Chapter 24: Provision, Amalek, and Jethro

Study notes

In the wilderness, quail cover the camp and a fine, flaky food appears that Moses says is bread from Yahweh, and later Moses strikes a rock and water comes out. Israel prevails over Amalek while Aaron and Hur keep Moses’ hands up, and his father-in-law advises him to set capable men over the people as officers.

From Exodus 16:13–15 (KoS), Exodus 17:5–6 (KoS), Exodus 17:11–12 (KoS), Exodus 18:17–21 (KoS).

These notes and questions are original study helps written for this site, not scripture. The verses shown with each question are quoted from the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible.

Notice and discuss

Read each passage, then think about the question on your own or talk it over with others. No answers are collected.

1. How much is each person told to gather, and what happens when they measure it?

   This is what Yahweh commanded: Gather of it, each of you, as much as he can eat, an omer a head, by the number of your persons. Each shall take it for those in his tent. The sons of Israel did so. They gathered, some more and some less. They measured it by the omer. The one who had more had no excess, and the one who had less had no lack. Each gathered as much as he could eat.

   Exodus 16:16–18 (KoS)

   Note · Translation An omer is a measure. Verse 36 says it is a tenth of an ephah. The amount in modern units is not added.

2. What happens when Moses raises or lowers his hand, and how do Aaron and Hur help?

   When Moses held his hand up, Israel prevailed. When he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. Moses’ hands grew heavy. They took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on this side and one on that side, and his hands were steady until the sun went down.

   Exodus 17:11–12 (KoS)

   Note · Translation Emunah here is steadiness, hands that stay up. “Faith” is not printed.

3. What does Moses’ father-in-law ask when he sees Moses judging, and how does Moses answer?

   The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people and said, “What is this thing you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, with all the people standing around you from morning until evening?” Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his fellow, and I make known God’s statutes and his instructions.”

   Exodus 18:13–16 (KoS)