Exodus

About Exodus

Exodus tells how God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt, made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, and came to live among them in the tabernacle. It was written so God's people would never forget the God who set them free and what it means to belong to Him. The exodus becomes the Bible's defining picture of salvation, one the rest of Scripture returns to again and again.

Written by

Traditionally attributed to Moses, who is central to the story and is told to write things down within it; scholars debate how much of the final book comes directly from him.

When

The exodus itself is commonly dated to around 1446 BC or around 1270 BC—scholars genuinely differ—and views on when the book reached its final form differ along the same lines.

Themes

• God rescues His people
• God's name and character
• Covenant at Sinai
• Law and freedom
• God's presence among His people

Key verses

• Exodus 3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
• Exodus 19:5-6Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
• Exodus 20:2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.