_THE ISRAELITES MURMUR AT REPHIDIM. GOD ORDERS MOSES TO STRIKE THE ROCK AT HOREB, FROM WHICH PROCEEDS WATER. AMALEK FIGHTS AGAINST ISRAEL, AND IS CONQUERED, WHILE MOSES HOLDS UP HIS HANDS. MOSES BUILDS A MEMORIAL OF THE VICTORY._ _Before Christ 1491._... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THEIR JOURNEYS,—AND PITCHED IN REPHIDIM— See Numbers 33:12. Rephidim was a dry and sandy part of the desert of _Sin,_ within a march or two of _Sinai;_ where, there being _no water for the people to drink,_ and that which they brought from Elim being spent, their usual temper predominated, and... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL STAND BEFORE THEE THERE UPON THE ROCK IN HOREB— That is, "I will manifest my presence upon a certain rock in Horeb, whence water shall flow upon thy smiting the rock; as proper witnesses of which, thou art to take the elders of Israel with thee," Exodus 17:5. The word _there,_ שׁם _sham,_ mus... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE MASSAH, AND MERIBAH— The meaning of which names is, as usual, given in the context; _Meribah, chiding,_ or _strife, because of the chiding of the children of Israel; Massah, temptation, because they tempted the Lord._ See Exodus 17:2.Matthew 16:1. Psalms 78:18. "After... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME AMALEK— We learn from Deuteronomy 25:18 that the Amalekites fell upon the hindmost part of the Israelitish army, and smote all that were feeble behind, at a time when they were all faint and weary at Rephidim. After this attack upon the rear, they came to a pitched battle in the plain belo... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES SAID UNTO JOSHUA— This is the first time mention is made of _Joshua,_ or _Jesus,_ who makes so distinguished a figure in the subsequent part of the sacred history. He is often styled _the servant of Moses._ Formed under the conduct of that great master, he is appointed general under his direct... [ Continue Reading ]
HUR— It is uncertain who this person was: he is thought by some to have been the same who is mentioned, 1 Chronicles 2:19 : Josephus tells us, that he was the husband of Miriam. See Antiquities, book 3: ch. 2. To account for this event in an ordinary way, appears very difficult. We must understand i... [ Continue Reading ]
AMALEK AND HIS PEOPLE— If we understand this disjunctively, _Amalek_ must signify _the prince_ of this people; or, if _Amalek_ be understood of the _Amalekites,_ collectively, _his people_ must signify those confederated with him; or, perhaps, the words might be rendered, _discomfited Amalek, even t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WRITE THIS, &C.— God commands Moses here, not only to write his decree concerning Amalek, but to _rehearse it in the ears of Joshua;_ thus strongly declaring his fixed purpose; while it affords us one proof among many others, that Moses was the writer of this book, and that... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES BUILT AN ALTAR, &C.— It appears from Judges 22:26 that altars were not only built for sacrifice, but also for memorials and testimonies; see Genesis 31:48. Judges 6:24. This, built by Moses, was erected, as the name he gave to it plainly proves, in memory of the victory over Amalek; for he cal... [ Continue Reading ]