The covenant is more than just an agreement between god and the israelites. Written in hebrew, exodus is a combination of national narrativethe stories that help identify a countryand straightup law. Although portions of exodus are devoted to legal matters, the declaration of law in exodus always comes in the form of a story, relayed by discussions between god and moses, and between moses and the people. These 5 books were the first part of the hebrew bible. Exodus is the second book of the pentateuch the five books of moses, and its where we find the stories of the ten plagues, the first passover, the parting of the red sea, and the ten commandments the book gets its name from the nation of israels mass. The book of exodus doesnt really have a name in hebrew. It is by the septuagint called exodus, from whom we have the name of exodus, which signifies a going out. The second book of the pentateuch is called exodus, from the greek word for departure, because its central event was understood by the septuagints translators to be the departure of the israelites from egypt. Its presentation follows a grand thought process in which the holy spirit attempts to show just how valuable.
Because this term is so central to the entire discussion at hand, it will help us to clarify how this hebrew word actually works in the bible. In exodus we learn that there is but one god, and his name is yudhehvavheh. Exodus is the book which speaks of the physical and spiritual birth of israel as a nation. The book of exodus teaches that the lord is the one true god and the ruler of all creation. It is a vital connecting link between the age of the patriarchs abraham, isaac, jacob. In the hebrew bible the book s name is taken from the first two hebrew words in verse 1, elleh these and shemoth names, which can be translated, these are the names. Obviously, the title of hebrews tells of the flavor of the book. It has its own quirks, subtleties, and superweird moments. Summary of the book of exodus the story of the bible. This use of the hebrew term torah law, for the first five books is. That shows us that exodus is not really a completely separate book. It is part of the pentateuch, one of the holiest sections of religious text and foundational to the jewish faith. The meaning of the word exodus in hebrew is names and in greek is adeparture the second book of the torah is the organic continuation of the book of genesis. Carol meyers, in her commentary on exodus, suggests that it is arguably the most.
Exodus with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Although the three hebrew slave laws may not represent exactly the same cases, the differences between them are indicative of different laws, from different times and places, reflecting different ideas of slavery. The stay in the desert describes the earthly circumstances in which. Exodus is the second of five books comprising the pentateuch, the torah law, or the five books of moses.
The book of exodus or, simply, exodus, from greek, exodos, meaning going out. They called them the torah, which means law or instruction. And freedom moments are huge for any culture, right. With that, the nation receives the first presentation of the laws, statutes, and ordinances that were to be normative for every aspect of israelite life. And, the torah, consisting of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy, consists of traditions handed down orally from generation to generation as well as what god gave to moses on the holy mountain that we call mt. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. The law of moses also called the mosaic law, primarily refers to the torah or the first five. These laws and tradition are filled with symbols of gods promise to the israelites. The law in exodus is more systematic, insofar as it is not a onetime liberation at the pleasure of the king, but provides that the service of hebrew slaves be always. It describes one of the key episodes in the history of salvation. Exodus is part of the torah, which is known as the law of moses. Exodus is a latin word derived from greek exodos, the name given to the book by those who translated it into greek.
The content of the law is spread among the books of exodus, leviticus, and. It was written to jewish christians who had graduated from the inferior covenant of the mosaic law to the gospel of jesus christ cp. The word torah appears once in genesis in the sense of instructions from god that abraham followed. The book of exodus is the second book of the bible, it describes the israelites deliverance from slavery in egypt through the hand of yahweh, the revelations at biblical mount sinai, and the subsequent divine indwelling of god with israel exodus is traditionally ascribed to moses, but modern scholars see its initial composition as a product of the babylonian exile 6th century bce, with. If thou buy an hebrew servant, six years he shall serve. That some of the laws written down in exodus were already accepted codes of moral. The book of exodus is the second book of the torah and the christian bible. It is referred to as shemot, which is the hebrew word for the first word names.
All 6 commandments in the old testament law of moses. Exodus relates the story of freedom for gods people from slavery and the beginning of national identity. The english word law is a traditional yet inaccurate rendering of the key hebrew word torah. Think about july 4th for americans or bastille day for the french. God and israel at sinai and promulgates laws for the ordering of israels life. The book of exodus is the second book of the bible, it describes the israelites deliverance from. Book of exodus biblical studies oxford bibliographies. The book of exodus is the second book of the bible. Exodus is the second of the five books written by moses. The name was retained by the latin vulgate, by the jewish author philo a contemporary of christ and by the syriac version. Laws in exodus describing equal punishment for crimes. He is the author of the pentateuch which includes the first five books of the old testamentgenesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy.
The book of exodus is the story of god rescuing the children of israel from egypt and forging a special relationship with them. No doubt the laws contained in the book of the covenant were to a large extent old laws, which had been often acted on. It narrates the departure of the descendants of the patriarchs, increased to people,from servitude in egypt, their journey to sinai, and the. Jim phillips teaches hebrew reading and research by induction from the book of exodus 21. The greek and english name originates with the septuagint translatio n of the 3rd century bce. Exodus overview john gills exposition on the whole bible. Exodus, at the southern baptist theological seminary. He began to study hebrew tradition in search of its legal signi cance. The opening and or now in the hebrew title suggests that this book was to be accepted as the obvious sequel to genesis, the first book of moses. Bible survery exodus hebrew name velleh shemoth these are the names greek name exodus departure author moses date from 1635 to 1490 bc approximately. Its hebrew title, shemoth names, is from the book s opening phrase, these are the names.
Exodus, leviticus, and deuteronomy although the three hebrew slave laws may not represent exactly the same cases, the differences between them are indicative of different laws, from different times and places, reflecting different ideas of slavery. Exodus in this book, we read the famous story of moses leading the jewish people out of egypt, to mount sinai to accept the torah and the ten commandments. In hebrew the book takes its title from the opening words. The book is strategically important to both old testament history and a proper understanding of hebrew customs and institutions. In the book of exodus, moses life is divided into three fortyyear periods. This book takes a conceptual approach to hebrew law, organizing this broad subject. Exodus 21 these are the laws you are to set bible gateway.
Biblical studies from the book of hebrews bible study guide. The second book of the torah describes the birth of the jewish people. And in many ways, exodus is the covenant book its the rules, the history, and the contract all wrapped up into one you probably remember abrahams covenant with god from genesis. And when the lord decides to do something, no one can stop him. The hebrew font used in this book is newjerusalemu and the greek font is. Free bible version and commentary on the book of exodus in. The term judgment applies most properly to the decisions of courts and the laws founded upon them. Intro to exodus biblica the international bible society. The book exodus is one of the great books of the pentateuch and of the whole bible. It contains the stories of enslavement and liberation, of revelation and wanderings, of belief and apostasy. Egypt is a picture of this present world galatians 1. The theophany is therefore a public experience of divine law. Exodus is the harshest version, and deuteronomy, with its humanitarian view, ameliorates somewhat the fate of the israelite slave. Most of the events in the first part take place in egypt, where the people of israel had been made slaves by the king.
Here again the hebrew word is very strong, meaning to revile or to utter violent reproaches wilson, old testament word studies, s. The name exodus comes from the greek septuagint and means departure or going out, because of the departure of the nation of israel from egypt. Exodus, the liberation of the people of israel from slavery in egypt in the th century. The book of exodus is especially rich in typical teachings.
1368 750 631 64 1449 1096 1053 1471 606 1378 1129 498 873 1281 271 1215 1090 170 796 100 620 630 1485 1039 1401 925 1459 879 1151 1178 199 697 255 291 889 224 1157 1345 1017 390 1059 1367 1315 957 338 1292