Exod 17:15-16

Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.

He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD

will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

Matthew Henry Commentary

1. Moses took care that God should have the glory of it (v. 15);

instead of setting up a triumphal arch, to the honour of Joshua

(though it had been a laudable policy to put marks of honour upon

him), he builds an altar to the honour of God, and we may suppose

it was not an altar without sacrifice; but that which is most

carefully recorded is the inscription upon the altar, Jehovah-

Nissi-- The Lord is my banner, which probably refers to the

lifting up of the rod of God as a banner in this action. The

presence and power of Jehovah were the banner under which they

enlisted, by which they were animated and kept together, and

therefore which they erected in the day of their triumph. In

the Name of our God we must always lift up our banners, (Ps. 20:5).

It is fit that He who does all the work should have all the praise.

2. God took care that posterity should have the comfort and benefit

of it: "Write this for a memorial, not in loose papers, but in a

book, write it, and then rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, let

him be entrusted with this memorial, to transmit it to the

generations to come." Moses must now begin to keep a diary or

journal of occurrences; it is the first mention of writing

that we find in scripture, and perhaps the command was not

given till after the writing of the law upon the tables of

stone: "Write it in perpetuam rei memoriam-- that the event

may be had in perpetual remembrance; that which is written

remains."

a.) "write what has been done, what Amalek has done against

Israel; write in gall their bitter hatred, write in blood

their cruel attempts, let them never be forgotten, nor yet

what God has done for Israel in saving them from Amalek. Let

ages to come know that God fights for his people, and he

that touches them touches the apple of his eye."

b.) write what shall be done.

[1.] that in process of time Amalek shall be totally ruined

and rooted out (v. 14), that he shall be remembered only in

history." Amalek would have cut off the name of Israel, that

it might be no more in remembrance ; and therefore

God not only disappoints him in this, but cuts off his name.

"Write it for the encouragement of Israel, whenever the

Amalekites are an annoyance to them, that Israel will at last

undoubtedly triumph in the fall of Amalek." This sentence was

executed in part by Saul (1 Sam. 15), and completely by David

(ch. 30; (2 Sam. 1:1; 8:12); after his time we never read so

much as of the name of Amalek.

[2.] this is the mean time God would have a continual

controversy with him (v. 16): Because his hand is upon the

throne of the Lord, that is, against the camp of Israel in

which the Lord ruled, which was the place of his sanctuary,

and is therefore called a glorious high throne from the

beginning (Jer. 17:12); therefore the Lord will have war

with Amalek from generation to generation. This was written

for direction to Israel never to make any league with the

Amalekites, but to look upon them as irreconcilable enemies,

doomed to ruin. Amalek's destruction was typical of the

destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his kingdom.

Whoever make war with the Lamb, the Lamb will overcome them.