The Meaning of Exodus 17:12 Explained

Exodus 17:12

KJV: But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

YLT: And the hands of Moses are heavy, and they take a stone, and set it under him, and he sitteth on it: and Aaron and Hur have taken hold on his hands, on this side one, and on that one, and his hands are stedfast till the going in of the sun;

Darby: And Moses' hands were heavy; then they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on this side, and one on that side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

ASV: But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But Moses'  hands  [were] heavy;  and they took  a stone,  and put  [it] under him, and he sat  thereon; and Aaron  and Hur  stayed up  his hands,  the one on the one side,  and the other on the other side;  and his hands  were steady  until the going down  of the sun. 

What does Exodus 17:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 17:1-16 - Water From The Rock Victory Over Amalek
From the smitten rock flowed the water for the thirsty hosts. So the Rock of Ages was smitten, and from His riven side has flowed out blood and water, for the sin and thirst of the world. He that eateth His flesh and drinketh His blood, spiritually, hath eternal life. Such refreshment is in preparation for warfare. Then came Amalek! When our physical needs are satisfied, there is always the fear of Amalek, who, in the typology of Scripture, stands for the flesh. Between this wilderness tribe and Israel the conflict was long and bitter. The old Adam, said Luther, is too strong for the young Melanchthon. But let the Lord fight for you! Lift up your hands with opened palms to Him; He will not fail. See r.v. margin and Matthew 1:21. But guard the rear, and ask that Jesus shall beset you behind as well as before. See Deuteronomy 25:17-18.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 17

1  The people murmur for water to Rephidim
6  God send them for water to the rock in Horeb
7  The place is called Massah and Meribah
8  Amalek is overcome by Joshua, while Moses holds up his hand
14  Amalek is doomed to destruction; and Moses builds the altar Jehovah-nissi

What do the individual words in Exodus 17:12 mean?

But hands Moses' [became] heavy so they took a stone and put [it] under him and he sat on it and Aaron and Hur supported his hands on this one and on this one and were his hands steady until the going down of the sun
וִידֵ֤י מֹשֶׁה֙ כְּבֵדִ֔ים וַיִּקְחוּ־ אֶ֛בֶן וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ תַחְתָּ֖יו וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב עָלֶ֑יהָ וְאַהֲרֹ֨ן וְח֜וּר תָּֽמְכ֣וּ בְיָדָ֗יו מִזֶּ֤ה אֶחָד֙ וּמִזֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד וַיְהִ֥י יָדָ֛יו אֱמוּנָ֖ה עַד־ בֹּ֥א הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ

וִידֵ֤י  But  hands 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מֹשֶׁה֙  Moses' 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
כְּבֵדִ֔ים  [became]  heavy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: heavy, great.
וַיִּקְחוּ־  so  they  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶ֛בֶן  a  stone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ  and  put  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
תַחְתָּ֖יו  under  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב  and  he  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
עָלֶ֑יהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְאַהֲרֹ֨ן  and  Aaron 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
וְח֜וּר  and  Hur 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חוּר  
Sense: a chief assistant to Moses and Aaron.
תָּֽמְכ֣וּ  supported 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: תָּמַךְ  
Sense: to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast.
בְיָדָ֗יו  his  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִזֶּ֤ה  on  this 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֶחָד֙  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וּמִזֶּ֣ה  and  on  this 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֶחָ֔ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וַיְהִ֥י  and  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יָדָ֛יו  his  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֱמוּנָ֖ה  steady 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמוּנָה  
Sense: firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
בֹּ֥א  the  going  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ  of  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.