Exodus

Chapter 17

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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.

A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.

1The whole congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin by their stages, at Yahweh’s mouth, and they camped at Rephidim. There was no water for the people to drink.

2The people disputed with Moses and said, “Give us water, so we can drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you dispute with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”

3The people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to kill me and my children and my livestock with thirst?”

4Moses cried out to Yahweh, “What shall I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me.”

5Yahweh said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Take in your hand your staff, with which you struck the Nile, and go.

6Look, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink.” Moses did so in the eyes of the elders of Israel.

7He named the place Massah and Meribah, because of the dispute of the sons of Israel, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

Notes (1)

Translation
Massah is “testing.” Meribah is “dispute.” The names are the words of the sentence. They are not translated away.

8Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill, with the staff of God in my hand.”

10Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11When Moses held his hand up, Israel prevailed. When he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

12Moses’ hands grew heavy. They took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on this side and one on that side, and his hands were steady until the sun went down.

Notes (1)

Translation
Emunah here is steadiness, hands that stay up. “Faith” is not printed.

13Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a scroll, and put it in Joshua’s hearing: I will wipe, I will wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.”

15Moses built an altar and named it Yahweh-nissi.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nissi is “my banner.” The name is “Yahweh is my banner.”

16He said, “A hand is on the throne of Yah. War for Yahweh against Amalek, from generation to generation.”

Notes (1)

Translation
Kes Yah is a short form. It is printed “the throne of Yah.” Yah is the short name, as in the song. The sentence is compressed, and no missing words are supplied.