Catholic Commentary on Exodus 17

"The LORD is my banner." (Exodus 17:15)

Water from the Rock and the Battle with Amalek

The community quarrels with Moses at Rephidim because there is no water: why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst? Moses cries to the LORD: what am I to do? They are almost ready to stone me. God tells him to strike the rock at Horeb with his staff; water will come out for the people to drink. Moses does this in the sight of the elders of Israel. He names the place Massah, testing, and Meribah, quarrelling, because the Israelites tested the LORD and asked: is the LORD among us or not? St. Paul identifies the rock as Christ, the spiritual Rock that accompanied them, from whose side the water of life flows (1 Corinthians 10:4). The Catechism sees in the water from the rock the type of Baptism and of the blood and water that poured from Christ's side at the Cross (CCC 694).

The Amalekites attack. Moses tells Joshua to choose men and fight while he stands on the hill with the staff of God. When Moses holds up his hands, Israel prevails; when he lets them down, Amalek prevails. Aaron and Hur hold up his hands until sunset. Joshua overcomes the Amalekite army. Moses builds an altar and calls it Yahweh-Nissi: The LORD is my banner. The victory is God's; the intercession of Moses's raised hands is the form of the prayer that secures it.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the battle is won when Moses's hands are raised. When fatigue lowers them, the enemy advances. Aaron and Hur held them up until sunset. Behind every Joshua fighting in the valley there must be a Moses on the hill with hands raised. Every person engaged in active spiritual work needs someone holding up their arms in intercession. Who holds up your arms? Whose arms are you holding?

Prayer

Lord God, you are our banner. Strike the rock and give us water in the wilderness. Hold our arms up when they grow weary with prayer. And let every Amalek that attacks us find that the battle belongs to you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

17
Water from the Rock
(Numbers 20:1–13)
1 Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin,* 17:1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin. moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.”
 
“Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
 
3 But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
 
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”
 
5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.† 17:6 Horeb is another name for Sinai. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.”
 
So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah ‡ 17:7 Massah means testing. and Meribah § 17:7 Meribah means quarreling. because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
The Defeat of the Amalekites
 
8 After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”
 
10 Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
 
11 As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. 12 When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.
 
13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.
 
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
 
15 And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner.* 17:15 Hebrew YHWH Nissi 16 “Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the LORD. The LORD will war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

*17:1 17:1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be mistaken for the English word sin.

†17:6 17:6 Horeb is another name for Sinai.

‡17:7 17:7 Massah means testing.

§17:7 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.

*17:15 17:15 Hebrew YHWH Nissi

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