XVII. THE MURMURING AT REPHIDIM AND THE FIGHT WITH AMALEK. (1) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED FROM THE WILDERNESS OF SIN. — The route by which Rephidim was reached is very uncertain. From El Markha there are three modes of reaching the Wady Feiran, where Rephidim is placed by most critics. One ro... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE DID CHIDE. — Water is scanty along the route by which we have supposed Rephidim to have been reached. Such a supply as the people may have brought with them from Elim would have been exhausted. They would have looked forward to Rephidim both for their immediate necessity and for replenish... [ Continue Reading ]
TO KILL US. — This was no exaggeration. Thirst kills as surely as hunger, and more quickly. Whole armies have died of it. (Herod. iii. 26.) Ships’ crews have perished of it on the ocean, with “water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” Unless a supply could somehow or other have been provide... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BE ALMOST READY TO STONE ME. — Heb., _Yet a little and they will stone_ me. On tumultuary stoning, see the second Note on Exodus 8:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
GO ON BEFORE THE PEOPLE. — The people were probably in no condition to move. They were exhausted. with a long day’s march — weary, faint, nerveless. Moses and the elders, who probably journeyed on asses, would have more strength. TAKE WITH THEE OF THE ELDERS — as witnesses. Each miracle had an educ... [ Continue Reading ]
MASSAH means _trial,_ or _temptation,_ being formed from the root used in Exodus 17:2 (“Wherefore do ye _tempt_ the Lord ?”) It is the word translated by “trial” in Job 9:23, and by _“_temptation” in Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 29:3, and Psalms 95:8. MERIBAH means _chiding,_ or _... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME AMALEK. — The Amalekites had not been previously (except in the anticipatory notice of Genesis 14:7) mentioned as a nation. Their name marks them for descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12; Genesis 36:16); and it would seem that they early became the predominant people... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES SAID UNTO JOSHUA. — This is the first mention of Joshua. He was an Ephraimite, the son of a man called Nun, and the tenth in descent from Joseph (see Note on Exodus 6:16), in the prime of life — about 45 years old — and probably known as possessing military capacity. His actual name at the tim... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES, AARON, AND HUR WENT UP. — Moses, we know, was eighty years of age (Exodus 7:7); Aaron was eighty-three; Hur, the _grandfather_ of Bezaleel (Exodus 31:2), the architect of the Tabernacle, can scarcely have been less. Unfit for battle themselves, they felt it was by prayer and intercession that... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN MOSES HELD UP HIS HAND... ISRAEL PREVAILED, &c. — In order to teach the lesson of the value of intercessory prayer, God made the fortunes of the fight to vary according as Moses “held up his hand,” or allowed it to sink down. It is not probable that the Israelites were _directly_ affected by th... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES’ HANDS WERE HEAVY. — Moses writes with a clear remembrance of his feelings at the time. His hands, long stretched to heaven, grew weary, “heavy,” feeble; he could no longer raise them up, much less stretch them out, by his own muscular energy. They sank down, and dropped by his sides. If the b... [ Continue Reading ]
WRITE THIS FOR A MEMORIAL IN A BOOK. — Heb., _in the book._ That “book” existed long prior to Moses is implied in his quotation of them (Genesis 5:1; Numbers 21:14), and has of late years been abundantly proved by the discoveries made of Egyptian papyruses dating from a time long anterior to the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES BUILT AN ALTAR. — Primarily, no doubt, to sacrifice thank-offerings upon it, as an acknowledgment of the Divine mercy in giving Israel the victory. But secondarily as a memorial — a monument to commemorate Israel’s triumph. AND CALLED THE NAME OF IT JEHOVAH-NISSI. — Jacob had named an altar “E... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE LORD HATH SWORN THAT THE LORD WILL HAVE WAR WITH AMALEK. — Heb,, _because_ (_his_)_ hand is against the throne of Jehovah,_ (_there shall be_) _war to Jehovah with Amalek,_ &c. The Hebrew can scarcely be said to be “obscure.” It gives plainly enough the sense which our translators have p... [ Continue Reading ]