Exodus 17:15
ESV
And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,
NIV
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.
NASB
And Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner;
CSB
And Moses built an altar and named it, "The Lord Is My Banner."
NLT
Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means 'the Lord is my banner').
KJV
And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
NKJV
And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;
What does Exodus 17:15 mean?
Amalekites attacked Israel (Exodus 17:8–9) but were defeated (Exodus 17:10–13). God told Moses to record a clear condemnation of the nation of Amalek, and a prophecy of their destruction (Exodus 17:14). Amalekites would plague Israel for generations (Numbers 14:45; Judges 3:33; 1 Samuel 14:48). Saul was told to eradicate them but failed (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). Only after defeat by David (1 Samuel 30:17) was Amalek weakened enough to be erased permanently (1 Chronicles 4:43).Moses takes the additional step of building an altar. This was an important symbol to remind the people of what the Lord had accomplished for them. The altar is given a unique name: YHWH Nissi' y, or "The Lord is my Banner." Banners are usually flags or other symbols used to represent a group, nation, or leader (Numbers 2:2; Song of Solomon 2:4; Psalm 20:5; 60:4). Banners also served to communicate news (Jeremiah 50:2).
