Exodus 17:14

Exodus 17:14

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

a. ASV: And Jehovah said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

b. YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Write this, a memorial in a Book, and set it in the ears of Joshua, that I do utterly wipe away the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens;'

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And the Lord said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.

d. Septuagint: And the Lord said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and speak [this] in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly blot out the memorial of Amalec from under heaven.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: HASHEM said to Moses, “Write this as a remembrance in the Book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.”

1. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book…”

a. [And the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.

b. said [Strong: 559  ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, ×expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

c. unto [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. Moses [Strong: 4872 Môsheh, mo-sheh'; from H4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver:—Moses.]

e. write [Strong: 3789 kâthab, kaw-thab'; a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):—describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).]

f. this [Strong: 2063 zo'th zothe' irregular feminine of 2089; this (often used adverb):-- hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.]

[for a] memorial [2146  zikrôwn, zik-rone'; from H2142; a memento (or memorable thing, day or writing):—memorial, record.] [AMG: This word conveys the essential quality of remembering something in the past that has particular significance.]

c. [in a] book [Strong: 5612 çêpher, say'-fer; or (feminine) סִפְרָה çiphrâh; (Psalm 56:8 (H9)), from H5608; properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book:—bill, book, evidence, × learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll.]

1). One Jewish tradition says this book is the Torah since the commandment to exterminate Amalek is recorded in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. Another Jewish tradition says this book is The Book of Hashem’s Wars, mentioned in Numbers 21:14 which is no longer around. (Chumash, p393, Note 14.)

2. “...and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua:”

a. [and rehearse [it] [7760 sûwm, soom; or שִׂים sîym; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):—× any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, name, × on, ordain, order, paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, stedfastly, take, × tell, tread down, (over-)turn, × wholly, work.]  [AMG; The primary meaning of the verb is to put, to set, or to place.]

b. {in the] ears [Strong: 241  ʼôzen, o'-zen; from H238; broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in man):— advertise, audience, displease, ear, hearing, show.]

c. [of] Joshua [Strong: 3091 Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ, yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Yᵉhôwshuʻa; from H3068 and H3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:—Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua.]

1). The events of the battle with Amalek were to be written down as a memorial so that they could be rehearsed in Joshua’s ears. Rereading memorials or things that God has done in our lives will stir us up spiritually and establish us in our walk and relationship with Jesus.

a). 2 Peter 1:12, 13 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

2). Our giving and our prayers come up for memorials before God and in effect he rewards them.  In Cornelius’s example it led to the salvation of his whole family and household.

a). Acts 10:1-4 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

b). Matthew 6:3-6 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

6:6 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

3). The Lord has a book of remembrance that He has caused to be written for Himself about His people concerning their faithfulness to which He will reward them accordingly.

a). Malachi 3:16, 17 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

4). What more powerful examples can be shown to inspire us to pray, give and be obedient to the Most High God.

3 . “…for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”

a. for [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

b. [I will] utterly [Strong: 4229  kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

c. put out [Strong: 4229  kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

d. [the] remembrance [Strong: 2143 zêker, zay'-ker; or זֶכֶר zeker; from H2142; a memento, abstractly recollection (rarely if ever); by implication, commemoration:—memorial, memory, remembrance, scent.]

e. [of] Amalek [Strong: 6002 ʻĂmâlêq, am-aw-lake'; probably of foreign origin; Amalek, a descendant of Esau; also his posterity and their country:—Amalek.]

f. from under [Strong: 8478 tachath takh'-ath from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore, with.]

g. heaven [Strong: 8064 shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).]

1). It appears to me that Exodus 17:15, 16, the next two verses are a result and a further description of this statement of God.  To “put out the remembrance of” means remove the memory of. It reminds me of other verses.

a). Psalm 9:5, 6 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

9:6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

2). I can’t help but believe though that this particular action on the part of God, the fact He swore with an oath elevates this particular removing from memory from others.