Who is Jehovah-Nissi?

Jehovah-Nissi or Yahweh-Nissi in Hebrew connotes “the Lord is our banner”. The word Jehovah Nissi appears only once in the Bible, that is Exodus 17:15. Moses built an altar called Jehovah-Nissi after the children of Israel had defeated the Amalekites.

Exodus 17:15 - And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

The name ‘Jehovahnissi’ originated as Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness following their escape from Egyptian bondage. The tribes were attacked by nomadic Amalekites who were a powerful warlike group along their way. In readiness for and when the battle began, Moses stationed himself at a strategic point on one of the hills where his gaze could encompass all his soldiers who were now advancing against those enemies down below him. On this particular occasion, he held ‘rod of God’ which was similar to that with which he had smote a rock enabling water to come out in response to people’s needs in the wilderness.

Exodus 17:5-6 - And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

It is unusual because "when Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed".

Exodus 17:9 - And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

When Moses’ arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur stood beside him and supported them. They maintained this position until sunset when the victory over Amalek was won by Israel (verses 12-13). After that battle was over, Moses constructed an altar and named it as Jehovahnissi such meaning that “the Lord is my Banner”.

The strange circumstances under which these events happened seem to confirm unmistakably as to who really caused such triumphs. Their success was absolutely conditional upon raising the rod of God high above all others during combat operations. That victory came not through superior planning or military force but rather by divine power alone.

1 Samuel 17:47 - And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

The hands and rod of Moses were held up as soldiers hold their flags in the time of battle. These flags are usually inscribed with their country’s insignia, hence, these soldiers are fighting under that banner. The Israelites fought under God who is Jehovah Nissi. They fought under Him as their Banner and His name and strength was what guaranteed their victory.

Of course we can reasonably conclude that while Moses kept the rod up high he was praying to God for the success of the Israelite army below him. So, it can be said that when Moses lifted his staff up high he was actually praying indirectly.

James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Also, by letting his hands lower which showed weariness, Moses taught us “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

Mark 14:38 - Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Thus, this naming Jehovah-Nissi as an altar served as a reminder for all generations of believers to recognize that we can only triumph when we acknowledge God’s name and rally behind Him like our ‘banner’.

The outcome of the battle depended on Moses holding his staff above. The moment he raised his staff, the Israelites were winning. When he felt exhausted and let them drop down in front of him; the Amalekites started winning. In order to win this battle Aaron and Hur helped to keep his arms up. Jehovah-Nissi means that God's presence and power secured their victory, not the Israelite's own power.

God fights on our behalf. Our victories come from relying on Him, not from trusting in our own strength. This title assures us, especially when faced with difficult times, that He is our only source of power and victory.

If you feel that your prayers are hindered, download my free eBook to find out what may be hindering your prayers: 17 Hinderances To Prayer.

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Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

- The Christian King