Questions tagged [exodus]

Exodus is the second book of the Hebrew Bible, telling the story of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt, their deliverance, and their journey to Mount Sinai.

Exodus, Book Of

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Five Books of Moses. Its name derives from the Greek via Latin, and references the main theme of the book: the departure of Israel from Egypt.

Exodus narrates the story of Israel, beginning with her slavery in Egypt and the call of Moses, telling of her deliverance through the ten plagues culminating in the Passover and the exit through the sea, following Israel through the wilderness to Sinai where God meets with Moses and the people on the mountain, and concluding with the giving of the law and the construction of the temple.

See also the following tags, which overlap with this one:

  • - for questions about the man Moses (Moshe)

  • - for questions about Egypt, where Israel was enslaved at the beginning of the book

  • - for questions about the torah law given at Sinai and recorded in this and the remaining books of the

  • - for questions about the portable sanctuary built at the end of this book (and later replaced by the temple)

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Why did God specifically target the firstborn in the 10th plague (Exodus 12:29-36)?

What was so special about the firstborn of Egypt that God decided to kill them, to bring judgement on Pharaoh and Egypt for their sins against the Israelites? Why not just kill anybody who supported the Pharaoh's pro-Israelite slavery policies? Did…
AngelusVastator
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Why does Exodus 3 refer to "the angel of the LORD"?

Exodus 3:2 (ESV): And the angel of the LORD (malʾak yhwh) appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. It seems pretty clear from what follows that the individual in the bush is YHWH himself.1 When the LORD saw that he…
Susan
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Exodus 21:22: is "mischief" related only to the mother or to the baby, too?

Exodus 21:22 (KJV): If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges…
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What deity was Reuel a priest of?

Exodus 2:16 introduces Reuel (who was later Moses's father-in-law) as "a priest of Midian" without specifying anything further about which deity he was priest of: Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the…
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In Exodus 32:20, why did Moses make the Israelites drink the ground calf & water mixture?

The English translation of Exodus 32:20 according to the King James Version states, And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of…
user862
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Are toys a form of idolatry accordingly Exodus 20:4-5?

Exodus 20:4-5 says, "Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve…
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Exodus 33:11 Did Moses See God?

Someone here has said that Moses saw God face to face. Well lets be technical here. The text actually says that : Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face - NASB It does not mention seeing, only speaking. Moses' eyes could have been…
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Which of Egypt's gods were judged in Ex 12:12?

When Jehovah freed his people from slavery in Egypt via Moses which were the Egyptian gods judged? Does each of the 10 plagues correspond to a specific Egyptian god? NWT Exodus 12:12 " . . . I will execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am…
user26950
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“Pass over” or “cover over” in Exodus 12?

Exodus 12:13b (ESV) And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:13b (BHS) וְרָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וּפָסַחְתִּ֖י עֲלֵכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה בָכֶ֥ם נֶ֨גֶף֙…
Susan
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Why is "gods" plural in Exodus 32:4 and 32:8, when there was only one Golden Calf?

And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” Exodus 32:4 ESV The context in Hebrew confirms that…
Terjij Kassal
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The Pharaoh at the time of the tenth plague, was he not a firstborn son?

Exodus 12: 29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Apparently,…
user35953
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What does it mean to bow and serve in Exodus 20:5?

The previous verse says not to make any graven image or likeness of anything (which, my personal hermeneutics considers that to be literally any visual representation, which I know is against rabbinic and Christian teachings, but I'm not trying to…
Ben Pettis
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What is the significance of Pharaoh's "Tomorrow" in Exodus 8:10?

Exodus 8:6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. 8Pharaoh summoned Moses…
user35953
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Since the Israelites had flocks and herds & a very large number of livestock in Chapter 12 of Exodus, why did they complain of hunger in Chapter 16?

Not one of my commentaries addresses this matter and my pastor doesn't know. Exodus 12:37, 38 NASB 37 Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. 38 A mixed multitude also…
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How long to cross the Red Sea?

In Exodus 12:29-32 (NASB) 29 Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the…
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