Exodus 17:14

The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the ¹  book, and rehearse ²  it in Joshua’s hearing; ³  for I will surely wipe out ⁴  the remembrance ⁵  of Amalek from under heaven.

Ex 12:14; Ex 13:9; Ex 34:27; Nu 24:20; De 25:17-19; De 31:9; Jos 4:7; 1Sa 15:2,3,7,8,18; 1Sa 27:8,9; 1Sa 30:1,17; 2Sa 1:1,8-16; 2Sa 8:12; 1Ch 4:43; Ezr 9:14; Job 18:17; Job 19:23; Ps 9:6; Pr 10:7; Hag 2:2,3

¹ tn The presence of the article does not mean that he was to write this in a book that was existing now, but in one dedicated to this purpose (book, meaning scroll). See GKC 408 §126.s.

² tn The Hebrew word is “place,” meaning that the events were to be impressed on Joshua.

³ tn Heb “in the ears of Joshua.” The account should be read to Joshua.

⁴ tn The construction uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense to stress the resolution of Yahweh to destroy Amalek. The verb מָחָה (makhah) is often translated “blot out” – but that is not a very satisfactory image, since it would not remove completely what is the object. “Efface, erase, scrape off” (as in a palimpsest, a manuscript that is scraped clean so it can be reused) is a more accurate image.

⁵ sn This would seem to be defeated by the preceding statement that the events would be written in a book for a memorial. If this war is recorded, then the Amalekites would be remembered. But here God was going to wipe out the memory of them. But the idea of removing the memory of a people is an idiom for destroying them – they will have no posterity and no lasting heritage.