Jehovah-nissi
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, Jehovah-Nissi (Hebrew: יְהוָה נִסִּי) is the name given by Moses to the altar
which he built to celebrate the defeat of the Amalek
ites at Rephidim
.
, the sacred name that, according to the Hebrew Bible
, God revealed to the Jews as a chosen people
. It is generally translated in English bibles as "the ". Jehovah
is a Christian anglicized vocalization of this name.
The Septuagint translators believed nis·si′ to be derived from nus (flee for refuge) and rendered it "the Lord My Refuge", while in the Vulgate
it was thought to be derived from na·sas′ (hoist; lift up) and was rendered "Jehovah Is My Exaltation".
In many modern Christian translations, such as the New International Version
, the name is translated “the is my banner."
, watching the battle from a vantage point, held his staff
aloft.
Matthew Henry
considered that Jehovah-nissi–The Lord is my banner "probably refers to the lifting up of the rod of God as a banner in this action. The presence and power of Jehovah were the banner under which they enlisted, by which they were animated and kept together, and therefore which they erected in the day of their triumph."
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
which he built to celebrate the defeat of the Amalek
Amalek
The Amalekites are a people mentioned a number of times in the Hebrew Bible. They are considered to be descended from an ancestor Amalek....
ites at Rephidim
Rephidim
Rephidim was one of the places visited by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt.The Israelites had come from the wilderness of Sin. At Rephidim, the Israelites found no water to drink, and in their distress they blamed Moses for their troubles, to the point where Moses feared that they...
.
Translations
The first word of the phrase is the TetragrammatonTetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
, the sacred name that, according to the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, God revealed to the Jews as a chosen people
Jews as a chosen people
In Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jews are the Chosen People, chosen to be in a covenant with God. This idea is first found in the Torah and is elaborated on in later books of the Hebrew Bible...
. It is generally translated in English bibles as "the ". Jehovah
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
is a Christian anglicized vocalization of this name.
The Septuagint translators believed nis·si′ to be derived from nus (flee for refuge) and rendered it "the Lord My Refuge", while in the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
it was thought to be derived from na·sas′ (hoist; lift up) and was rendered "Jehovah Is My Exaltation".
In many modern Christian translations, such as the New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
, the name is translated “the is my banner."
Interpretation
The chapter recounts that Israel had the advantage over Amalek as long as MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, watching the battle from a vantage point, held his staff
The Staff of Moses
According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, the staff used by Moses was by his side throughout important milestones in the narrative...
aloft.
Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry was an English commentator on the Bible and Presbyterian minister.-Life:He was born at Broad Oak, a farmhouse on the borders of Flintshire and Shropshire. His father, Philip Henry, had just been ejected under the Act of Uniformity 1662...
considered that Jehovah-nissi–The Lord is my banner "probably refers to the lifting up of the rod of God as a banner in this action. The presence and power of Jehovah were the banner under which they enlisted, by which they were animated and kept together, and therefore which they erected in the day of their triumph."