Exo 17:1-7 | Clarke | STEP | The Israelites journey from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim, , where they murmur for lack of water, , . Moses asks counsel of God, , who commands him to take his rod and smite the rock, , and promises that water should proceed from it for the people to drink, . The place is called Massah and Meribah, . The Amalekites attack Israel in Rephidim, . Joshua is commanded to fight with them, . Moses, Aaron, and Hur go to the top of a hill, and while Moses holds up his hands, the Israelites prevail; when he lets them down, Amalek prevails, , . Moses, being weary, sits down, and Aaron and Hur hold up his hands, . The Amalekites are totally routed, , and the event commanded to be recorded, . Moses builds an altar, and calls it Jehovah-Nissi, . Amalek is threatened with continual wars, . Verse 1 Pitched in Rephidim - In it is said, that when the Israelites came from Sin they encamped in Dophkah, and next in Alush, after which they came to Rephidim. Here, therefore, two stations are omitted, probably because nothing of moment took place at either. See the notes on Numbers 33 (note).

‏ Exodus 17:1-7

Introduction

The Israelites journey from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim, Exo 17:1, where they murmur for lack of water, Exo 17:2, Exo 17:3. Moses asks counsel of God, Exo 17:4, who commands him to take his rod and smite the rock, Exo 17:5, and promises that water should proceed from it for the people to drink, Exo 17:6. The place is called Massah and Meribah, Exo 17:7. The Amalekites attack Israel in Rephidim, Exo 17:8. Joshua is commanded to fight with them, Exo 17:9. Moses, Aaron, and Hur go to the top of a hill, and while Moses holds up his hands, the Israelites prevail; when he lets them down, Amalek prevails, Exo 17:10, Exo 17:11. Moses, being weary, sits down, and Aaron and Hur hold up his hands, Exo 17:12. The Amalekites are totally routed, Exo 17:13, and the event commanded to be recorded, Exo 17:14. Moses builds an altar, and calls it Jehovah-Nissi, Exo 17:15. Amalek is threatened with continual wars, Exo 17:16.

Verse 1

Pitched in Rephidim - In Num 33:12-14 it is said, that when the Israelites came from Sin they encamped in Dophkah, and next in Alush, after which they came to Rephidim. Here, therefore, two stations are omitted, probably because nothing of moment took place at either. See the notes on Numbers 33 (note). Verse 2

Why chide ye with me? - God is your leader, complain to him; Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? As he is your leader, all your murmurings against me he considers as directed against himself; why therefore do ye tempt him? Has he not given you sufficient proofs that he can destroy his enemies and support his friends? And is he not among you to do you good? Exo 17:7. Why therefore do ye doubt his power and goodness, and thus provoke him to treat you as his enemies? Verse 3

And the people murmured - The reader must not forget what has so often been noted relating to the degraded state of the minds of the Israelites. A strong argument however may be drawn from this in favor of their supernatural escape from Egypt. Had it been a scheme concerted by the heads of the people, provision would necessarily have been made for such exigencies as these. But as God chose to keep them constantly dependent upon himself for every necessary of life, and as they had Moses alone as their mediator to look to, they murmured against him when brought into straits and difficulties, regretted their having left Egypt, and expressed the strongest desire to return. This shows that they had left Egypt reluctantly; and as Moses and Aaron never appear to have any resources but those which came most evidently in a supernatural way, therefore the whole exodus or departure from Egypt proves itself to have been no human contrivance, but a measure concerted by God himself. Verse 6

I will stand before thee there, upon the rock in Horeb - The rock, הצור hatstsur. It seems as if God had directed the attention of Moses to a particular rock, with which he was well acquainted; for every part of the mount and its vicinity must have been well known to Moses during the time he kept Jethro's flocks in those quarters. Dr. Priestley has left the following sensible observations upon this miracle: - "The luminous cloud, the symbol of the Divine presence, would appear on the rock, and Horeb was probably a part of the same mountain with Sinai. This supply of water, on Moses only striking the rock, where no water had been before nor has been since, was a most wonderful display of the Divine power. The water must have been in great abundance to supply two millions of persons, which excluded all possibility of artifice or imposture in the case. The miracle must also have been of some continuance, no doubt so long as they continued in that neighborhood, which was more than a year. There are sufficient traces of this extraordinary miracle remaining at this day. This rock has been visited, drawn, and described by Dr. Shaw, Dr. Pocock, and others; and holes and channels appear in the stone, which could only have been formed by the bursting out and running of the water. No art of man could have done it, if any motive could be supposed for the undertaking in such a place as this."

This miracle has not escaped the notice of the ancient Greek poets. Callimachus represents Rhea bringing forth water from a rock in the same way, after the birth of Jupiter. Πληξεν ορος σκηπτρῳ, το δε οἱ δεχα πουλυ διεστη. Εκ δ' εχεεν μεγα χευμα.

Hymn ad Jov., ver. 31. - With her scepter struck

The yawning cliff; from its disparted height

Adown the mount the gushing torrent ran.

Prior.

The rock mentioned above has been seen and described by Norden, p. 144, 8vo.; Dr. Shaw, p. 314, 4th., where there is an accurate drawing of it; Dr. Pocock, vol. i., p. 143, etc., where the reader may find some fine plates of Mount Horeb and Sinai, and four different views of the wonderful rock of Meribah. It is a vast block of red granite, fifteen feet long, ten broad, and twelve high. See Dr. Shaw's account at the end of Exodus. My nephew, who visited this rock in 1823, confirms the account of the preceding travelers, and has brought a piece of this wonderful stone. The granite is fine, and the quartz mica, and feldspar equally mixed in it. This rock or block of granite is the only type of Christ now existing. Verse 7

He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah - מסה Massah signifies temptation or trial; and מריבה Meribah, contention or litigation. From 1Cor 10:4, we learn that this rock was a type of Christ, and their drinking of it is represented as their being made partakers of the grace and mercy of God through Christ Jesus; and yet many who drank fell and perished in the wilderness in the very act of disobedience! Reader, be not high minded, but fear! On the smiting of the rock by the rod of Moses, Mr. Ainsworth has the following pious note: "This rock signified Christ, and is therefore called a spiritual Rock, 1Cor 10:4. He being smitten with Moses's rod, and bearing the curse of the law for our sins, and by the preaching of the Gospel crucified among his people, Gal 3:1, from him floweth the spiritual drink wherewith all believing hearts are refreshed." Joh 7:37, and Isa 53:1-3.