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[
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THE name of the Hebrews began already to be every where renowned,
and rumors about them ran abroad. This made the inhabitants of those countries
to be in no small fear. Accordingly they sent ambassadors to one another,
and exhorted one another to defend themselves, and to endeavor to destroy
these men. Those that induced the rest to do so, were such as inhabited
Gobolitis and Petra. They were called
Amalekites, and were the most
warlike of the nations that lived thereabout; and whose kings exhorted
one another, and their neighbors, to go to this war against the Hebrews;
telling them that an army of strangers, and such a one as had run away
from slavery under the Egyptians, lay in wait to ruin them; which army
they were not, in common prudence and regard to their own safety, to overlook,
but to crush them before they gather strength, and come to be in prosperity:
and perhaps attack them first in a hostile manner, as presuming upon our
indolence in not attacking them before; and that we ought to avenge ourselves
of them for what they have done in the wilderness, but that this cannot
be so well done when they have once laid their hands on our cities and
our goods: that those who endeavor to crush a power in its first rise,
are wiser than those that endeavor to put a stop to its progress when it
is become formidable; for these last seem to be angry only at the flourishing
of others, but the former do not leave any room for their enemies to become
troublesome to them. After they had sent such embassages to the neighboring
nations, and among one another, they resolved to attack the Hebrews in
battle.
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These proceedings of the people of those countries occasioned perplexity
and trouble to Moses, who expected no such warlike preparations. And when
these nations were ready to fight, and the multitude of the Hebrews were
obliged to try the fortune of war, they were in a mighty disorder, and
in want of all necessaries, and yet were to make war with men who were
thoroughly well prepared for it. Then therefore it was that Moses began
to encourage them, and to exhort them to have a good heart, and rely on
God's assistance by which they had been state of freedom and to hope for
victory over those who were ready to fight with them, in order to deprive
them of that blessing: that they were to suppose their own army to be numerous,
wanting nothing, neither weapons, nor money, nor provisions, nor such other
conveniences as, when men are in possession of, they fight undauntedly;
and that they are to judge themselves to have all these advantages in the
Divine assistance. They are also to suppose the enemy's army to be small,
unarmed, weak, and such as want those conveniences which they know must
be wanted, when it is God's will that they shall be beaten; and how valuable
God's assistance is, they had experienced in abundance of trials; and those
such as were more terrible than war, for that is only against men; but
these were against famine and thirst, things indeed that are in their own
nature insuperable; as also against mountains, and that sea which afforded
them no way for escaping; yet had all these difficulties been conquered
by God's gracious kindness to them. So he exhorted them to be courageous
at this time, and to look upon their entire prosperity to depend on the
present conquest of their enemies.
[
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And with these words did Moses encourage the multitude, who then
called together the princes of their tribes, and their chief men, both
separately and conjointly. The young men he charged to obey their elders,
and the elders to hearken to their leader. So the people were elevated
in their minds, and ready to try their fortune in battle, and hoped to
be thereby at length delivered from all their miseries: nay, they desired
that Moses would immediately lead them against their enemies without the
least delay, that no backwardness might be a hindrance to their present
resolution. So Moses sorted all that were fit for war into different troops,
and set Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, over them; one
that was of great courage, and patient to undergo labors; of great abilities
to understand, and to speak what was proper; and very serious in the worship
of God; and indeed made like another Moses, a teacher of piety towards
God. He also appointed a small party of the armed men to be near the water,
and to take care of the children, and the women, and of the entire camp.
So that whole night they prepared themselves for the battle; they took
their weapons, if any of them had such as were well made, and attended
to their commanders as ready to rush forth to the battle as soon as Moses
should give the word of command. Moses also kept awake, teaching Joshua
after what manner he should order his camp. But when the day began, Moses
called for Joshua again, and exhorted him to approve himself in deeds such
a one as a his reputation made men expect from him; and to gain glory by
the present expedition, in the opinion of those under him, for his exploits
in this battle. He also gave a particular exhortation to the principal
men of the Hebrews, and encouraged the whole army as it stood armed before
him. And when he had thus animated the army, both by his words and works,
and prepared every thing, he retired to a mountain, and committed the army
to God and to Joshua.
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So the armies joined battle; and it came to a close fight, hand to
hand, both sides showing great alacrity, and encouraging one another. And
indeed while Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven
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the Hebrews were too hard for the Amalekites: but Moses not being able
to sustain his hands thus stretched out, (for as often as he let down his
hands, so often were his own people worsted,) he bade his brother Aaron,
and Hur their sister Miriam's husband, to stand on each side of him, and
take hold of his hands, and not permit his weariness to prevent it, but
to assist him in the extension of his hands. When this was done, the Hebrews
conquered the Amalekites by main force; and indeed they had all perished,
unless the approach of the night had obliged the Hebrews to desist from
killing any more. So our forefathers obtained a most signal and most seasonable
victory; for they not only overcame those that fought against them, but
terrified also the neighboring nations, and got great and splendid advantages,
which they obtained of their enemies by their hard pains in this battle:
for when they had taken the enemy's camp, they got ready booty for the
public, and for their own private families, whereas till then they had
not any sort of plenty, of even necessary food. The forementioned battle,
when they had once got it, was also the occasion of their prosperity, not
only for the present, but for the future ages also; for they not only made
slaves of the bodies of their enemies, but subdued their minds also, and
after this battle, became terrible to all that dwelt round about them.
Moreover, they acquired a vast quantity of riches; for a great deal of
silver and gold was left in the enemy's camp; as also brazen vessels, which
they made common use of in their families; many utensils also that were
embroidered there were of both sorts, that is, of what were weaved,
and what were the ornaments of their armor, and other things that served
for use in the family, and for the furniture of their rooms; they got also
the prey of their cattle, and of whatsoever uses to follow camps, when
they remove from one place to another. So the Hebrews now valued themselves
upon their courage, and claimed great merit for their valor; and they perpetually
inured themselves to take pains, by which they deemed every difficulty
might be surmounted. Such were the consequences of this battle.
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On the next day, Moses stripped the dead bodies of their enemies,
and gathered together the armor of those that were fled, and gave rewards
to such as had signalized themselves in the action; and highly commended
Joshua, their general, who was attested to by all the army, on account
of the great actions he had done. Nor was any one of the Hebrews slain;
but the slain of the enemy's army were too many to be enumerated. So Moses
offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, and built an altar, which he
named
The Lord the Conqueror. He also foretold that the Amalekites
should utterly be destroyed; and that hereafter none of them should remain,
because they fought against the Hebrews, and this when they were in the
wilderness, and in their distress also. Moreover, he refreshed the army
with feasting. And thus did they fight this first battle with those that
ventured to oppose them, after they were gone out of Egypt. But when Moses
had celebrated this festival for the victory, he permitted the Hebrews
to rest for a few days, and then he brought them out after the fight, in
order of battle; for they had now many soldiers in light armor. And going
gradually on, he came to Mount Sinai, in three months' time after they
were removed out of Egypt; at which mountain, as we have before related,
the vision of the bush, and the other wonderful appearances, had happened.