more ingenious conjecture (which I have somewhere met with), if there were any thing in Scripture to warrant it, that laying the liand on the: throne was a form of swearing: as touching the altar was among some nations, which was as much as our laying the liand on the Bible: a principal external character of a so-, lemn oath. Whence Juvenal saith, atheists do ¥ intrepidos altaria tangere/’ touch the altars boldly without trembling; i. e. make no conscience of an oath. But the marginal translation, after all, is very literal, and makes the sense exceeding plain and clear: because the hand (of Amalek) is against the throne of the Lord (i. e. against God himself), tlierefore the Lord will have war with Amalek, from generation to generation. This is easy and natural, and agrees with the whole history: that because they came out and opposed the design of God, who -in a visible and most glorious manner conducted the Israelites to the land he had promised to give them, he would never be reconciled to them. For it was a high affront to his Majesty, who had lately done such astonishing wonders, as were famed, no doubt, in all the neighbouring nations/ (xv. 14, 15.)