A Survey of the Book of Exodus

Updated: Feb 23, 2023

Exodus is to the Old Testament as the Gospels to the New Testament. Both proclaim the redemptive activity of God.

#1 - TITLE

English translation refers to the second book of the OT under the title “Exodus.”
The name “Exodus” is taken from the Greek ‘ex hodus” from 19: 1 and means “going out” or “departure.”
In Hebrew the title consist of the opening words, “And these are the names.”
The Exodus event was one of the most important in the life of Israel as it signified the birth of the nation.

Genesis tells why and how God chose, led, and preserved the redemptive family.
Exodus records how this family became a free nation under God – how he redeemed it from bondage, sealed it in a covenant relationship with himself and prepared it through the construction of the tabernacle, for his perpetual presence.

"The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still" – Exodus 14:14

Technically, the book of Exodus is anonymous, for no single person is specified as author of the entire book.
However, the tradition identifies Moses as the author of Exodus. Consequently, the English translations have consistently included in titles to Exodus such expressions as “The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus” (KJV) or “The Second Book of Moses, commonly called as Exodus” (ASV, RSV).
These titles were later added to the book, have never been present in the Hebrew text.
Within the book, however there are occasions when writing is associated with Moses:
“And the Lord said to Moses, Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” (17: 14).
“And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord...Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people” (24: 4-7).

Exodus includes various literary types and genres including poetry, covenant texts and legal materials.
One of the great poems of the OT is “The Song of the Sea” (Exod 15:1 -18: 21). This piece celebrates Israel's exodus deliverance from Egypt through the Red Sea.
The poem mixes traits of a hymn of praise, a coronation song, a litany, and a victory psalm.
The covenant texts of Exodus 20-23, like Hittites treaties, contain both basic and specific stipulations. The Ten Commandments (20: 1-17) make up the so-called “basic stipulations” section of the covenant text.
They lay down the fundamental principles of behaviour without references to motives or results.
The second main section , Exodus 21: 1-23: 19, is otherwise describes as the “specific stipulations”
Its purpose is to elaborate on the principles established in the Ten Commandments and to address particular concerns faced by the community.
Exodus sandwiches legal material (Exod 20-23) between narratives that anticipate (Exod 19) and relates Israel's commitment to the covenant (Exod 24).
This sandwich structure suggests the legal portions find their rightful place in the context of covenant.

The revelation of the name “YHWH” to Moses as the divinely appointed deliverer of Israel marked a new stage in God’s progressive self-disclosure to the Hebrews people.
The name is usually translated as “I AM” which connotes the personal, eternal and all sufficient aspects of God’s nature and character.
The unveiling of the divine name YHWH was not the only way in which god revealed himself to Israel during Exodus experience.
Several other types of theophanies are reported in the Pentateuchal narratives. Ex. By means of angel of the Lord (Exod. 3: 2; 14: 19) and other angelic agents (23: 20; 33: 2), miraculous event (8: 16-19), the cloud of glory (16: 10) and even face to face (33: 11).

The text of Exodus declares that the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh is actually a struggle between the true God, YHWH and the false gods of the Egyptian religion.
The ten plagues of Egypt are as follows

The historical context of the original Passover event (Exod. 12) was the last plague against Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Egyptians gods.
This death plague hurried the Hebrew flight from oppression and bondage (v. 21-27).
Future generations were commanded to observe the Passover as a feast commemorating the Hebrew deliverance accomplished by the mighty arm of YHWH.
The memorial feats the Passover ceremony had important didactic implications for the Hebrew family.

Also known as the “Decalogue” or “Ten Words,” the Ten Commandments are recorded in Exodus 20: 1-17 and repeated in Deut. 5: 6-21.
God himself writes the commandments on tablets and speaks directly to all the Hebrews (20: 1; 32: 16).
Only two of the statutes are cast in the form of positive imperatives: the fourth, “Remember the Sabbath day...,” and the fifth, “Honour your father and mother...,”megilloth
Eight of the ten laws are apodictic prohibitions (i.e. they take the form “you shall not...”)
The purpose of covenant is to create new relationships, whereas the purpose of law is to regulate the existing relationships by ordering means.
The Ten Commandments are:

One important outcome of the covenant agreement between YHWH and Israel was the very presence of God accompanying the Hebrews on their journey.
This presence of God was made manifest to Israel in alternative forms – a clouds and pillar of fire.
The tabernacle structure described in Exodus 25-40 was designed to symbolize the active presence of God among the Hebrews.
The tent of tabernacle is also called as place of meeting because there God meet with his chosen people, Israel.

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