Exodus 17 covers two wilderness scenes at Rephidim: Israel quarrels for water until God commands Moses to strike the rock at Horeb and water flows - then Joshua defeats Amalek in a battle governed entirely by whether Moses’ hands remain raised. Written by Moses between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai, this chapter is on

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

All the congregation of the children of Israel travelled from the wilderness of Sin But there was no water for the people to drink

Therefore the people quarrelled with Moses And said, give us water to drink Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?

The people were thirsty for water there So the people murmured against Moses And said, why have you brought us up out of Egypt To kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?

Moses cried to the LORD, saying What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me

The LORD said to Moses Walk on before the people and take the elders of Israel with you And take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile And go, behold, I will stand before you there on the rock

You shall strike the rock and water will come out of it That the people may drink Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah

Because the children of Israel quarrelled And because they tested the LORD Saying, is the LORD amongst us or not? Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim

Moses said to Joshua, choose men for us and go out to fight with Amalek Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand So Joshua did as Moses had told him and fought with Amalek And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill

When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed But Moses’ hands were heavy So they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it

Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side His hands were steady until sunset Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword

The LORD said to Moses, write this for a memorial in a book And rehearse it in the ears of Joshua That I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky

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Exodus 17 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press