A new danger now threatened them. Because of their murmuring against Him, the Lord suffered them to be attacked by their enemies. The Amalekites, a fierce, warlike tribe inhabiting that region, came out against them and smote those who, faint and weary, had fallen into the rear. Moses, knowing that the masses of the people were unprepared for battle, directed Joshua to choose from the different tribes a body of soldiers, and lead them on the morrow against the enemy, while he 299 himself would stand on an eminence near by with the rod of God in his hand. Accordingly the next day Joshua and his company attacked the foe, while Moses and Aaron and Hur were stationed on a hill overlooking the battlefield. With arms outstretched toward heaven, and holding the rod of God in his right hand, Moses prayed for the success of the armies of Israel. As the battle progressed, it was observed that so long as his hands were reaching upward, Israel prevailed, but when they were lowered, the enemy was victorious. As Moses became weary, Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands until the going down of the sun, when the enemy was put to flight.

Nu truede en ny fare dem. På grund af deres knurren imod Herren tillod han, at de blev angrebet af deres fjender. Amalekitterne, en vild krigerstamme, der boede i den egn, drog ud og dræbte dem, der på grund af træthed ikke kunne følge med. Moses vidste, at flertallet af folket ikke var beredt til kamp. Han bød derfor Josua udvælge nogle soldater fra de forskellige stammer og føre dem mod fjenden næste morgen, mens han selv ville stille sig på en høj i nærheden med Guds stav i hånden. Næste dag angreb Josua og hans folk så fjenden, mens Moses, Aron og Hur stod på en høj, hvorfra de kunne se ud over valpladsen. Med armene rakt op imod himmelen og Guds stav i højre hånd bad Moses om sejr for Israels hære. Under slaget så man, at så længe hans hænder var rakt opad, havde Israel fremgang, men når hans hænder sænkedes, fik fjenden overtaget. Da Moses blev træt, støttede Aron og Hur hans hænder indtil solnedgang, da fjenden blev slået på flugt.