In brief
Hur is a companion of Moses who appears at two moments in Exodus. At Rephidim, while Joshua fights Amalek in the valley, he goes up the hill with Moses and Aaron; when Moses’ hands grow weary, Aaron and Hur hold them up, one on one side and one on the other, until sunset, and Israel wins the victory (Exodus 17:10-13). At Sinai, before going up the mountain, Moses tells the elders that Aaron and Hur are with them, to settle disputes (Exodus 24:14). These passages do not state his origin.
What does the name Hur mean?
The name Hur is of Hebrew origin; it is sometimes linked to a word meaning white or noble, but the Bible does not explain it. The texts of Exodus give neither his tribe nor his family. Other men named Hur appear in the Bible, such as the grandfather of Bezalel (Exodus 31:2), without the text formally establishing a link.
The story of Hur
Amalek attacks at Rephidim
Exodus 17:8-9Shortly after the exodus from Egypt, Amalek comes to fight Israel at Rephidim. Moses tells Joshua to choose men and go out to battle, while he himself will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. The battle will be played out on two fronts: the valley, where the fighting takes place, and the hill, where one stands before God.
Moses, Aaron and Hur on the hill
Exodus 17:10-11Joshua obeys, and Moses, Aaron and Hur go up to the top of the hill. Hur is named for the first time, without introduction. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. The outcome of the battle depends on what happens on the height.
Hands held up until sunset
Exodus 17:12-13Moses’ hands grow weary. Aaron and Hur take a stone, put it under him and he sits on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Joshua then overwhelms Amalek with the edge of the sword. Hur did not fight, nor pray in Moses’ place: he supported him.
The Lord is my banner
Exodus 17:14-16After the victory, the Lord commands Moses to write a memorial of that day in a book. Moses builds an altar and names it The Lord Is My Banner. The victory is credited neither to Joshua, nor to Moses, nor to Aaron and Hur, but to God. Hur had a share in this victory simply by keeping his place beside the one who prayed.
Responsible for the people at Sinai
Exodus 24:13-14When the Lord calls Moses up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, Moses tells the elders to wait for them there until they return. Aaron and Hur are with them, and whoever has a dispute is to go to them. Hur thus receives, with Aaron, the charge of watching over the people during Moses’ forty days of absence.
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What Hur teaches us
- You do not need to be the leader to weigh on a battle: holding up the hands of the one who prays changes the course of the fight.
- Leaders grow weary; be the one who brings the stone and holds the arm, rather than the one who criticizes the hands that are drooping.
- Hur is named with no title and no genealogy; God remembers those who serve faithfully in the shadows.
- The victory is credited to the Lord alone; when God acts through your support, leave him all the glory.
Key verses
Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ weary hands, one on each side, until sunset. The support of brothers allows prayer to hold on until the victory.
Israel prevails when Moses lifts his hand, Amalek when he lowers it. The verse shows that the visible fight depends on an invisible reality.
Moses entrusts the people to Aaron and Hur during his absence at Sinai. Hur is recognized as a trustworthy man for settling disputes.
Sermons about Hur
- Keeping Your Hands Raised to Defeat AmalekMoses raised both hands: Aaron held the spiritual arm of prayer, Hur the arm of structure and service. A victorious church needs both, and the leader cannot fight alone.
- Exodus 17: Battles Won in Prayer FirstMoses goes up the hill with Aaron and Hur, the staff of God in his hand, while Joshua fights in the valley. Some battles are won in prayer before they are won anywhere else.
- Fight and Climb: The Faith That Holds in the TrialA stone has to be placed under Moses, and Aaron and Hur support his arms on either side. It is not the strength of the fighters that decides the outcome, but the posture of the one who goes up to rely on God.
- You Are Good at Prayer: Setting Prayer Free from GuiltWhile Joshua fought in the valley, Moses prayed with raised hands; when his hands dropped, Israel lost ground. Aaron and Hur had to hold up his arms: the leader’s prayers change the situation in the valley.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Hur in the Bible?
Hur is a companion of Moses and Aaron. During the battle against Amalek at Rephidim, he goes up the hill with them and, with Aaron, holds up Moses’ weary hands until sunset (Exodus 17:10-13). At Sinai, Moses charges him with Aaron to watch over the people and settle disputes during his absence (Exodus 24:14).
Is Hur the grandfather of Bezalel?
Exodus 31:2 presents Bezalel as the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The passages in Exodus 17 and 24 give neither the tribe nor the family of the Hur who accompanies Moses. Many readers identify the two men, but the Bible does not explicitly establish this link; it therefore remains a hypothesis.
Where can I find the story of Hur in the Bible?
Hur appears in two passages of the book of Exodus. Exodus 17:8-16 tells of the battle against Amalek, where he holds up Moses’ hands with Aaron. Exodus 24:12-14 reports that Moses entrusts the people to Aaron and Hur before going up Mount Sinai for forty days. A Hur of the tribe of Judah is also cited in Exodus 31:2.