Exodus 17:1
17:1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel
     journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys,
     according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in
     {a} Rephidim: and [there was] no water for the people to
     drink.

     (a) Moses does not note every place where they camped as in
         Numbers 33, but only those places where some notable
         thing was done.

Exodus 17:2
17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give
     us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why
     chide ye with me? wherefore do ye {b} tempt the LORD?

     (b) Why do you distrust God? Why do you not look for
         comfort from him without complaining to us?

Exodus 17:4
17:4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto
     this people? they be almost ready to {c} stone me.

     (c) How ready the people are to slay the true prophets for
         their own purposes and how slow they are to take up
         God's cause against his enemies and false prophets.

Exodus 17:7
17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah,
     because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and
     because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the {d} LORD
     among us, or not?

     (d) When in adversity we think God is absent, then we
         neglect his promise and make him a liar.

Exodus 17:8
17:8 Then came {e} Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

     (e) Who came from Eliphaz, son of Esau, Genesis 36:12.

Exodus 17:9
17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out,
     fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the
     {f} hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

     (f) That is, Horeb, which is also called Sinai.

Exodus 17:11
17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that
      Israel prevailed: and when he let {g} down his hand,
      Amalek prevailed.

      (g) So that we see how dangerous a thing it is to cease in
          prayer.

Exodus 17:14
17:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this [for] a memorial
      {h} in a book, and rehearse [it] in the ears of Joshua:
      for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from
      under heaven.

      (h) In the book of the law.

Exodus 17:15
17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it {i}
      Jehovahnissi:

      (i) That is, the Lord is my banner as he declared by
          holding up his rod and his hands.