Amalek defeated EXO 17:11

Amalek attacks the stragglers of Israel at Rephidim, so Joshua is sent out to fight while Moses climbs a nearby hill holding the staff of God. As long as Moses keeps his hands raised, Israel has the upper hand in the battle below, and when his arms drop, Amalek gains ground. The fight continues until sunset, when Joshua finally overcomes Amalek and its people.

The text does not explain the mechanism; it simply records that Israel prevails while the hands are up and Amalek prevails when they fall. The staff of God in his hand recalls the same instrument already used to part the sea and bring water from the rock, so the gesture ties this victory to God's power rather than to Joshua's swordsmanship alone. Many readers take it as a visible sign that the battle below depends on something happening above, on the hill, not only in the valley.

When Moses' hands grow heavy from holding them up, Aaron and Hur put a stone under him to sit on and hold his arms up on either side until sunset. Their presence shows that even Moses cannot sustain the gesture alone, and the victory is shared rather than the achievement of one man standing on the hill. The scene puts the man on the hill and the men in the valley on the same level of necessity for the outcome.

Christians read this scene differently. Some take it simply as a historical account showing that Israel's strength in battle came from God's power attached to the staff and Moses' posture, without needing further explanation. Others read it as a picture of prayer and intercession, where the weary, supported arms on the hill illustrate the need for sustained dependence on God even while others do the fighting. The text itself does not interpret its own symbolism, so both readings stay close to what is actually written.