The Battle of Rephidim

EA Baker
Oct 29
6 min read

Updated: 7 days ago

Wars of the Bible

From the time of Moses to their final destruction by King Hezekiah, the Amalekites were longstanding enemies of the Israelites. This conflict spanned approximately 800 years. The first encounter between the two groups is found in Exodus 17. At this time, the Israelites had just escaped Egypt and were camped at Rephidim, located between Elim and Mt. Sinai in the Wilderness of Sin.

Israel Defeats Amalek

In this pivotal moment, Amalek attacks the Israelites. The text states:

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14 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.”

15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,

16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Exodus 17:8-16

Did This Battle Actually Happen?

As I mentioned earlier, there is no historical evidence for this specific battle between the Amalekites and the Israelites. We also lack proof outside the Bible for the 800 years of conflict that followed until King Hezekiah's destruction of the Amalekites. However, many maps of their proposed journey highlight the area in question.

Map of the Sinai Peninsula showing Egypt, Canaan, and Midian with key locations, paths, and bodies of water labeled in black text. — Map featuring the locations the Israelites passed through as they left Egypt (Succoth, Marah, Elim, Dophkah, Rephidim).

For some, the absence of a historical record may be troubling. However, it's essential to understand that the Bible is a collection of various genres of works.

C.S. Lewis, a renowned Christian apologist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, believed that the historicity of New Testament narratives, such as the resurrection of Jesus, is crucial to the faith. Conversely, he argued that some Old Testament stories, like those of Jonah and Job, are more akin to myth or sacred fiction. They are not intended to be taken as literal history. Lewis emphasized that the Bible should be read according to its literary genre, and its value remains intact, even if some parts are not historically accurate.

While we may not have a historical record of these wars, we can view this story as an allegory meant to impart valuable lessons. With that perspective, let's continue.

The Spiritual Lessons Found in This Battle

The Amalekites were nomads residing in the northern Sinai Peninsula. They were the first to attack the Israelites as they fled Egypt and would remain their adversaries for centuries. The attack on Moses and the Israelites at Rephidim reveals significant insights about the relationship between God, Moses, and His chosen people.

The key takeaway from this battle revolves around Moses’ hands. Whenever his hands were raised, the Israelites gained the upper hand. When his hands were lowered, the Amalekites prevailed.

This may seem strange to new believers, but the message is two-fold:

Moses is the Lord’s chosen leader for Israel.
The Lord delivers His people through Moses.

Three men in robes stand on rocky terrain. The central figure sits with arms supported by the others. The background is a warm, glowing sky. — Victory O Lord (1871) was painted with oil on canvas by John Everett Millais.

With the support of Aaron and Hur, who were positioned on the mountain overlooking the battlefield, Moses was able to overcome his weariness and keep his hands raised. As a result, Joshua and the Israelites triumphed over the Amalekites.

This theme of divine deliverance in battle recurs throughout the Bible. The significant spiritual lesson I glean from this story is:

When you place your faith in God rather than relying solely on yourself, He can deliver you from any situation. However, if you choose to depend on yourself instead of God, the consequences can be dire.

From Abraham defeating a vast army with just 318 warriors to Dinah’s brothers taking matters into their own hands, we see a clear contrast between faith in God and self-reliance. The latter often leads to worse outcomes.

Navigating the Destruction of Amalek

In light of recent conflicts, such as the war in Gaza, it's crucial to approach the events between the Israelites and the Amalekites with care. The term "genocide" has been used loosely in recent years, often for political purposes. It's uncomfortable to consider the idea of an entire people being wiped out, as we will eventually see with the Amalekites.

Marc Zvi Brettler, an American biblical scholar and the Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor in Judaic Studies at Duke University, grapples with this very issue in a recent article concerning the ongoing conflict in Israel.

Brettler revisits biblical passages such as Exodus 17:14, Deuteronomy 25:17-19, and 1 Samuel 15:3, where Israel is commanded to “utterly destroy” Amalek, including infants and livestock. For modern readers, this evokes thoughts of genocide. Yet, these texts were written in a time when total war and divine retribution were accepted concepts. The challenge, Brettler argues, is how to interpret and teach these texts responsibly today.

Chaotic battle scene with soldiers and horses clashing. Weapons drawn, bodies on the ground. Dusty, rocky landscape under a dramatic sky. — Battle between the Jews and the Amalekites by Aniello Falcone.

Brettler also suggests that the text itself may be less absolute than it seems. He points to the Hebrew word זֵכֶר (zekher), typically translated as “memory,” which may have originally been זְכַר (zekhar), meaning “male.” If this is accurate, the command may have been directed only at adult male combatants. However, Brettler acknowledges that the evidence for this interpretation is uncertain and does not fully resolve the moral dilemma.

Later Jewish interpreters took a different approach. Rabbinic texts reimagined Amalek as a symbol rather than a specific people. In one Talmudic story, even the descendants of Haman (a supposed Amalekite) study Torah, suggesting that the physical command no longer applies.

Medieval and modern commentators often depict Amalek as the embodiment of evil or hatred—an ethical challenge to oppose rather than a physical target for destruction. This transformation turns a violent command into a moral imperative: the struggle against cruelty and injustice within ourselves and our societies.

Brettler concludes with a call to educators and readers alike. Ignoring difficult texts only gives them more power. Instead, he proposes several responsible approaches:

The text reflects ancient norms of warfare that are no longer applicable.
The Hebrew was misvocalized, and the text originally mandated killing only adult males (combatants).
The Amalekites may never have existed, and this could be a theoretical law, never intended for implementation.
Similar to the previous suggestion, the genocide of Amalek might be understood not as history, but as a reflection of fears of national destruction or other psychological explanations.
Much of later Jewish tradition has eliminated this commandment.
Jewish tradition has never taken all parts of the Bible literally or with equal seriousness.