Chapter Seventeen
Water from a Rock
17:1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
We are told that God had the Israelites move “by stages,” (the Hebrew word ‘mǎs·’ě’,[1] means journey, moving on, to go from place to place), implying many stops. The narrative here does not elaborate as to where they stopped, nor does it give any details as to what they did until they camped at Rephidim. In the recounting of the journey recorded in the book of Numbers, additional information can be found. “And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.” (Numbers 33:11-14)
Like most of the location names associated with the exodus, there are several theories as to the location of Rephidim, however the exact location is unknown. The name is often confused with the Rephaim, a people group associated with the Nephilim, see Genesis 14:5; Numbers 13:33; and Deuteronomy 2:20-21; 3:11.
When they arrived at Rephidim there was no water for the Israelites to drink, setting the stage for another uprising.
17:2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The people began to complain to Moses about not having any water to drink. He immediately asks them why they are testing YHWH. That response may have temporarily stopped the complaining, but the people continued to thirst for water. So once again using sarcasm, they began to grumble to Moses asking why did he bring them out of Egypt, to die of thirst? Apparently, they were closing in on Moses, as he cried out to God asking Him what to do.
17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
God instructed Moses to continue past Rephidim along with the elders. Moses was also told to hold in his hand the same staff that he used to strike the Nile River with (see Exodus 7:20, note that even though Aaron held the staff, the wonder was attributed to Moses). The elders were called to witness another wonder of God.
17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
This is the first appearance of the Hebrew word ‘ṣûr’,[2] referring to a rock, most often a large rock (found over 75 times in the Old Testament). In many modern Bible translations, the word ‘rock’ is capitalized when the text refers to God. The word ‘sě’·lǎ’[3] also refers to a large rock, however it is mostly used to refer to a large rock with a fissure or a large open face. The word can be found 58 times in Scripture and is often interchangeable with ‘ṣûr’. The more common Hebrew word ‘ě’·ḇěn’[4] is generally referred to as a piece of rock, such as a stone, however the context and use of the word (found over 270 times in the Old Testament) does not appear to be limited in size. It is used to describe everything from precious gems to building blocks. All three of these Hebrew words can be found relating to the strong and unchanging nature of God.
God instructs Moses to proceed to the rock at Horeb, a territory familiar to him as this was the area where he first encountered God (see Exodus 3:1). Some believe that even though the rock may have been some distance away from Rephidim, that it was high enough in altitude to allow the water to flow down to where the other Israelites were.
Moses was to strike the rock, and water was to flow out of the rock. There is no mention in this narrative that the rock, when struck by Moses, actually split. We find that information elsewhere in the Bible. “He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.” (Psalms 78:15-16) “They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out.” (Isaiah 48:21)
Later in the book of Numbers the Israelites once again quarrel about the lack of water. God then instructs Moses to go back to this rock and ask for water. However, instead of asking the rock for water, he strikes it just as he did here. As a result of his disobedience, God does not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land (see Numbers 20:1-8).
17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
The location was named Massah and Meribah since the people questioned if YHWH was with them. The Hebrew word ‘mǎs·sā(h)’,[5] means testing or temptation, and the word ‘merî·ḇā(h)’,[6] means quarreling or contention.
Considerations
Throughout the Bible the Messiah is referred to as the Rock. Here are a few examples:
Several other verses can be found in Scripture and each one directly refers to or points to Jesus.
The apostle Paul clearly states who the Rock was, “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4b) The water at Horeb gave life to the Israelites just as Jesus offers living water (see John 4:10-11).
A rock has been discovered in the western slopes of Jabel al Lawz (some spell it jebel), a mountain in Saudi Arabia, the site believed by many to be the true Mount Sinai (Mount Horeb), which fits the description given in Psalms 78.
This large rock is split from the top to the bottom, and the base on which it sits and the large granite rocks in the vicinity have been smoothed by what appears to be massive water flow. Considering the rainfall for this area averages less than one inch per year it is likely the rock Moses struck.
Israel Defeats Amalek
17:8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.
Amalek was the son of Eliphaz (who was the son of Jacob’s brother Esau, see Genesis 36:12-16). The Amalekites, even though mostly settled in southern Canaan, were also considered a predatory and nomadic tribe. The Bible always portrays them being hostile toward Israel. Although the text does not mention the reason for the conflict, their appearance here is believed to be the result of the question found in the previous verse, “is the LORD among us or not?” Namely, their lack of faith.
17:9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
This is the first appearance of the name Joshua,[7] which is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek name Jesus (he is also referred to as Hoshea, “And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua,” see Numbers 13:8, 16; Deuteronomy 32:44, but should not be confused with Hoshea, the son of Elah, who was a king in the Northern Kingdom, Israel). Joshua, a God-fearing man, will ultimately be Moses’ successor.
Moses tells Joshua to choose some of the men of Israel to go out and fight Amalek, while he will go up on top of a hill and hold the staff of God.
17:10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Joshua took some men and fought with Amalek just as Moses requested him to do. Meanwhile Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Hur was the son of Caleb (see 1 Chronicles 2:19, 50; 4:1, 4), and according to Josephus, was the husband of Miriam.
Moses not being able to sustain his hands, thus stretched out (for as often as he let down his hands, so often were his own people worsted) (54) he bade his brother Aaron, and Hur their sister Miriam’s husband, to stand on each side of him, and take hold of his hands, and not permit his weariness to pervert it, but to assist him in the extension of his hands.[8]
Whenever Moses held up his hand, the Israelites were winning, but when his hands went down, Amalek started to prevail. The other Israelites could watch and see that when Moses raised his hand, that Joshua and his men were victorious, representing God’s presence.
17:12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Moses got tired of holding his hands up in the air, so Aaron and Hur found a stone for Moses to sit on, while they held up his hands for him. They were able to hold his hands steady until evening as Joshua and his men were victorious over Amalek. Some point out that this could be a model for successful intercession.
17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
God told Moses to write this victory as a memorial in a book and tell Joshua what he wrote, that YHWH will completely blot out the memory of Amalek. It was not until King David’s reign when the Amalekites were ultimately destroyed (see 1 Samuel chapter 30).
Moses then built an altar in Rephidim and named it, “The LORD is My Banner.” This is the first use of the word ‘nis·si’,[9] referring to a something that identifies and unifies a particular people group. Here Moses is showing that they identify themselves as people of God and that the victory belongs to God.
Because a hand (sometimes translated as fist) of the Amalekites had been raised against YHWH’s throne, God will be against Amalek from generation to generation until they are finally destroyed. However, prior to that time they will be a reoccurring menace to the Israelites.
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[1]Strong’s Hebrew 4550.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 6697.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 5553.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 68.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 4532.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 4809.
[7] Yehô·šǔ’·’a Strong’s Hebrew 3091.
[8] Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged (p. 82). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 3071.