And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
13. discomfited ] rather, disabled, or (in a fig. sense) prostrated (RVm.); lit. weakened 1 [157] . The verb occurs otherwise in Heb. only Job 14:10 a (‘man dieth and is powerless ’), and Isa 14:12 ( cannot mean ‘lay low’: read probably, ‘(lying) powerless on the corpses ’): but it is found in the Targums; the cognate adj. weak occurs in Joel 4:10, and is common in Aramaic; and the substantive weakness in Exo 32:18.
[157] Read the transitive form , as in the Targ. of Job 12:21.
with the edge of the sword ] lit. according to the mouth of the sword, i.e. as the sword devours (2Sa 11:25), = without quarter. So always. ‘With the edge’ is not correct.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
With the edge of the sword – This expression always denotes a great slaughter of the enemy.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Exo 17:13
Joshua discomfited Amalek.
Winning Gods battles
I. Amalek, as we learn from Deu 25:18, had smitten the hindmost, even all that were feeble. The stragglers are always a temptation to the foe. The hindmost and the feeble are sure to be the first attacked, and therefore should have special care.
II. Joshua discomfited Amalek, not Moses or some other friend. Let us keep our bitterness for sin, and our swords for the Kings enemies.
III. Amalek is not to be beaten without a fight. The struggle against sin is real, as we shall find to our cost if we are not wary.
IV. Moses was for each minding his own work. Joshua to fight, and himself to take the top of the hill.
V. Moses on the hill is an emblem of public prayer. There is a mystery about prayer that we cannot unravel, fine of the bravest of Christian soldiers, scarred with many a fight, said, I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands.
VI. How much even the mightiest of men are dependent upon others much weaker than themselves. It was well for the fortunes of the day that Moses was not alone.
VII. An altar marked the place of battle, and glory was given to the Lord of Hosts. The soldiers of the Cross should call the battle-fields where they have won their bravest fights by the name of Him to whom they ascribe all might and majesty. (T. Champness.)
The battle of Amalek, an instructive war
I. As the record of a war distinguished from most modern wars.
1. It was purely defensive on the Hebrew side.
2. It was Divinely sanctioned on the Hebrew side.
3. It was evidently judicial on the Hebrew side.
II. As the record of a war suggesting principles of general application.
1. The propagating influence of evil. I find the primal cause of this war in the injury which Jacob perpetrated upon his brother Esau (Gen 27:18-19). God only knows the influence of one evil act.
2. The Divine liberty allowed to wicked men. Full freedom to work out revengeful passions.
3. The variety of instrumentality by which God works out His designs. The Eternal ever works by means.
4. The dependence of mans progress on his relation to heaven.
5. The importance of transmitting to posterity the agency of God in history (see verse 14).
III. As the record of a war symbolizing the moral struggle in which the good are engaged.
1. That the good have spiritual enemies to contend with.
2. That the victory which the good are to obtain over their enemies depends on the help of others.
3. That whatever may be the amount of help obtained in the struggle, the victory must ever be ascribed to God. (Homilist.)
Israel and Amalek
I. The Christians example.
1. To fight.
(1) An aggressive fight Go
(2) To be done wisely. Choose you out men.
(3) Earnestly Fight. No parley.
(4) Continually.
2. To pray.
(1) For those who fight.
(2) Earnestly. Not growing weary.
(3) Confidently. The rod–symbol of past mercies.
(4) Unitedly.
II. The Christians encouragement.
1. Christ, our Captain–
(1) With us, to cheer.
(2) With us, to direct.
(3) With us, to defend.
2. Christ, our intercessor.
(1) Prays, while we work.
(2) Prays continually.
(3) Prays successfully.
III. The Christians prospect.
1. Of certain victory.
2. certain glory. (B. D. Macmillan.)
Amalek and Israel
I. The battle was forced upon the victors.
II. The battle was hotly contested.
III. The vanquished owed defeat, and the victors victory, to Divine power through human intercession.
Lessons:
1. As soon as we become followers of Christ, war is forced upon us.
2. Every Christian possesses a Divine rod which, wielded, will bring him Divine help (Heb 4:16).
3. Christians in their conflict have an Intercessor on the hill, and a Leader in the valley. Christ makes intercession (Heb 7:25); and the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities (Rom 8:26), and guides into all truth (Joh 16:13). (W. Harris.)
Lessons
1. Hands of creature-instruments may be helpful under God, to give His Church success against its enemies.
2. Such hands lifted up to heaven in prayer, and for encouragement, God doth assist unto prevalency.
3. Hands hanging down and feeble in prayer, may give opportunity unto enemies to prevail.
4. Such languishings after strong strugglings, God sometimes orders upon His choicest servants.
5. Doubtful may be the fight of Israel as to success against its enemies for a time (verse 11).
6. Heaviness of flesh and spirit in contending with God for Israel may sometimes befall Moses (Mat 26:41; Mat 26:43).
7. Suitable support under such delinquencies are very requisite for Gods servants. Christ the stone to us.
8. Good helpers to strengthen hearts and hands in faintings are specially useful.
9. By such helps souls may be stedfast and faithful unto God unto time of victory (verse 12).
10. Moses praying and Joshua fighting, Amalek must fail, when prayer puts the edge on the sword it is furbished to the slaughter.
11. It is Gods just ordering that they who first oppress with the sword, shall perish by the sword (verse 13). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people] Amalek might have been the name of the ruler of this people continued down from their ancestor, (See Clarke on Ex 17:8,) as Pharaoh was the name of all succeeding kings in Egypt. If this were the case, then Amalek and his people mean the prince and the army that fought under him. But if Amalek stand here for the Amalekites, then his people must mean the confederates he had employed on this occasion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Joshua discomfitedAmalekVictory at length decided in favor of Israel, and theglory of the victory, by an act of national piety, was ascribed toGod (compare 1Jo 5:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Amalek being distinguished from “his people”, has led some to think that Amalek was the name of the king, or general of the army, and that it was a common name to the kings of that nation, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt; but for this there is no foundation in the Scriptures: as Amelek signifies the Amalekites, his people may design the confederates and auxiliaries, the other people, as Ben Gersom expresses it, they brought with them to fight against Israel. And so Jerom z says, by him another Canaanite dwelt, who also fought against Israel in the wilderness, of whom it is so written, and Amalek and the Canaanite dwelt in the valley, Nu 14:25 and who were all, the one as the other, at least the greatest part of them, cut to pieces by the edge of the sword of Joshua and the Israelites, who obtained a complete victory over them; as the spiritual Israel of God will at last over all their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, the world, and death.
z Ut supra. (De Locis Hebr. fol. 87. M.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. And Joshua discomfited Amalek. The copula is here used instead of the illative particle; for Moses here concludes that the Israelites overcame their enemies, because he had continually persevered in prayer. There is, too, an implied antithesis between the firmness of his hands and the weakness of the enemy, that we may know that they were discomfited or conquered, not so much by the sword as by the uplifting of the rod, and by the intercession of the holy man.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Exo 17:13. Amalek and his people If we understand this disjunctively, Amalek must signify the prince of this people; or, if Amalek be understood of the Amalekites, collectively, his people must signify those confederated with him; or, perhaps, the words might be rendered, discomfited Amalek, even the people thereof.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Observe how victory is ascribed to Joshua. Perhaps eminently upon this consideration, that he was a type of our spiritual Joshua, who fights all our battles, and makes us more than conquerors through his grace helping us. Rev 12:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 17:13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Ver. 13. And Joshua discomfited. ] How should he do otherwise when he fought with such weapons Prayers are the bombardae et instrumenta bellica Christianorum, saith Luther i the great guns and warlike weapons of the saints. The Romans in a great distress were driven to take the weapons out of the temples of their gods, and overcame.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
edge. Hebrew mouth. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia. App-6. sword in the Plain: Rod of God on the mount (Exo 17:9): Jehovah above all (Exo 17:6).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jos 10:28, Jos 10:32, Jos 10:37, Jos 10:42, Jos 11:12
Reciprocal: Exo 17:9 – unto Joshua
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 17:13-14. Though God gave the victory, yet it is said Joshua discovered Amalek, because Joshua was a type of Christ, and of the same name, and in him it is that we are more than conquerors. The Lord said, Write this for a memorial This is the first mention of writing we find in Scripture.