SEV Biblia, Chapter 17:11
Y sucedía que cuando alzaba Moisés su mano, Israel prevalecía; mas cuando él bajaba su mano, prevalecía Amalec.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Exodus 17:11
Verse 11. When Moses held up his hand] We cannot understand this transaction in any literal way; for the lifting up or letting down the hands of Moses could not, humanly speaking, influence the battle. It is likely that he held up the rod of God in his hand, ver. 9, as an ensign to the people. We have already seen that in prayer the hands were generally lifted up and spread out, (See the note on "chap. ix. 29",) and therefore it is likely that by this act prayer and supplication are intended. The Jerusalem Targum says, "When Moses held up his hands in prayer, the house of Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hands from prayer, the house of Amalek prevailed." We may therefore conclude, that by holding up the hands in this case these two things were intended: 1. That hereby a reference was made to God, as the source whence all help and protection must come, and that on him alone they must depend. 2. That prayer and supplication to God are essentially necessary to their prevalence over all their enemies. It is indisputably true that, while the hands are stretched out, that is, while the soul exerts itself in prayer and supplication to God, we are sure to conquer our spiritual adversaries; but if our hands become heavy-if we restrain prayer before God, Amalek will prevail-every spiritual foe, every internal corruption, will gain ground. Several of the fathers consider Moses, with his stretched-out hands, as a figure of Christ on the cross, suffering for mankind, and getting a complete victory over sin and Satan.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-16 - Israel engaged with Amalek in their own necessary defence. God make his people able, and calls them to various services for the good of his church. Joshua fights, Moses prays, both minister to Israel. The ro was held up, as the banner to encourage the soldiers. Also to God, by way of appeal to him. Moses was tired. The strongest arm will fail with being long held out; it is God only whose hand is stretched out still We do not find that Joshua's hands were heavy in fighting, but Moses hands were heavy in praying; the more spiritual any service is, the more apt we are to fail and flag in it. To convince Israel that the hand of Moses, whom they had been chiding, did more for their safet than their own hands, his rod than their sword, the success rises an falls as Moses lifts up or lets down his hands. The church's cause i more or less successful, as her friends are more or less strong in faith, and fervent in prayer. Moses, the man of God, is glad of help We should not be shy, either of asking help from others, or of giving help to others. The hands of Moses being thus stayed, were steady til the going down of the sun. It was great encouragement to the people to see Joshua before them in the field of battle, and Moses above them of the hill. Christ is both to us; our Joshua, the Captain of ou salvation, who fights our battles, and our Moses, who ever lives making intercession above, that our faith fail not. Weapons forme against God's Israel cannot prosper long, and shall be broken at last Moses must write what had been done, what Amalek had done agains Israel; write their bitter hatred; write their cruel attempts; let the never be forgotten, nor what God had done for Israel in saving the from Amalek. Write what should be done; that in process of time Amale should be totally ruined and rooted out. Amalek's destruction wa typical of the destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his kingdom __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
והיה 1961 כאשׁר 834 ירים 7311 משׁה 4872 ידו 3027 וגבר 1396 ישׂראל 3478 וכאשׁר 834 יניח 5117 ידו 3027 וגבר 1396 עמלק׃ 6002
