Yahweh Is My Banner (Exodus 17:15-16a)

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

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"Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, 'For hands were lifted up to the throne¹ of the LORD.'"(Exodus 17:15-16a)

Banner is the Hebrew noun nēs (nissi is the first person possessive, "my banner"). It is apparently derived from a root meaning "raised, displayed, prominent."It means "signal pole, standard, ensign, banner, sign"used in war to signal the troops and rally them in battle.² In this instance, perhaps "signal pole"might be a better translation than "banner,"because Moses was using his rod as a rallying point for the troops. But since troops in all but the most modern warfare used flags as rallying points, perhaps "banner"conveys the idea effectively to our time.

You may remember the story of Francis Scott Key's national anthem,
"The Star Spangled Banner."In the War of 1812, battle raged as a British warship shelled one broadside after another against Fort McHenry defending Baltimore. It wasn't immediately apparent to Francis Scott Key if the American fort had been taken or not, whether or not the colors had been struck. Finally, from the light of battle he could see that the flag still flying:

".... And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."

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It's that kind of sentiment that Moses expressed toward Yahweh himself at the battle with the Amalekites. Of course, Yahweh-nissi was a name given to an altar, not a name used to address God in Scripture. But the name is closely associated with Yahweh, in that it describes one of his characteristics -- Yahweh my banner, the one I look to in battle as my rallying point. The staff in Moses' hands, the "rod of God"was that pole or standard lifted high that won the battle for Israel -- Yahweh-nissi.

References

Abbreviations

1. Childs, Exodus, pp. 311-312 argues that in verse 16, "throne" (kēs) should be emended to "banner" (nēs) due to a probable textual corruption, in order to make better sense of the verse (adopted by the RSV and NRSV). However as it is read, it is a difficult verse to understand completely.

2. Marvin R. Wilson, nāsas, TWOT #1379a. "In the Old Testament, nēs generally means a rallying point or standard which drew people together for some common action or for the communication of important information. This usually happened on a high or conspicuous place within the camp or community. There, a signal pole, sometimes with an ensign attached, could be raised as a point of focus or object of hope.... Realizing that the LORD was the Banner around which Israel had rallied, Moses called the altar Jehovah-nissi (the LORD is my banner)."

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