“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.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 17:14 Mean?
After Israel's battle with the Amalekites, God gives Moses a peculiar instruction: write this down. Write it in a book. And make sure Joshua hears it. The content? God will utterly erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.
The command to write is significant — this is one of the earliest biblical references to recording events in writing. God didn't trust this to oral tradition alone. He wanted it documented. The act of writing makes the promise permanent, concrete, and revisitable.
"Rehearse it in the ears of Joshua" is specific — Joshua, not the elders, not the people, not the priests. Joshua, the military leader who would eventually bring Israel into the Promised Land. God is investing in the next generation's leader. He's ensuring that Joshua understands the nature of the enemy and the certainty of God's victory over it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has God done in your life that you need to write down before the memory fades?
- 2.Who is your 'Joshua' — the person you should be intentionally investing in with the stories of God's faithfulness?
- 3.Why do you think God wanted this in writing rather than just oral tradition?
- 4.What battle has God already won in your life that the next generation needs to hear about?
Devotional
God told Moses to write it down. Not just remember it. Not just tell people about it. Write it down. In a book. Because some things are too important to trust to memory.
There's wisdom here for you. The things God has done, the battles He's fought, the promises He's made — write them down. Memory fades. Circumstances change. The clarity you have today about what God did last month will dim in six months. Write it down. Make it permanent.
And then: rehearse it in Joshua's ears. Pass it on. Not just to anyone — to the specific person who needs to hear it. God was investing in Joshua's development long before Joshua took the lead. He was building a leader by making sure the right stories were planted in the right ears at the right time.
Who is your Joshua? Who is the person coming after you who needs to hear what God has done? And are you telling them — not casually, but intentionally, rehearsing it in their ears — so that when their battle comes, they're not starting from scratch?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... After the battle was over, and the Israelites had got the victory:
write this for a…
In a book - in the book, i. e. the book which contained the history of God’s dealings with His people. Moses was further…
Write this for a memorial in a book - This is the first mention of writing on record: what it signified, or how it was…
We have here the story of the war with Amalek, which, we may suppose, was the first that was recorded in the book of the…
Cross References
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