Exodus 17:14 kjv
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.
Exodus 17:14 nkjv
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."
Exodus 17:14 niv
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven."
Exodus 17:14 esv
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
Exodus 17:14 nlt
After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
Exodus 17 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 36:12, 16 | And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek… | Amalek’s lineage from Esau, showing their origin. |
| Num 24:20 | And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. | Balaam's prophecy affirming Amalek’s ultimate destruction. |
| Deut 25:17-19 | Remember what Amalek did to you... how they ambushed you on the way... you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget. | Reinforcement of the command to obliterate Amalek's memory and rationale. |
| Judg 3:13 | And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel… | Amalekites continually warring against Israel. |
| Judg 6:3 | For so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east came up against them… | Ongoing oppression by Amalek. |
| 1 Sam 15:2-3 | Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did... go and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them…' | God's specific command to Saul to annihilate Amalek. |
| 1 Sam 15:8-9 | He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive… but Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and oxen… | Saul's disobedience in fully blotting out Amalek. |
| 1 Sam 27:8-9 | David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites… David would leave none alive… | David’s engagements with Amalek. |
| 1 Sam 30:1-18 | Now when David and his men came to Ziklag… the Amalekites had made a raid… David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day… | David’s victory over the raiding Amalekites. |
| Esther 3:1 | After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman… the Agagite, and advanced him… | Haman, an Agagite (Amalekite descendant), continued the anti-Jew legacy. |
| Exod 32:32 | "yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." | Moses pleading for his name to be blotted out, indicating concept of records. |
| Deut 31:9-11 | Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests… and to all the elders of Israel. | Command for Moses to record divine instructions. |
| Jos 1:8 | This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night… | Importance of the written law, which Joshua would inherit. |
| Ps 9:5-6 | Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. | God blotting out names of the wicked, echoing Amalek's fate. |
| Ps 109:13 | Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out. | Language of blotting out a name and remembrance from posterity. |
| Isa 43:25 | "I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." | God's act of blotting out, contrasted with blotting out Amalek's remembrance. |
| Jer 18:23 | …do not blot out their iniquity from before Your face, nor blot out their name from Your presence… | Plea not to blot out, demonstrating the severe nature of such an action. |
| Mal 3:16 | Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD paid attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him… | The concept of God keeping a "book of remembrance." |
| Rom 8:7 | For the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. | Amalek often seen as representing the "flesh" or "carnal mind" that opposes God. |
| Gal 5:17 | For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other… | Spiritual warfare analogy for the ongoing conflict between Israel and Amalek. |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life… | Divine books of record, emphasizing written accounts. |
| Rev 20:15 | And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. | The ultimate significance of being recorded or blotted out in God's books. |
Exodus 17 verses
Exodus 17 14 Meaning
Exodus 17:14 declares God's solemn instruction to Moses after Israel's victory over the Amalekites. It mandates that this victory and the divine pronouncement be recorded permanently as a memorial. Crucially, it conveys God's unwavering resolve to utterly obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from all existence, underscoring their unique status as an enduring adversary to God and His people. This act signified a divine oath against Amalek for their unprovoked and wicked attack.
Exodus 17 14 Context
Exodus chapter 17 portrays three pivotal events during Israel's journey in the wilderness: the complaining for water at Rephidim, God providing water from the rock at Horeb, and the unprecedented attack by the Amalekites. Immediately following the miraculous provision of water, the Amalekites launched an unprovoked and cowardly assault on the weak and straggling Israelites (as later elaborated in Deut 25:17-18). Moses, with the support of Aaron and Hur, raised his hands in intercession while Joshua led the Israelite forces in their first major battle. Israel, by God's power, secured victory. Verse 14 is a direct divine command issued right after this significant triumph, marking Amalek as a distinct and perpetual enemy against whom God Himself would act to ensure their obliteration. It signifies that this event was not merely a battle, but a divinely ordained perpetual conflict.
Exodus 17 14 Word analysis
- Then the Lord (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה - wayyo'mer YHWH): "The Lord" refers to YHWH, the covenant name of God. This indicates a divine, authoritative utterance from the sovereign God of Israel. It emphasizes the direct and personal involvement of God in the command.
- said to Moses, (אֶל-מֹשֶׁה - 'el-Mosheh): Direct communication, highlighting Moses' unique role as God's mediator.
- "Write this (כְּתֹב-זֹאת - kəṯōḇ-zo't): An imperative command to record. "This" refers to the entire event – Amalek's attack and God's subsequent decree against them. It signifies the importance of preserving the memory and the divine judgment.
- in a book (בַּסֵּפֶר - bas·sepher): Literally, "in the book" or "in a scroll." This implies a permanent, authoritative record. It underscores that God intended this account to be foundational for Israel's history and future understanding, forming part of the sacred writings (likely the developing Pentateuch).
- as a memorial (זִכָּרֹון - zikkārôn): To ensure remembrance. It's not merely a historical note but a purposeful instruction to commemorate God's judgment and the unique enmity of Amalek, preventing it from being forgotten by future generations.
- and recite it to Joshua, (וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהֹושֻׁעַ - wəśîm bə’āzənê Yehōšuaʿ): Literally "put it in the ears of Joshua." This emphasizes an oral tradition alongside the written record, ensuring that Joshua, Moses' successor and the direct commander in the battle, receives this command directly and internally. It prepares him for future encounters and his role in God's continuing purpose.
- that I will utterly blot out (כִּי־מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה - kî-māḥōh ’emḥeh): This is an emphatic double verb construction ("infinitive absolute" + finite verb). Māḥōh (to wipe out, erase, blot out) is repeated, signifying an absolute, complete, and unalterable divine resolve for total annihilation. It expresses a divine oath.
- the remembrance of Amalek (אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק - ’eṯ-zēḵer ʻAmālēq): Not just the people, but their memory or legacy. It means eradicating their name, influence, and existence from human history. This highlights the severe, enduring nature of their offense against God.
- from under heaven." (מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם - mittaḥaṯ haššāmayim): A universal, total obliteration. It denotes their complete eradication from existence under God's dominion, reinforcing the thoroughness of the divine judgment.
Exodus 17 14 Bonus section
- Amalek as an archetypal enemy: The command to "utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek" elevates them beyond a mere historical foe. They become an archetypal enemy of God's people throughout history. The consistent battles in subsequent biblical narratives (Judges, Samuel, Esther) underline this enduring conflict, where Amalek, often representing the "first of the nations" to attack God's people without provocation, became the symbol of anti-God and anti-Israel spirit.
- Spiritualized meaning: In Christian theology, Amalek is often understood typologically. Just as Amalek launched a persistent and insidious attack against Israel in the wilderness, many understand them to symbolize the enduring opposition of the flesh (carnality, sin) against the Spirit (the believer's walk with God). The command to "blot out" can thus be applied spiritually as the call to continually "put off the old man" and mortify sin within a believer's life, showing that compromise with this spiritual enemy is unacceptable.
- The Perpetuity of the Command: The command to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek" is an unusual one, indicating a perpetual warfare (Exod 17:16, "the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation"). This unique decree sets Amalek apart from other enemies conquered by Israel, indicating that their sin was uniquely grave in God's sight.
Exodus 17 14 Commentary
Exodus 17:14 serves as a foundational divine declaration against Amalek, born from their audacious and malicious assault on Israel, God's chosen people. This unprovoked attack on the vulnerable stragglers in the wilderness was not merely a skirmish but an affront to God Himself, as it directly hindered His plan for Israel. The dual command to Moses—to write and to recite—underscores the critical importance of this message: it must be a permanent record for all generations and intimately understood by Joshua, the one tasked with future leadership. The emphatic double verb "utterly blot out" highlights God's unyielding resolve for total eradication, extending beyond physical presence to their very memory, symbolizing the divine and perpetual enmity against forces that defy God and attack His covenant people. This judgment is an eternal memorial of Amalek's sin and God's justice.