Exodus 17:11-12

"And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

"Held up his hand ..." "Hands (plural)" are mentioned in Exodus 17:11; and from the fact of Aaron being on one side and Hur on the other, it would appear that both hands were held up. The Septuagint (LXX), in fact, translates plural "hands" in both Exodus 17:10 and Exodus 17:11. Moses' inability to continue all day with hands uplifted is no proof whatever that, "Moses was old and feeble."[16] That is not what this text says. (See the chapter introduction for further comment on this.) Esses has an excellent word on the spiritual import of this event, as follows:

"As long as our hands are lifted up in praise, in worship, in thanksgiving, no matter what the circumstances, the Lord and His people will prevail. But the minute we put our hands down and stop praising God, the enemy overcomes us. In all things we have to praise God and give thanks to Jesus Christ."[17]

Several views are expressed as to whether or not Moses was praying with his hands uplifted, and, although no mention of it is made, it is difficult to suppose that he was not praying. "Lifting up hands" in prayer is mentioned in both the O.T. and the N.T. (Psalms 28:2; Psalms 63:4; and 1 Timothy 2:8). It was not the prayers of Moses, however, that God commanded, but the lifting up of "the rod of God."

The fact of God's requiring Moses to do something here (keep his hands up all day) that no man, no matter how young and strong, could possibly do unaided shows that God's great purposes for His people cannot be achieved through the efforts of leaders alone. They must be supported and aided by others.

A very discerning comment on this event was made by Dummelow: "Moses praying on the hill while the people are fighting in the valley is an emblem (or type) of Christ interceding in the heavenly places for his people struggling upon earth (Hebrews 4:14-16)."[18]