Year of the Bible
Exodus 17
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 17:
As the people continue their journey, the Lord supports them against potential natural and human disasters. The natural challenge comes first as they run out of water. The people again murmur against Moses, finding fault with him. Legally, this means they have found him guilty for the events leading to this situation. While the people prepare to stone Moses, God quickly responds and has Moses bring elders to witness God’s next miracle: producing water from a rock. The second challenge is human, brought in the form of the Amalekite army. The only way for God’s people to have victory is through prayer and communal effort. A new character, Joshua, leads the Jewish army in battle, but they are only successful when Moses, with the support of others, has his arms raised in prayer. These combined efforts of warfare and prayer bring victory, and Moses declares, “The Lord is my banner,” meaning that he fights under the banner, or flag, of the Lord.
The Book of Exodus
Water from the Rock
1 All the congregation of the sons of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people found fault with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you find fault with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the rod with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the fault-finding of the sons of Israel, and because they put the LORD to the test by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
Amalek Attacks Israel and Is Defeated
8 Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 And the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD is my banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the banner of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Quarreling, testing, grumbling…because there was no water to drink! For those who I encounter in life who quarrel, test, and grumble, how may I love them better, Lord, and know what they really thirst for? Are there hard rocks you wish me to strike so that your life-giving water may gush forth to quench their thirst?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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1 Toda la comunidad de los hijos
de Israel partió del desierto
de Sin, haciendo etapas, según indicaba
el Señor. Y acamparon en Refidim,
donde el pueblo no halló agua para beber.
2 El pueblo entonces se quejó a Moisés
diciendo:
–Danos agua para beber.
Y les respondió:
–¿Por qué os querelláis conmigo?
¿Por qué tentáis al Señor?
3 Pero el pueblo continuaba sediento
y murmuró contra Moisés:
–¿Por qué nos has sacado de Egipto
para dejarnos morir de sed, a nosotros,
a nuestros hijos y a nuestros ganados?
4 Moisés clamó al Señor diciendo:
–¿Qué puedo hacer con este pueblo?
Casi llegan a apedrearme.
5 Respondió el Señor a Moisés:
–Pasa delante del pueblo acompañado
de algunos ancianos de Israel, lleva
en tu mano el bastón con que golpeaste
el Nilo y emprende la marcha. 6 Yo estaré
junto a ti sobre la roca en el Horeb;
golpearás la roca y saldrá agua para que
beba el pueblo.
Lo hizo así Moisés a la vista de los
ancianos de Israel. 7 Y llamó a aquel lugar
Masá y Meribá por la querella de los
hijos de Israel y por haber tentado al Señor
diciendo: «¿Está el Señor entre nosotros,
o no?»
8 Vino entonces Amalec y atacó a Israel
en Refidim. 9 Moisés dijo a Josué:
–Elige unos hombres y sal a combatir
contra Amalec. Yo estaré de pie en la
cima del monte con el bastón de Dios
en la mano.
10 Hizo Josué como Moisés le había
ordenado y combatió contra Amalec;
mientras, Moisés, Aarón y Jur subieron
a la cima del monte. 11 Resultó que cuando
Moisés alzaba las manos, vencía Israel,
pero cuando las dejaba caer, vencía
Amalec. 12 Como se le cansaban las manos
a Moisés, acercaron una piedra, se
la pusieron debajo y se sentó sobre ella,
en tanto que Aarón y Jur le sujetaban las
manos, cada uno por un lado. Y así sus
manos se mantuvieron en alto hasta la
puesta del sol. 13 Josué derrotó a Amalec
y a su pueblo a filo de espada.
14 Luego el Señor dijo a Moisés:
–Escribe esto en un libro para que
sirva de recuerdo, y transmite a Josué
que yo he de borrar por completo la memoria
de Amalec de debajo del cielo.
15 Entonces Moisés edificó un altar al
que puso por nombre «El Señor es mi
bandera», 16 diciendo:
–Mano al estandarte del Señor;
el Señor está en guerra contra Amalec
de generación en generación.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).