Exodus Chapter 17 verse 14 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 14. - Write this... in a book. The original has, "Write this in the book." It is clear that a book already existed, in which Moses entered events of interest, and that now he was divinely commanded to record in it the great victory over Amalek, and the threat uttered against them. The record was to be for a memorial - 1. that the victory itself might be held in remembrance through all future ages, as a very signal instance of God's mercy; and 2. that when the fulfilment of the threat came (1 Chronicles 4:43), God might have his due honour, and his name be glorified. Rehearse it in the ears of Joshua. "Hand down," i.e., to thy successor, Joshua, the tradition of perpetual hostility with Amalek, and the memory of the promise now made, that the whole nation shall be utterly blotted out from under heaven. (Compare Deuteronomy 25:19.) The special sin of Amalek was, 1. That he attacked God's people, not fearing God (ib, verse 18); . . .

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Write this for a memorial in a book.--Heb., in the book. That "book" existed long prior to Moses is implied in his quotation of them (Genesis 5:1; Numbers 21:14), and has of late years been abundantly proved by the discoveries made of Egyptian papyruses dating from a time long anterior to the Jewish lawgiver. The expression used in the present place, if it may be trusted,[59] "the book," is remarkable, and seems to imply that a book already existed at the date of the engagement, in which God's dealings with His people were entered from time to time. (See Introduction to Speaker's Commentary, vol. i., p. 1.) This book was probably the germ of the existing Pentateuch, which was composed in many portions, and at intervals, as occasion arose.[59] B?sepher, "in a book," and bassepher. "in the book, differ only in the pointing, which, resting solely on tradition cannot be entirely depended on. The LXX. omit the article.I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek.--The extermination of Amalek, here prophesied, was afterwards laid as a positive command upon the Israelites (Deuteronomy 25:19), and was accomplished in part by Saul and David (1Samuel 14:48; 1Samuel 15:7; 1Samuel 27:8; 1Samuel 30:17; 2Samuel 8:12), but finally and completely in the reign of Hezekiah (1Chronicles 4:43). Amalek's sin was, that after all the signs and wonders which had shown the Israelites to be God's peculiar people, he braved God's displeasure by attacking them (Deuteronomy 25:18). To this audacity and contempt of Jehovah's power he added a cruel pitilessness, when he fell upon the rear of an almost unarmed host, at a time when they were "faint and weary." . . .