Ex. 17 The children of Israel come to Rephidim; there is no water, therefore murmur against Moses, Ex. 17:1–3. Moses crieth to the Lord, Ex. 17:4. The Lord sendeth Moses to Horeb; he smiteth the rock, and water cometh out, Ex. 17:5–6. He names that place, and the reason of it, Ex. 17:7.

After their journeys; by divers stations, recorded Num. 33:12–13;c., but here omitted, because there was nothing extraordinary happened in them. According to the commandment of the Lord, expressed either by word of mouth, or by the motion or rest of the cloudy pillar, Ex. 13:21.

By distrusting God’s power, and providence, and faithfulness, and goodness, upon such a small occasion, by refusing to submit to God’s will, and to wait upon him by humble and fervent prayers for relief, and instead thereof quarrelling with me, as if it were my fault, and murmuring against God…

Take with thee of the elders of Israel, that they may be eye-witnesses of this glorious work, and may report it to the people. The river; either the Red Sea, for an arm of the sea is sometimes called a river; or the river Nilus.

I will stand before thee there, in my cloudy pillar, which shall stand over that place. Horeb and Sinai are sometimes spoken of as the same place, and sometimes as two differing places, as here, compared with Ex. 19:2.

viz. To protect and provide for us according to his word given to us. Will God be as good as his word, or will he not? For it is to us very doubtful.

Then, i.e. when they were upon their march from Rephidim to Horeb, Deut. 25:17–18. The ground of the quarrel was the prosecution of the old hatred of Esau a against Jacob, and-the revenging of themselves and their father upon the posterity of Jacob; for which they thought this the fittest season,…

Go out; out of the camp to meet the enemy. I will stand on the top of the hill, both to observe thy carriage, and success or defeat, that I may govern myself accordingly, and that I may in that retirement pour out my soul unto the Lord of hosts, that he may give thee victory.

Hur; a person of eminency both for wisdom and experience, and for place and authority, supposed to be the husband of Miriam. See Ex. 24:14.

Moses held up his hand, with the rod of God in it. This gesture, though fervent prayer was doubtless joined with it, seems not to have been the gesture of praying, which is the lifting up of both hands, but of an ensign-bearer, or of one ready to smite his enemies.

Not that both hands were erected and joined together, which was not a fit posture for one holding a rod in his hand; but that Moses shifted the rod out of one hand into the other when the former was weary, and that Aaron and Hur did each of them with both hands hold up that hand which was next to…

Either, 1. The king of the Amalekites, and his people. Or, 2. The people of the Amalekites, and those other people who were leagued with them.

In a book; even in this book, which Moses was to write by God’s inspiration and appointment. See Ex. 34:27, Deut. 31:9, Deut. 31:22. In the ears of Joshua, thy successor, and the captain of my people, that he and all succeeding governors may watch all occasions to execute this command.

Moses built an altar, both for the offering of sacrifices of praise unto God, and to be a monument of this victory, and of the author of it. The name of it, viz.

For, or, and, as the Hebrew particle properly signifies; for these words are not a reason of the passage next preceding, but an additional sentence. Because, or, surely, (as that particle is oft used, as Job 8:6, Job 20:20, Ps. 10:14, Ps. 44:22;c.) Heb.