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Exodus 12:14
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Exodus 13:9
And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

Exodus 34:27
And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

for I will

Numbers 24:20
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalekwas the first of the nations; but his latter endshall be that he perish for ever.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; …

1 Samuel 15:2,3,7,8,18
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I rememberthat which Amalek did to Israel, how he laidwait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt…

the remembrance

Job 18:17
His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

Psalm 9:6
O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the justis blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

Write this on a scroll as a reminder
The act of writing serves to preserve the message for future generations, highlighting the importance of memory and record-keeping in Israelite culture. This is one of the earliest instances of written documentation in the Bible, emphasizing the permanence and significance of God's words. Writing on a scroll was a common practice for preserving important decrees and events.

and recite it to Joshua
Joshua is introduced as a significant leader who will succeed Moses. By instructing Moses to recite the message to Joshua, God is preparing Joshua for his future role and ensuring that the next generation understands the importance of this divine decree. This also establishes a pattern of oral tradition, which was crucial in ancient cultures for passing down important teachings and history.

because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven
The Amalekites were a nomadic tribe that attacked the Israelites shortly after their exodus from Egypt. This phrase indicates a divine judgment against Amalek for their actions. The complete eradication of their memory signifies a total and irreversible judgment. This prophecy is fulfilled in later biblical narratives, such as in1 Samuel 15, where Saul is commanded to destroy the Amalekites. The Amalekites are often seen as a symbol of opposition to God's people, and their ultimate defeat foreshadows the final victory over evil.

“Then the LORD said to Moses” (Exodus 17:14a) signals divine initiative. The God who had just given victory over Amalek now speaks again, proving He is not silent after the battle but continues to direct His people.

• Similar moments show God guiding His servant: after covenant words inExodus 24:4, Moses “wrote down all the words of the LORD,” and inNumbers 33:2 he recorded Israel’s stages “at the LORD’s command.”

• God’s voice is the ultimate authority; every later command—whether to build the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1) or commission Joshua (Numbers 27:18)—flows from this same Source.

• Because Scripture records God’s spoken word, we may trust its accuracy (2 Timothy 3:16), taking the text as literally true history.

The Lord orders: “Write this on a scroll as a reminder” (17:14b). Memorializing His acts in writing anchors Israel’s faith.

• Writing ensures permanence: asDeuteronomy 31:24 notes, Moses finished writing “the words of this law in a book until they were complete.”

• Memorials preserve truth for future generations:Psalm 102:18 speaks of a record “for a future generation,” so a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

• Tangible reminders combat forgetfulness; compareDeuteronomy 6:9, where words were to be written on doorframes. God knows we forget victories as quickly as we celebrate them.

God adds, “and recite it to Joshua” (17:14c). The oral hand-off reinforces the written record and prepares the next leader.

• Joshua, still Moses’ assistant (Exodus 24:13), needs this truth planted in his heart before leading battles in Canaan (Joshua 1:1-9).

• Moses later publicly commissions Joshua, repeating God’s faithfulness (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).

• Personal mentoring matters:Numbers 27:18-20 shows Moses laying hands on Joshua “so the whole congregation of Israel will obey.” The recitation ties Joshua’s courage to God’s promise of Amalek’s doom.

The reason for recording and reciting is God’s verdict: “because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” (17:14d).

• The Amalekites attacked Israel’s stragglers (Deuteronomy 25:17-18); divine justice demanded total eradication.

• This promise unfolds over centuries: Saul is commanded to strike Amalek in1 Samuel 15:2-3; David finishes off survivors (1 Samuel 30:17); Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1) represents a final echo crushed inEsther 9:14.

• “Blot out” reflects God’s sovereign right to judge nations (Psalm 9:5-6) and protect His covenant people (Genesis 12:3).

• The phrase “under heaven” emphasizes a universal stage; God’s actions are not regional myths but global realities.

Exodus 17:14 captures a three-fold pattern: God speaks, His acts are recorded, and leadership is prepared to remember and obey. Writing on a scroll secures the historical truth; reciting to Joshua embeds it relationally; the promised erasure of Amalek displays God’s unwavering justice and covenant faithfulness. The verse challenges every generation to treasure God’s written word, pass it on personally, and trust His sovereign promises to completion.

[59]B?sepher,"in a book," andbassepher."inthebook,differ only in the pointing, which, resting solely on tradition cannot be entirely depended on. The LXX. omit the article.

I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek.--The extermination of Amalek, here prophesied, was afterwards laid as a positive command upon the Israelites (Deuteronomy 25:19), and was accomplished in part by Saul and David (1Samuel 14:48;1Samuel 15:7;1Samuel 27:8;1Samuel 30:17;2Samuel 8:12), but finally and completely in the reign of Hezekiah (1Chronicles 4:43). Amalek's sin was, that after all the signs and wonders which had shown the Israelites to be God's peculiar people, he braved God's displeasure by attacking them (Deuteronomy 25:18). To this audacity and contempt of Jehovah's power he added a cruel pitilessness, when he fell upon the rear of an almost unarmed host, at a time when they were "faint and weary." . . .

1. that the victory itself might be held in remembrance through all future ages, as a very signal instance of God's mercy; and

2. that when the fulfilment of the threat came (1 Chronicles 4:43), God might have his due honour, and his name be glorified.Rehearse it inthe ears of Joshua. "Hand down,"i.e., to thy successor, Joshua, the tradition of perpetual hostility with Amalek, and the memory of the promise now made, that the whole nation shall be utterly blotted out from under heaven. (CompareDeuteronomy 25:19.) The special sin of Amalek was,

1. That he attacked God's people, not fearing God (ib, verse 18); . . .

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