Commentary on Exodus, Commentary · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſe 1. AND all the Congregation of the Children of Iſrael journied 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 ſtation, in their paſſage hither: for Moſes mentions two between the Wilderneſs of Sin and Rephidim, XXXIII Numb. 12, 13, 14. And that is the reaſon of the words here following.
After their Journeys.] They proceeded in their Journey to Dophekah, 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. Hierom. 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 Abarbinel 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.
Ver. 2. Wherefore the People did chide with Moſes.] Expoſtulate with him in ſuch an undutiful manner, that it may be tranſlated ſcolded with him.
Saying, Give us Water, &c.] The word for give is in the Plural Number: and therefore this was ſpoken both to Moſes and to Aaron; though Moſes be only mention'd as the Perſon they contended with. For there was no need (as Aben-Fzra 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?
Ver. 3. And the People thirſted there for Water.] This looks like a needleſs Repetition; it being ſaid before, there was no Water in this place, (v. 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 grouth 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; meerly out of fear, that when the Water they had brought from Elim was 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 proceeded 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, v. 4. It is neceſſary to ſtop ſuch Motions, in their beginning.
Wherefore is this, that thou hast brought us out of Egypt?] This ſhows 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 faln a third time into ſuch a diſcontented ſit, as made them ſpeak reproachfully of their Deliverer, and ſlight the wonderful Deliverance it ſelf, 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 foreign, Tom. III. p. 369.
To kill us, and our Children, and our Cattle with thirst.] Children, as Abarbinel obſerves, can leſs indure thirſt than grown Men; and Cattle need abundance of Water, which is the reaſon they mention them.
Ver. 4. And Moſes cried unto the LORD.] Which he did not upon their firſt complaint, v. 2. becauſe their neceſſity was not ſo urgent: but now, ſeeing their Diſtreſs, and the heigth 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?] He ſaid enough, no doubt, to quiet them; by remembring them what God had already done for them, and what reaſon they had ſtill to truſt in his good Providence: But this would not ſatisfie 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, who 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.
Ver. 5. And the LORD ſaid unto Moſes, Go on before the People.] Be not afraid of their ſtoning, (ſaith the ſame Aharbinel) 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 ſee they ſhall not touch the hem of thy Garment.
And take with thee of the Elders of Iſrael.] Not valiant young Men to thy Life-guard; but 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.
Ver. 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 perſwade the Elders, 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 Rock; 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, v. 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 Miracle, and that mentioned XX Numb. 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, (CXIV Pſal. 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 teſtifie 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 remaining in ſeveral of their Fables. For there is a manifeſt alluſion to it in Euripides his Bacchae, v. 703. where he makes one of them ſmiting the Rock at Cithaeron, and Waters guſhing out of it.
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This I find obſerved by Bochartus in his Canaan, L. I. c. 16. and Huetius hath obſerved many more ſuch Inſtances out of Nonnus, Pauſanias, and divers other Authors, in his Alnetanae Quaeſtiones, L. II. c. 12. n. 18. And he thinks it very probable, that the Fable of Janus was forged from hence; for which he alledges many Arguments (in his Demonſtratio Evang.) and this among the reſt, that Albricus deſcribes his Image, holding a Rod in his left hand, with which he ſmites a Stone, and out of it Water flows.
Ver. 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 the place was called Meribah; but the water, XX Numb. 13.
Is the LORD among us, or not?] Doth he take care of us, or not regard what becomes of us? For God is ſaid to be among, or (as the Phraſe in the Hebrew) in the midst of thoſe whom he protects, and provides for, by a ſpecial Providence; as we find VII Deut. 21. XXIII. 14. III Joſh. 20. and many other places.
Ver. 8. Then came Amalek and fought, &c.] The ground of their Enmity, is commonly thought to be the ancient grudge of the Seed of Eſau, to thoſe of Iſrael. For Amalek was deſcended from the eldeſt Son of Eſau, by a Concubine, XXXVI Gen. 12. But it may very fairly alſo be ſuppoſed, that there was ſome League between the Amalekites, and the People of Canaan, of mutual Defence: which might move the Amalekites to oppoſe the paſſage of the Iſraelites, and indeavour to hinder their Settlement in Canaan; unto which perhaps they imagined their own pretences to be as good; though the Iſraelites, challenged the promiſe of it belong'd 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 ſight with them in the Wilderneſs. Or we may ſuppoſe that they attacked their Rear, as they were upon their march from Rephidim to Horeb; and cut off ſome Straglers, or ſuch as lagg'd behind, through faintneſs and wearineſs, as Moſes relates XXV Deut. 18. The Author of Dibre Hajamim makes the Army of Amalek to have conſiſted of an incredible Number; all exerciſing Divinations and Inchantments.
Ver. 9. And Moſes ſaid unto Joſhua.] Who it ſeems was an eminent Perſon, at their firſt coming out of Egypt.
Chuſe us out men.] Whom he knew to be as valiant as himſelf.
And go out, and ſight 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, v. 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 to bring it to paſs.
Ver. 10. So Joſhua did as Moſes had ſaid to him, &c.] Nothing but a ſtrong confidence in God, could have animated Men unexperienced in the Arts of War, to encounter ſuch mighty Enemies.
And Moſes, Aaron and Hur, went 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 joyned with the Leaders of God's People, Moſes and Aaron. We read indeed 1 Chron. II. 19. of one Hur, who was the Son of Caleb, and Grandfather of the famous Bezaleel; who was of the Tribe of Judah. But there is nothing to perſwade us that he was the Perſon here ſpoken of; nor that he was the Son of Moſes his Siſter, as ſome of the Jews tell us. See Pirke Elieſer, c. 45. where ſtrange Stories are told of him. But it is more probable that he was Miriam's Husband, as Joſephus affirms, L. III. Antiq. c. 2. though we cannot tell whence he himſelf was deſcended.
Ver. 11. When Moſes held up his hand.] Lifting up the hands was a poſture of Prayer, and imploring the Divine Aid, as we find in many places; particularly III Lament. 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 liſting up the eyes, and liſting up the ſoul, XXV Pſal. 1. CXXI. 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 up his hand; which was to advance the Rod of God, which he 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 ſee 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.
Ver. 12. But Moſes his 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 ſate 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 Hur 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 v. 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, helpt 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 Sunſet.
Ver. 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 called Pharaoh) becauſe he mentions Amalek and his People. Otherwiſe, if Amalek ſignifies collectively the Amalekites, then his People muſt ſignifie thoſe who were confederate with them.
Ver. 14. And the LORD ſaid unto Moſes.] He appeared, it's likely, to him again in this place, (as he had done v. 6.) and gave him this order.
Write this for a Memorial in a Book.] Make a Record of it; as he did both here, and XXV Deut. 17. &c. And no Body was ſo ſit to do it as he, who ſaw all that fell out in this Fight; and was the undoubted Author of what we 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 I Joſh. 7, 8. where there is a plain proof, that the Laws delivered by Moſes, were written before Joſhua entred into the Land of Canaan.
For I will utterly put out the Name of Amalek from under Heaven.] 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 prophecied of their utter Deſtruction, XXIV Numb. 20. Which may ſeem a hard Sentence; but it was (as Maimonides obſerves) to terrifie 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 meer Covetouſneſs committed what they did againſt Iſrael, and wrought Miſchief to them by Craft and Subtilty, had only this Puniſhment inflicted upon them, that Iſrael ſhould not contract Affinity with them, &c. XXIII Deut. 3, 4. XXV. ult. More Nevochim P. III. c. 41.
Ver. 15. And Moſes built an Altar.] Commonly Altars were built for Sacrifice: which Moſes perhaps here offered, in thankfulneſs to God for his Benefits, particulary this great Victory. But they were alſo built ſometimes, only as Memorials (XXII Joſh. 26, 27.) as this perhaps was: He thinking it ſit to preſerve the memory of this Victory, not only by writing, but by this Monument alſo, and the Inſcription he leſt upon it.
And he called the Name of it JEHOVAH-Niſſi.] 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, LX Pſal. 6. From which Inſcription Bochartus thinks came the Name of Dionyſus among the Greeks: who from this word Niſſi call'd him Niſſaeus or Nyſaeus; and adding the Name of their own Jupiter to it, called him foreign, L. I. Canaan, c. 18. For Bacchus is ſaid to have been a great Warrior, and to have made mighty Conqueſts. And as Huetius obſerves, is called Arſaphes, which is the very Name given to Moſes by the Egyptians, who called him Oſarſiph. Nay, in Orpheus his 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 ſhows with great probability, Demonſtr. Evang. Propoſ. IV. c. 4. n. 3.
Ver. 16. For he ſaid, Becauſe the LORD hath ſworn, &c.] In the Hebrew the words are, The hand upon the Throne of the LORD. Which is commonly interpreted, The LORD hath ſworn by his Throne. So R. Solomon, and Aben-Ezra; and the Chaldee, 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 Amalek, &c. That is, ſaith Maimonides, he hath ſworn by himſelf, (More Nevoch. P. I. c. 9.) for in this, and all other places, the word Kiſſe (i.e. Throne) ſignifies his Magnificence and Power: which is not any thing without his Eſſence; but is himſelf.
But here being no mention of lifting up the hand, which is the Phraſe for Swearing, (VI Exod. 8. XXXII Deut. 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 v. 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 ſignifie the ſame with Keſe; which according to him, is the laſt day of the Month on which this Battle was fought. And ſo this 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 foreign, irreconcileable War with Amalek for ever, L. III. de Emend. Temp. p. 223. But this is too bold a conceit; and is confuted by Hacſpan and Glaſſius. There is a more ingenious conjecture (which I have ſome where met with) if there were any thing in Scripture to warrant it; that laying the hand on the Throne, was a form of Swearing: as touching the Altar was among ſome Nations; which was as much as our laying the hand on the Bible: a principal External Character of a Solemn 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) therefore the LORD will have War with Amalek from Generation to Generation. This is eaſie 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 an 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.