Exodus Chapter 17

Updated: September 14, 2025

Water from the Rock

(Numbers 20:2-13)

1And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

The Defeat of the Amalekites

8Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 16For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Water from the Rock
(Numbers 20:1–13)

1 All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?” 3 The people were thirsty for water there; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

The Defeat of the Amalekites

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 It happened, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset. 13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.” 15 Moses built an altar, and called its name Yahweh our Banner. 16 He said, “Yah has sworn: ‘Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’”

Water from the Rock
(Numbers 20:1–13)

1 Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, a moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.”

“Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”

3 But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”

5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. b And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.”

So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah c and Meribah d because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

The Defeat of the Amalekites

8 After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”

10 Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. 12 When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

15 And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner. e 16 “Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the LORD. The LORD will war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Footnotes:

1 a The geographical name Sin  is related to Sinai  and should not be mistaken for the English word sin .
6 b Horeb  is another name for Sinai.
7 c Massah  means testing .
7 d Meribah  means quarreling .
15 e Hebrew YHWH Nissi

Water from the Rock

(Numbers 20:2-13)

1And all the company of the sons of Israel journey from the wilderness of Sin, on their journeyings, by the command of Jehovah, and encamp in Rephidim, and there is no water for the people to drink; 2and the people strive with Moses, and say, 'Give us water, and we drink.' And Moses saith to them, 'What? -- ye strive with me, what? -- ye try Jehovah?' 3and the people thirst there for water, and the people murmur against Moses, and say, 'Why is this? -- thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to put us to death, also our sons and our cattle, with thirst.' 4And Moses crieth to Jehovah, saying, 'What do I to this people? yet a little, and they have stoned me.' 5And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Pass over before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod with which thou hast smitten the River take in thy hand, and thou hast gone: 6Lo, I am standing before thee there on the rock in Horeb, and thou hast smitten on the rock, and waters have come out from it, and the people have drunk.' And Moses doth so before the eyes of the elders of Israel, 7and he calleth the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the 'strife' of the sons of Israel, and because of their 'trying' Jehovah, saying, 'Is Jehovah in our midst or not?'

The Defeat of the Amalekites

8And Amalek cometh, and fighteth with Israel in Rephidim, 9and Moses saith unto Joshua, 'Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I am standing on the top of the hill, and the rod of God in my hand.' 10And Joshua doth as Moses hath said to him, to fight with Amalek, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, have gone up to the top of the height; 11and it hath come to pass, when Moses lifteth up his hand, that Israel hath been mighty, and when he letteth his hands rest, that Amalek hath been mighty. 12And the hands of Moses are heavy, and they take a stone, and set it under him, and he sitteth on it: and Aaron and Hur have taken hold on his hands, on this side one, and on that one, and his hands are stedfast till the going in of the sun; 13and Joshua weakeneth Amalek and his people by the mouth of the sword.

14And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Write this, a memorial in a Book, and set it in the ears of Joshua, that I do utterly wipe away the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens;' 15and Moses buildeth an altar, and calleth its name Jehovah-Nissi, 16and saith, 'Because a hand is on the throne of Jah, war is to Jehovah with Amalek from generation -- generation.'

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The F.O.G Commentary

When God Shows Up in the Desert Fight

What’s Exodus 17 about?

This chapter captures two pivotal moments: the Israelites’ desperate thirst at Rephidim where Moses strikes the rock, and their first military battle against the Amalekites where victory depends on Moses’ raised hands. It’s about learning that God provides not just what we need to survive, but what we need to overcome.

The Full Context

Exodus 17 sits right in the middle of Israel’s wilderness wandering, about two months after their dramatic escape from Egypt. The honeymoon period is definitely over. The people who sang victory songs at the Red Sea are now complaining about water, and they’re about to face their first real military threat as a free nation. Moses is juggling the roles of leader, prophet, judge, and now military commander – and he’s discovering that freedom comes with a whole new set of challenges.

The literary structure here is brilliant. The chapter opens with internal crisis (no water) and closes with external threat (Amalekite attack), but both situations reveal the same truth: Israel’s survival depends entirely on God’s intervention. This isn’t just about physical thirst or military strategy – it’s about a newly freed people learning to trust their God in every kind of crisis. The author wants us to see that whether the threat comes from within or without, the solution is the same: dependence on the Lord who brought them out of Egypt.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew in this chapter is loaded with meaning that gets lost in translation. When the people “quarreled” with Moses in verse 2, the word is riyb – it’s not just complaining, it’s a formal legal dispute. They’re literally putting God on trial, demanding He prove His faithfulness.

Grammar Geeks

The place name “Massah and Meribah” in verse 7 means “testing and quarreling.” Moses isn’t just giving a geographic marker – he’s creating a permanent reminder of Israel’s faithlessness. Every time someone mentions this place, they’re recalling the day Israel put God in the defendant’s chair.

The word for “prevail” in the Amalekite battle scene is fascinating too. When it says Israel gabar (overcame), it’s the same root used for a strong man or warrior. But here’s the twist – their strength isn’t in their fighting ability, it’s in their leader’s raised hands. The victory belongs to someone else entirely.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

Picture yourself as an Israelite hearing this story around a campfire generations later. Your ancestors had been slaves for 400 years – they knew how to make bricks, not war. They knew how to survive on rations, not how to find water in a desert. When they faced the Amalekites, they weren’t seasoned warriors; they were former slaves holding borrowed weapons, looking up at Moses on a hill for reassurance.

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Did You Know?

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau and had a long-standing grudge against Israel. This wasn’t a random raid – it was family conflict that had been brewing for centuries. They specifically targeted the weak and stragglers at the back of Israel’s march, making this a particularly cruel attack.

The original audience would have understood something we often miss: this isn’t primarily a story about military tactics or even about Moses’ leadership. It’s about a God who fights for His people when they can’t fight for themselves. Every Hebrew listening would know that their survival as a nation had nothing to do with their military prowess and everything to do with their God’s faithfulness.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s something that bothers me about this passage: Why does Moses get in trouble for striking the rock when God explicitly tells him to do it in verse 6? We know from Numbers 20 that striking the rock becomes a problem later, but here it seems to be exactly what God commanded.

Wait, That’s Strange…

The staff Moses uses isn’t just any stick – it’s specifically “the staff of God” that performed the plagues in Egypt. When Moses strikes the rock, he’s wielding the same instrument that turned the Nile to blood and brought darkness over Egypt. The rock isn’t just providing water; it’s demonstrating that the same power that defeated Pharaoh can sustain Israel in the wilderness.

And what about Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ hands? This seems almost magical – like some kind of ancient good luck charm. But I think there’s something deeper happening here. Moses’ raised hands aren’t casting a spell; they’re maintaining a posture of dependence on God. When his arms get tired and drop, it’s a physical picture of what happens when faith wavers.

How This Changes Everything

This chapter fundamentally shifts how we think about provision and victory. At Rephidim, God doesn’t just give water – He gives water from a rock, in a way that defies natural explanation. Against the Amalekites, victory doesn’t come through superior strategy or weapons, but through sustained prayer and dependence.

The implications are staggering. Israel learns that their God doesn’t just provide minimally for survival; He provides abundantly and miraculously. But they also learn that His provision requires their participation – not in earning it, but in maintaining faith and dependence.

“When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady until sunset.”

This image of community supporting spiritual leadership becomes a template for how God’s people function. Victory isn’t achieved by lone rangers, but by communities that hold each other up when strength fails.

Key Takeaway

God’s provision isn’t just about meeting our needs – it’s about proving His faithfulness and teaching us dependence. Whether we’re facing internal crisis or external attack, the solution is the same: looking to Him rather than our own resources.

Exodus Chapter 17

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