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All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, starting according to the LORD’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
Verse 1. Mansions, at Daphca, (Numbers 33:12,) and perhaps at Aluz. Calmet.—Raphidim, the 11th station mentioned by Moses, which was afterwards called Massa, “temptation,” because the people murmured in this place. Menochius.
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 the LORD?”
Verse 2. Chode, quarrelled and murmured. Bible.—Tempt, requiring a miracle, verse 7.
The people were thirsty for water there; so 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?”
Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The LORD 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.
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.
Verse 6. Before thee, ready to grant thy request at Horeb, a rock to the west of Sinai, and a figure of Jesus Christ, according to Saint Paul; who says, (1 Corinthians 10:4,) that the spiritual rock followed the Hebrews. Some say a part of the real rock was carried in a chariot. Saint John Chrysostom Others, that the rivulet of waters accompanied them till it fell into the sea near Asiengaber. Usher.—The Rabbins say, that these waters never failed the Israelites till the death of Mary, for whose sake they were given, and that the bright cloud disappeared with Aaron, and manna at the decease of Moses.
He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”
Verse 7. Temptation. Massa and Meriba “quarrel,” as the Hebrew reads.
Massah means testing.
Meribah means quarreling.
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Verse 8. Amalec. The descendants of Esau by his grandson, living about the Red Sea.
Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.”
Verse 9. Josue, who was before called Osee, or Ausem, was the son of Nun. From the victory obtained over the Amalecites, he was ever after called Josue, Jehosuah, or Jesus, “Saviour.” He attached himself to Moses, and is styled his servant, as Patroclus and Merione are called servants of Achilles and of Idomen, by Homer; though they were men of high birth.—Hand, to defend the cause of the Hebrews by a miracle, if it be requisite.
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.
Verse 10. Hur, grandfather of Beseleel, (1 Chronicles 2:19,) grandson of Esron by Caleb.
When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Verse 11. And when Moses lifted up his hands. Here Moses was a figure of Christ on the cross, by whose power and mediation we overcome our spiritual enemies. Challoner.—Hands, forming the sign of the cross, as the fathers observe, in the posture of a suppliant. S. Jerom says, the people fasted also till the evening, c. Jos. ii. Calmet.—If heretics deride the priests of God, standing with their hands extended at the altar, let them reflect on Moses, and on Jesus Christ, who, lifting up his hands, blessed his disciples; and hence learn, that such ceremonies are not vain. Worthington.
But Moses’ hands were heavy; so 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.
Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
The LORD 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.”
Verse 14. Of Josue, and of all who shall govern after him, that they may remember to execute my decree of extermination, against these cruel Amalecites, who have first dared to oppose the progress of my dejected people. Bible.—Moses mentions, that they particularly attacked the feeble and stragglers, (Deuteronomy 25:18,) though their army was very formidable. Judith 4:13. Saul received an express order to destroy this nation; and he made such havoc among them, that they never rose again to any importance, and were confounded with the Idumeans. 1 Kennicott. 15:3. Calmet.
Moses built an altar, and called its name “The LORD our Banner”.
Verse 15. Exaltation. He has given me the victory. He has supported my hands on high, holding the rod as a standard. Bible.
Or, The LORD Nissi. LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah.
He said, “The LORD has sworn: ‘The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’”
Verse 16. Hand of the throne. The Lord hath lifted up his hand, and sworn on his throne, that war, and so forth (Chald.) or the hand of Amalec hath attacked the throne (Israel, the inheritance) of the Lord; therefore shall he pursue them for ever. The Septuagint have followed a different reading, “because with a secret hand the Lord will fight; and some suggest, that instead of ces, throne, we should read nos, signal, or standard.” Since the hand has attacked the standard of the Lord, the war of the Lord is against Amalec. Le Clerc.—Or “the Lord has taken his standard into his hand to destroy the Amalecites for ever.” Chateillon. Calmet.
Hebrew: יה Yah
LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah.