Exodus 17: Water, War, and Raised Hands
God brings water from a rock for a quarreling people, and Israel prevails over Amalek as long as Moses' hands are held up in intercession.
Exodus 17 (WEB)
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?”
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 When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. 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.’”
Exodus 17 (KJV)
1 And 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.
2 Wherefore 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?
3 And 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?
4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
5 And 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.
6 Behold, 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.
7 And 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?
8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And 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.
10 So 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.
11 And it came to pass, 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 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.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 And 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.
15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it JEHOVAH–nissi:
16 For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
Exodus 17 (ASV)
1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to the commandment of Jehovah, and encamped in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Wherefore the people strove with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why strive ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt Jehovah?
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
4 And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me.
5 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go.
6 Behold, 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.
7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the striving of the children of Israel, and because they tempted Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us, or not?
8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And 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 my hand.
10 So 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.
11 And it came to pass, 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 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.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 and Jehovah said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi;
16 and he said, Jehovah hath sworn: Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
Summary
Camped at Rephidim with no water, the people quarrel with Moses and demand drink, putting Yahweh to the test by asking whether he is among them or not. Moses cries out, fearing the people are ready to stone him, and God tells him to take the rod with which he struck the Nile and strike the rock in Horeb. Water gushes out for the people to drink, and Moses names the place Massah and Meribah—testing and quarreling—as a memorial of their unbelief. Then Amalek comes and attacks Israel. Moses sends Joshua to fight while he stands on the hilltop with God's rod in his hand. As long as Moses holds up his hand, Israel prevails; when he lowers it, Amalek prevails. When his arms grow heavy, Aaron and Hur put a stone under him and hold up his hands, one on each side, so that his hands are steady until sunset, and Joshua defeats Amalek. The LORD tells Moses to write this as a memorial and declares perpetual war against Amalek, and Moses builds an altar named Yahweh Our Banner.
Main Characters
- Moses — The leader who strikes the rock for water and stands on the hill with God's rod, his upheld hands sustaining Israel in battle against Amalek.
- Joshua — Moses' young commander, chosen to lead Israel's fighting men, who defeats Amalek with the sword while Moses intercedes above.
- Aaron and Hur — The two who steady Moses, placing a stone beneath him and holding up his hands on either side until the sun sets and victory is won.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who brings water from the rock, gives victory over Amalek, and is honored as Israel's banner and helper in battle.
Key Verse
Exodus 17:6 (WEB)
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.
Lessons Learned
- Testing God in unbelief is a serious sin, even when our physical needs are real.
- God graciously provides for an undeserving people, bringing water from a rock.
- Victory in spiritual battle depends not on our strength alone but on God's help sought in prayer.
- We are made to hold one another up; no leader or believer is meant to stand alone.
- The smitten rock that poured out life-giving water points us to Christ, struck for us.
- Unbelief tests God instead of trusting him. The place is named for their quarreling, “because they tested Yahweh, saying, ‘Is Yahweh among us, or not?’” (Exodus 17:7, WEB). Demanding proof is the opposite of faith.
- God provides from unlikely places. “You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it” (Exodus 17:6, WEB). The LORD draws abundant supply from barren stone for a grumbling people.
- Battles are won through intercession. “When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed” (Exodus 17:11, WEB). The decisive front was not only Joshua's sword but Moses' upraised hands before God.
- We need others to hold us up. Aaron and Hur “held up his hands… His hands were steady until sunset” (Exodus 17:12, WEB). God designed his people to support one another in weariness and prayer.
- Why is the people's demand for water described as testing God rather than simply asking?
- What is the significance of God standing on the rock and Moses striking it for water?
- What does the battle with Amalek teach us about the relationship between effort and prayer?
- Why do you think God recorded the detail of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' hands?
- Who holds up your hands when you grow weary, and whose hands might you be called to hold up?
- Their real water need becomes an occasion for accusation and unbelief: “Is Yahweh among us, or not?” (17:7). Rather than ask in trust, they quarrel and threaten to stone Moses. The sin is not having needs but doubting God's presence and care in the midst of them.
- God says he will stand on the rock as Moses strikes it (17:6), so that the blow falls, as it were, where God stands. From hard stone comes life-giving water for the undeserving. Paul later calls this rock a picture of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), struck so we might drink.
- Joshua fights with real effort, yet the tide turns with Moses' hands, not the army's might (17:11). The chapter holds together diligent action and dependent prayer: we work as if it matters and pray knowing the victory is God's.
- The vivid image of Aaron and Hur steadying Moses (17:12) shows that even the great intercessor grows weary and needs help. God's work is communal; leaders need supporters, and the body wins together. None of us is meant to keep our hands up alone.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name those who sustain them in prayer and encouragement, and to consider whom they might come alongside. As leader, foster a culture of mutual support rather than solitary striving.