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"And he called the name of the place Massah and Mer'ibah, because of the faultfinding of the children of Israel, and because they put the Lord to the proof by saying, 'Is the Lord among us or not?'"
- Exodus 17: 7, RSV, see link below.
At the end of 16 it was a 'Saturday' and we were sitting around the Wilderness of Sin eating day old manna and quail.
1 Summary:
And "nasa" (journeyed / traveled / etc) the sons of Israel from the Wilderness of Sin, on their journey, according to the "peh" (mouth / word) of YHWH, and camped at "Rephidim" (resting place / bed (also: possibly refers to 'balluster', a quarry that produced worked stone items, including anchors and blocks for building)), no water to drink.
Traditionalists say this is a Wadi (valley) in the southern Sinai Peninsula, without adding that that is still in historical Egypt. There is an interesting 'split rock' in the Saudi desert that is another possible location of Moses's next act. The fact that is is reasonably close to the 'Burnt Peak' of Jabal Maqla, which answers nicely to an upcoming incident in the story, and is NOT located inside Egyptian territory, and is near an ancient mass graveyard, and a known ancient battlefield, which all works better by the text. Either way, there is, as yet, no objective evidence to confirm anyplace as The Place. Perhaps if more archaeology is done at sites such as Jabal Dhaylan, an ancient mine and quarry just south of this area along the Red Sea coast, something definite will be learned. See links below for more about these sites.
2 - 3 Summary:
"rib / rub" (strive / quarrel / dispute (includes the idea of 'pleading')) the people with Moses, asking for water to drink. Moses is unsympathetic and asks them why they are upset with him and "nasah" (testing / trying) YHWH.
And "tsame" (thirst / thirsted) the people for water, and "luwn" (grumble / murmur) the people against Moses, and said that he had brought them out of Egypt, them, and their children, and their livestock, to kill them with thirst.
An otherwise healthy adult, not doing much of anything, in a typical arid environment, needs about two liters (quarts) of water a day to simply survive. If you are maintaining a reasonable level of activity that doubles. And if you are working strenuously, or hiking a long distance, it would go up from there. And with Israel, we're talking about perhaps a couple of million people, and livestock besides. They need A Lot of water just to stay alive in camp, that isn't even considering that they spend a lot of time on the move. There's a link below about: "how not to die in the desert".
4 Summary and paraphrase:
So "tsaaq" (cry out / call for help) Moses to YHWH saying, what should I do with the people, they are ready to "sawal" (stone / 'pelt with stones' (implies 'stoning to death')).
5 - 6 Summary:
And said YHWH to Moses: go in front of the people, and take some "zaqen" (elders / old) of Israel - and your staff with which you struck the Nile. Behold, I will "amad" (stand) before you on the :"tsur" (rock / boulder / cliff (the word only indicates a notable stone feature)) of "choreb" (Horeb (generic name for a mountain range in the desert)) and you shall "nakah" (strike / hit) the rock, and will come out of it water, that the people may drink. And did so Moses, in the sight of the "zaqen" (elders) of Israel.
In this verse we are back to the people being called Israel instead of, as through the food episode, the 'sons of'. At least for now.
7 Summary and Discussion:
The names "Massah" (a place in the desert) and "Meribah" (quarreling / strife) because of the "rib" (dispute / controversy / etc) and because they "nasah" (tested / 'to prove' (as in 'to demand proof')) YHWH saying, is YHWH among us or not.
This is perhaps proof that Moses had no idea what he was doing with the people. He had spent some time living in this area, and knew what to expect from the landscape. He was leading a large group of people who were use to cities and farms with a constant source of food and access to fresh (if muddy) water, into an arid region with sparse vegetation and few water sources.
While Moses may have "drank water from a muddy hoof print" (see source below), the people haven't. And they've only had just over a month's experience living off the land. And while they may believe in God, they don't seem to be overly sure about the leadership of Moses at this point.
It is an established geologic fact that what is called "paleo-water" or "fossil water" exists under the deep sand of the region. In some places it is close to the surface and can be reached through a hand dug well. In other places, it may be thousands of feet deep. See links below for more. Evidently Moses had a bit of advice on how to open an artesian spring where the aquifer encountered a layer of impermeable rock, and simply 'popped the cork' on it.
8 Summary:
"Amaleq" (Amalek) comes and "lacham" (wage war / battle) with Israel in Rephidim.
We need to skip around a bit to find out what was going on, we'll look at 'him' in a moment. Turn to Deuteronomy 25 : 17 and 18:
"Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God." (NIV)An incident that is referenced several hundred years later in instructions to King Saul in 1 Samuel 15.
It's about five hundred years since we met the grandson of Esau named Amalek, see Genesis 36, so this is NOT that man and his immediate family. Are these people descended from him? We don't know for certain, but it is possible. And given how disagreeable history has made them out to be, it may even be likely. Or were they locals that just grew into the name. Or even somebody totally unrelated, and Moses didn't know what else to call them, so that's what we have here. Or even a 'delightful' combination of all of the above.
In any case, the Amalekites lived in the southern portion of the Negev, including later became Judah, and down into what was Edom and the region where, later, the Nabataeans would control the major overland trade routes that, at this time, the Amalekites were raiding. See link below for more about them.
9 Discussion first:
This is the first mention of "Yehoshua" (Joshua, means: Jehovah-saved) in the Five Books of Moses. We know absolutely nothing about him at this point, and, in fact, learn nothing else about him until much later in the book, see chapter 33: 11 even though he becomes very important in chapter 17, and later takes a hike up a hill with Moses, we still don't know anything about him, how he came to Moses' attention, why Moses thinks he has any military experience, or anything else. He just gets a cue in the script: 'Joshua enters from stage right and gets some instructions from Moses'. And here we go.....
And said Moses to Joshua, "bachar" (select / choose) "ish" (men) to "yatsa" (go out / go forth) "lacham" (fight / wage war / battle) with Amalek. "machar" (tomorrow) I will "natsab" (stand) on top of the "gibah" (hill / hillock (little hill)), with the "matteh" (staff) of 'Elohim in my hand.
There is nothing in the text about God telling Moses to do this like during the plagues and in chapter 14 verse 16 at the Red Sea. But we have no reason to doubt that HE told Moses that it was a good idea, why else would Moses think it would work?
10 - 11 Summary:
Joshua does as he was told and goes out and attacks Amalek - and Moses, Aaron, and "Chur" (Hur (another Hebrew who just appears, later we find out he's from the Tribe of Judah, see chapter 38)) went to the top of the hill. And "hayah" (happened / came to pass) when "rum" (lifted / raised) Moses his "yad" (hand / hands) "gabar" (prevail / 'were stronger') and when he let down his hand, "gabar" (prevail...) Amalek.
12 Summary:
But "yad" (hand) Moses' "kabed" (heavy / weighty (includes 'grievous') so they got a stone, and he sat on it, and Aaron and Hur "tamak" (hold / support) his hands. 'one on each side' - and were his hands "emunah" (steadfast / faithful / etc) until sunset.
The verse does not mention him holding anything, it only talks about 'his hands'.
13 Summary:
"chalash" (subdued / overwhelmed) Joshua - Amalek and 'his' "am" (people / nation) with the "peh" (edge / mouth) of the "chereb" (sword).
Per the wording here, this Amalek is the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, who, with his twin brother Jacob (who lived to be 147), were the sons of Isaac. By what we can determine from history / tradition / the text / and so on, Amalek would probably have been born around 2000 BC. The Exodus is thought to have happened around 1400 (give or take). This would make the age of Amalek on par with the pre-Flood patriarchs if it is the same guy. So it might be that this Amalek is the current chief / prime minister / ruler of the group, and is 'King Amalek the Eleventh', and, during the battle, he wasn't formerly introduced to Moses.
14
And said YHWH to Moses, "kathab" (write / record) this "zikkaron" (memorial / record / remembrance) in "sepher" (book / document / scroll), and "sum / sim" (make / place) it in "ozen" (ears / hearing) of Joshua, "ki" (that) "machah" (obliterate / wipe 'out' / destroy) "machah" (obliterate (word is repeated for emphasis)) the "zeker" (memory / name) of Amalek from "tachath" (under / beneath) "shamayim" (sky / heaven).
This is the first use of the word "kathab" (write) in the OT, it, and its variations, did not occur, at all, in Genesis.
15 Summary:
Moses builds an altar and calls it YHWH is my "nes" (banner / flag).
This is the first altar in Exodus, and the only one recorded since Genesis 35.
16 Summary:
He said has sworn "YAH" (The LORD) "milchamah" (war / battle) YHWH with Amalek from "dor" (generation / age) to "dor" ....
End Chapter 17
Selected Resources:
All links will open in a new tab/window, all were working as of original date of posting:
Interlinear English / Hebrew: Chapter 17 https://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/17.htm
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Exodus-Chapter-17/
Revised Standard Version https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2017&version=RSV
A page of interesting conclusions, some of which are, perhaps, a bit of wishful thinking, but interesting none the less.... AND - possible.
Split Rock of Rephidim https://www.splitrockresearch.org/portfolio/the-split-rock/
https://jabalmaqla.com/split-rock-battlefield-rephidim/
"Split Rock Battlefield, Rephidim" https://doubtingthomasresearch.com/split-rock-battlefield-rephidim/
"How To Not Die In The Desert" https://rimtours.com/adventure-west/how-to-not-die-in-the-desert-drink-water/
The idea is from "True Grit" by Charles Portis, published 1968....
"Later Rooster will claim LaBoeuf is just spouting common Texas cowboy myths when he speaks of being so deprived of water he drank from a muddy hoof print."
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/True-Grit/chapter-4-summary/
The line was made famous by John Wayne in the movie adaptation the following year.
Fossil aquifers in Arabian Peninsula:
https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2019/october/Arabian-Peninsula-fossil-aquifers-water/
"Saudi Wheat Experiment Relied on Fossil Water" https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippet/earthview-saudi-wheat-experiment-relied-fossil-water
Reconnaissance Archaeology Of Jabal Dhaylan, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia: https://www.maajournal.com/index.php/maa/article/view/891
Who Were Amalek and the Amalekites? https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3942715/jewish/Who-Were-Amalek-and-the-Amalekites.htm
https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1351-amalek-amalekite
"Temporal changes in the ageing of biblical patriarchs:
"Comparison of biblical life spans with those of modern human populations indicates that the ages of the patriarchs are not exaggerated."
https://creation.com/en/articles/temporal-changes-in-the-ageing-of-biblical-patriarchs
NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.
http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org
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