Exodus Overview

Session Notes

Dr. Carmen Imes

Contents
Session 1: Exodus and the Exodus 5
Session 2: Proliferation and Oppression (Exodus 1)  7
Session 3: Delivering the Deliverer (Exodus 1-2a) 9
Session 4: Becoming Moses (Exodus 2b) 11
Session 5: Commissioning Moses (Exodus 3-4a) 12
Session 6: Confronting the Firstborn (Exodus 4b) 14
Session 7: Let Them Go! (Exodus 5-7) 17
Session 8: Signs and Wonders (Exodus 7-11) 20
Session 9: Hard Heart (Exodus 7-11) 22
Session 10: Passover Ritual (Exodus 12-13) 25
Session 11: Sea Crossing (Exodus 13b-14) 27
Session 12: Prophetic Song (Exodus 15)  29
Session 13: Liminal Space (Exodus 16-17) 31
Session 14: Burden of Leadership (Exodus 18) 33
Session 15: Commissioning the Nation (Exodus 19) 34
Session 16: Law as Mission (Exodus 20) 36
Session 17: No Other Gods (Exodus 20a)  37
Session 18: Bearing His Name (Exodus 20b) 38
Session 19: Resting in God’s Provision (Exodus 20c) 40
Session 20: “Slavery” Laws (Exodus 21-23a) 41
Session 21: Defining the “Conquest” (Exodus 23b) 44
Session 22: Covenant Ratified (Exodus 24) 45
Session 23: Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31) 46
Session 24: Priestly Garments (Exodus 28-29) 48
Session 25: Apostasy (Exodus 32) 49
Session 26: Presence (Exodus 33-34) 52
Session 27: Participation (Exodus 35-40) 53
Session 28: Glory (Exodus 40) 55

Exodus 2
Prework
Read Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters by Carmen Imes
Read Exodus Old and New by Michael Morales (optional)

Study Questions
1. In Exodus 1:1-2:10, who is named, who is unnamed, and why?
2. Women play significant roles in Exodus 1-2 and 4. What motivates them to act as they do?
And what can that teach us about our response to injustice in the world around us?
3. In Exodus 2:1-4:31, what clues does the author give us about Moses’
conflicting identities? Who is he, and how can we tell?
4. In what ways does Moses’ own story in Exodus 1-4 anticipate or foreshadow Israel’s story as a nation?
5. Bible readers often struggle with the idea of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. Does God’s
hardening of Pharaoh’s heart override his freedom? Consider this issue as you read 4:21-
14:18. Do you notice any patterns that might help us with this question?
6. What patterns do you notice in how the plague narratives unfold? Why doesn’t God just
send a single, decisive plague? What is the purpose of having so many plagues?
7. What connections do you notice between the first half of Exodus and the creation account in Genesis 1?
8. Why might the author have included a chapter of ritual instructions
to interrupt this exciting narrative in chapter 12?
9. Trace the idea of the firstborn through the book. Who are the firstborn? What is their role in this drama?
10. What is the literary-theological significance of Miriam’s role in the song of Exodus 15?
11. Read Numbers 11-12, 16-17, and 20 and then re-read Exodus 15:22-17:7. What similarities
and differences did you notice? How can you account for those? Do you notice similarities
and differences in God’s response? What has changed and what hasn’t?
12. Read Exodus 18 and Numbers 11. Reflect on Moses’ leadership role, its challenges, and God’s provision.
What do you make of the fact that Moses follows Jethro’s advice without a command from God in Exodus
18? What is problematic about Moses’ perspective in Numbers 11, and how does God respond?
13. Carefully compare the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.
What differences do you notice? How can you account for these?
14. As you read the laws in Exodus 20-23, make a list of ways that they put in
place protections for vulnerable members of the community.
15. Many people struggle with God’s command that Israel take possession of the land of the Canaanites. Reread
Exodus 23:20-33. What reasons are given for the conquest? What specifically are the Israelites asked to do?
16. In Exodus 24, Moses ratifies the covenant between YHWH and Israel. In verse 8, he sprinkles blood on
the people. What is the significance of that? Where else in the Torah is someone sprinkled with blood?
17. Which items get the most attention in the tabernacle instructions (Exod. 25-31)? Why?
18. In the golden calf incident (Exod. 32), YHWH changes his mind in response to Moses’ intercession (v.
14). What implications does this have for our understanding of prayer and the sovereignty of God?
19. Compare Exodus 23:20, 32:33-33:6, and 33:12-34:11. Why did God say he would not go with them?
What changed his mind? What can we learn from Moses’ interaction with God at Sinai?
20. Why does Exodus 35-40 repeat so much material from Exodus 25-31? What is the theological
significance? Was the tabernacle a success? Why or why not? (Give evidence from the text.)
Session 1: Exodus and the Exodus
Did the Events in Exodus Really Happen?
• Deuteronomy 26:1-9
• Joshua 24:1-28
• Isaiah 43:14-21
• Psalm 105

“As a constitutive event, the exodus is recognized as an

event of such import that the community would not be
what it is without its having occurred.”

Fretheim, Terence (2010). Exodus:

Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching
and Preaching. Westminster John Knox Press.

When Did the Exodus Happen?

A summary of Nahum Sarna’s Exodus from the Jewish Publication Society

15th Century 13th Century

• 1 Kings 6:1 (480 years) • Pharaoh lived near Pithom and Rameses, which
were built by the Hebrews (Exod. 1:11)
• But Pharaoh lived at Thebes during that time,
400 miles away, and controlled Canaan • Egypt had lost control of Canaan
• “Israel” mentioned on Pharaoh Merneptah’s
Counting back 480 years from Solomon in 960 B.C.E.
(1 Kgs. 6:1), puts the exodus at 1440 B.C.E. Perhaps Stele (c.1224-11)
this number is somewhat symbolic, representing 12 • But what about the 480 years?
generations at 40 years per generation, when in reality • And geography and archaeology of the
the number is considerably smaller.
conquest don’t match exactly

Which Pharaoh?
He is unnamed in the text, but pay close attention to whose names we learn.
Note: The mention of Pithom and Rameses in 1:11 does not solve this, since a scribe could have
updated the city names later.

Exodus 5
Literary Design of Exodus
1-4: The Saga of Moses
   1-2: Moses Delivered from Pharaoh
   3-4: Moses Commissioned by YHWH
5-40: The Saga of the Hebrews
   5-18: Hebrews Delivered from Pharaoh
    5-11: Ten Plagues
    12-15a: Passover and Exodus
    15b-18: Wilderness Journey
19-40: Hebrews Commissioned by YHWH
  19-24: Covenant
  25-40: Presence

Recommended Resource
The Liturgy of Creation: Understanding Calendars in Old Testament Context by
Michael LeFebvre

Exodus 6
Session 2: Proliferation and Oppression (Exodus 1)

Creation Echoes

Genesis 1:28 Exodus 1:7

Be fruitful [prh] and multiply [rbh], fill [mlʾ] the land But the children of Israel were fruitful [prh] and they
[ʾrṣ] and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea swarmed [šrṣ; cf. Gen. 1:20-21; 9:7] and they increased
and over birds of the heavens and over every living [rbh] and became very, very [mʾd; Gen. 1:31] numerous,
creature that roams upon the land. and the land [ʾrṣ] was filled [mlʾ] with them.

Over whom or what were they supposed to rule? (Gen. 1:28; cf. Exod. 1:14)

Pharaoh’s Fear
• Problem: The Israelites outnumber us
• Solution: Keep them from multiplying so that they will not fight us and leave
• Plan A: Harsh labor
• Plan B: Murderous midwives
• Plan C: Nile drowning
Whose names do we know in chapter 1? The Hebrew midwives are named, even though Pharaoh
is not. The midwives’ courage in defying Pharaoh is remembered for all time.

Exodus 7
“Come, let us ...”
Pharaoh repeats the arrogance of the brick makers in Genesis 11, whose city and tower tried to
establish their own fame and avoid being “scattered” (Gen. 11:3-4). God has already demonstrated
his commitment to opposing the proud. In response, God will reverse Pharaoh’s oppressive
policies (cf. Exod 5:12).

Store Cities
The building of ‫( ִמ ְס ְּכנֹות‬miskənôt) in 1:11 mirrors the building of the ‫( ִמ ְׁש ָּכן‬miškān) in Exodus 25-40.
These were likely warehouses with supplies for Pharaoh’s funerary cult, ensuring that Egyptians
would worship him long after his death. YHWH calls the people to build a tabernacle to worship
him instead.

Exodus 8
Session 3: Delivering the Deliverer (Exodus 1-2a)

A Tale of Three Daughters

What do you see?
• The daughter of Levi “saw that he was good” (2:2)
• The baby’s sister “stood at a distance to see what would happen to/for him” (2:4)
• The daughter of Pharaoh “saw the basket ... saw the baby ... and felt sorry for him” (2:5-6)
Cf. “God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them” (2:25)
YHWH: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people ... and I am concerned about their suffering” (3:7)
YHWH: “I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them” (3:9)

Delivery Stool or Birthing Bricks?

ʾābnayim ≈ “two stones” (Exod. 1:16)
• Birthing equipment: See Jeremiah 18:3 (potter’s wheel)
• Genitalia: This would be the only such occurrence
• Birthing stool: Possible, but Pharaoh’s instruction in v. 16 would be strange
• Ritual bricks: This seems more likely
See Josef Wegner, “Tradition and Innovation: The Middle Kingdom” for more on birthing bricks
used as a stool and then rearranged for a newborn ritual.

Exodus 9
Delivering the Deliverer
• Shiphrah and Puah (the midwives)
• The boy’s mother
• The boy’s sister
• The daughter of Pharaoh
• The maidservants of Pharaoh’s daughter
• Zipporah (chapter 4)
Midwife, mother, sister, daughter, wife—each woman courageously defies Pharaoh, working within
her sphere of influence to resist injustice.
Pharaoh had “let the girls live” (ḥāyah; 1:16, 22), but women became his greatest threat. Their
“liveliness” (ḥāyeh) was the reason they kept bearing sons (1:19).

Exodus 10
Session 4: Becoming Moses (Exodus 2b)

Naming Moses (Exod. 2:10)

• “Moses” in Hebrew = “one who draws out”
• “Moses” in Egyptian = “son of ___”

Who is Moses?
• How is he identified in the first two chapters?
• How does Moses’ commissioning clarify his identity?
• “I am the God of your father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob” (3:6)

Exodus 11
Session 5: Commissioning Moses (Exodus 3-4a)

Horeb (3:1) vs. Sinai (19:1, 11)

Horeb Sinai

• A wider area (Exod. 17:1-7) • A desert? or synecdoche? (Exod. 19:1)

• Once called Mount Horeb (Exod. 33:6) • May be a new name for the mountain

• Wordplay with ḥereb, “sword” (Exod. 32:27) • Wordplay with səneh-bush (Exod. 3:2-3)

These names could reflect different sources, interchangeability, or a name change over time.
Exodus 3:12 coordinates the two locations.

Literary Significance of the Burning Bush

YHWH’s concern for Israel frames the burning bush (2:23-35 and 3:6-10).
• Bush = Israel
• Fire = Oppression in Egypt
• (cf. “iron furnace” in Deut. 4:20; 1 Kgs. 8:51; Jer. 11:3-4)
See Janzen, J. Gerald (2003). "And the Bush Was Not Consumed." Jewish Bible Quarterly, 31. 219-25.

Theological Significance of the Burning Bush

Mural by Seraphim O’Keefe for the Burning Bush Chapel of St. John of the Ladder in Greenville,
South Carolina (https://orthodoxartsjournal.org/new-murals-at-st-john-of-the-ladder-greenville-
sc/). The Virgin Mary holds her hands in a prayer position that makes her like a chalice to receive
Christ’s flesh and blood. Moses’ two encounters with God at Sinai, in which God revealed his
name and his commands, frame the icon.

Exodus 12
This icon reflects a centuries’ old tradition of associating the burning bush with Mary (e.g.,
Gregory of Nyssa). She, too, had the glory of God within her, but it did not consume her.
See Davis, Ellen F. (2001). Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament.
Cowley. 45-49.

The Call of Moses

“Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am.”
Moses’ response indicates his full availability and commitment to God (Cf. Abraham [Gen. 22:1, 11],
Jacob [Gen. 31:11; 46:2], and Samuel [1 Sam. 3:4]).

The name of God

• God said to Moses, “I will be whoever I will be (ʾehyeh ʾăšer ʾehyeh).”
• And he said, “This is what you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I will be’ (ʾehyeh) has sent me to you.”
• And God spoke again to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the Israelites: ‘YHWH (yahweh), the
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob has sent me to you.’
This is my name in perpetuity, and this is how I am to be invoked from generation to generation.”
These three statements create anticipation by gradually unveiling the personal name of God. God
will flesh out the meaning of his name by acting on their behalf (see Exod. 34:6-7).
See Surls, Austin (2017). "Making Sense of the Divine Name in the Book of Exodus: Etymology to
Literary Onomastics." BBRSup, 17. Eisenbrauns.

Knowing YHWH’s Name: Three Possibilities

Why does Moses ask God’s name?
1. No one knew YHWH’s name before this.
References to YHWH in Genesis could reflect a later perspective, but 4:1 presumes that the
name will be “verifiable” (see also Gen. 4:26b).
2. Moses did not know YHWH’s name.
Pharaoh’s daughter raised Moses, so this is possible.
3. Moses is confirming the divine identity.
In a polytheistic context, Moses needed verification.

Moses’ Objections and YHWH’s Responses

Who am I? (3:11) I will be with you.

Who are you? (3:13) I will be whoever I will be.

What if they don’t believe me? (4:1) What is this in your hand?

I am clumsy-mouthed. (4:10) I will be with your mouth.

Send someone else. (4:13) What about Aaron, your brother?

Exodus 13
Session 6: Confronting the Firstborn (Exodus 4b)
Exodus 4:18-31 is a tightly constructed literary unit with an important literary function.

Textual Unity
• Mention of the ḥtn, or relative by marriage (4:18 // 4:25-26)
• Commission of Moses // Aaron (4:19 // 18:27)
• Firstborn of YHWH // Pharaoh (4:22-23)
• Pharaoh // YHWH sought to kill Moses (4:19 // 24)
• YHWH would kill Pharaoh’s // Moses’ son (4:23-24)
• YHWH’s // Aaron’s encounter (‫ )ׁשגפ‬with Moses (4:24 // 4:27)
• Moses’ intention to see his brothers // Moses and Aaron’s arrival in Egypt (4:18 // 27-31)

Literary Function
• Conversation with Jethro (4:18 // 18:7) frames Israel’s deliverance story
• Women deliver Moses (Exod. 1-2 // 4:24-26) frames Moses’ deliverance story
• “Zipporah” (‫)צּפ ָֹרה‬
ִ sounds like “Shiphrah” (‫)ׁש ְפ ָרה‬
ִ in Hebrew
• Circumcision anticipates Passover (4:24-26 // 12:8, 12-13)
• Both rituals protect from YHWH killing the firstborn
• In both rituals, blood is applied by “touching” (‫ ;נגע‬Exod. 4:25; 12:13, 22-23)

“Once again it is a woman who, by her quick-wittedness and insight, saves Moses. [Zipporah]
stands in the train of the midwives, Moses’ mother and sister, and the daughter of Pharaoh.
Moses owes his very life to a series of actions by women, two of them non-Israelites. … Moses
is thus revealed as one who does not himself stand without need of mediation with God.”

Fretheim, Terence (2010). Exodus: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for

Teaching and Preaching. Westminster John Knox Press.

Exodus 14
Theological Function
Moses’ near-death experience sounds like Jacob’s and like Balaam’s.

Jacob (Gen. 32) Moses (Exod. 4) Balaam (Num. 22)

• Left father-in-law • Left father-in-law • Journeyed to the Israelites

• Journeyed to meet brother • Journeyed to meet brother on a donkey
• With wives and sons • With wife and sons on donkey • Encountered God (angry)
• Encountered God • Encountered God (angry) • With an uncertain reception
• Where he spent the night • Where he spent the night • Took his staff
• With an uncertain reception • With an uncertain reception • Saved by his donkey who
• Left with his staff • Took his staff spoke to him

• Spared by the angel • Saved by his wife who spoke to him • Left encounter injured with a

• Who spoke to him • Left encounter injured and with crushed foot

• Left encounter injured bloodied “feet”

• Met and kissed his brother • Met and kissed his brother

An Enigmatic Scene
Who is YHWH trying to kill—Moses or Gershom?
• Why would YHWH try to kill Moses right after commissioning him?
• Why is Moses entirely passive in this story?
• Why had Moses not already circumcised his son?
• Was Moses already circumcised?
• How did Zipporah know what to do?
• Whose “feet” does Zipporah touch with the foreskin? Her son’s? Moses’? YHWH’s?
• Is this a reference to actual feet or a euphemism for male genitalia?
• (cf. Deut. 28:57; Isa. 6:2; 7:20).
• Who drew back from whom after she performed the ritual?
• What does her statement mean?

Unlocking the Enigma

Zipporah’s statement: “you are a blood relative” (‫ן־ּד ִמים ַא ָּתה ִלי‬ ֲ ) uses the same root ḥtn that means
ָ ‫ח ַת‬‎
“father-in-law” in 4:18. The basic meaning is kinship by marriage. Christopher Hays argues, “through
this ritual, Zipporah claims her family’s relationship to the Divine Kinsman, YHWH” (Hays, 2017).
No matter who Zipporah circumcised, whose “feet” she touched, and to whom she spoke,
her ritual action and statement resolved the uncertainty of their covenant status. YHWH
announced his intention to kill the firstborn of Egypt; now Moses’ family is fully identified with the
descendants of Abraham.

Exodus 15
Circumcision

What? The incision or complete removal of the foreskin

Why? The sign of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 17:9-14)

When? Other cultures practiced it at puberty or marriage; Israelites on the eighth day

Who? Required for every male community member, even foreigners (Exod. 12:48)

Circumcision was not practiced on the wilderness generation (see Josh. 5:5)! God’s people
had failed to circumcise their sons on the way and died in the wilderness. Joshua rectified their
oversight by acting as Zipporah had done, circumcising the “sons of Israel” with flint knives to
ensure their covenant status.

Exodus 16
Session 7: Let Them Go! (Exodus 5-7)

Signs
• Return to the mountain (3:12)
• Staff into snake (4:2-5)
• Diseased hand (4:6-8)
• Water to blood (4:9)
Pharaoh was often depicted with a shepherd’s staff and a snake headdress, representing a
goddess of lower Egypt. Snakes were associated with royal authority.
Moses’ staff would confirm his authority to Pharaoh and initiate five plagues, part the Sea of
Reeds, bring water from a rock, and decide the battle against Amalek.

King Tutankhamun with rod/staff and flail/whip and snake headdress.

Exodus 17
“With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm”
• Mighty hand (Exod. 6:1; 13:3, 9, 14,16; 14:31)
• Outstretched arm (Exod. 6:6; Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8; Jer. 32:21)

So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an

outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

Deuteronomy 26:8 NIV

Narmer Palette, detail (2 ft. tall). Pharaoh Narmer, followed by his sandal bearer, smiting the
head of a foe. The “mace-pose” was standard for over 3,000 years in Egypt. See https://www.
khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ancient-egypt-ap/a/
palette-of-king-narmer.

Purpose of Release

“YHWH, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Send away my people,

that they may celebrate a festival in my honor in the wilderness.’”

Exodus 5:1

This is the first prophetic announcement in the Bible: “Thus says YHWH”
Cf. 7:16; 8:1

Purpose of Confrontation

But Pharaoh said, “Who is YHWH that I should

listen to his voice by sending Israel away?

I do not know YHWH, and furthermore I will not

send Israel away.” “Let my people go!”

Exodus 5:2

Exodus 18
Two main ways of expressing this: ‫“( ׁשלח‬send away”; piel) and ‫“( הלך‬let go”; hiphil)

Purpose of Confrontation
• Blood: “By this you will know that I am YHWH” (7:17)
• Frogs: “So that you may know there is no one like YHWH” (8:10)
• Flies: “So that you will know that I, YHWH, am in this land” (8:22)
• Hail: “So you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth” (9:14)
• Hail: “So you may know that the earth is YHWH’s” (9:29)
• Locusts: “That you may know that I am YHWH” (10:1-2)
• Firstborn: “You will know that YHWH makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel” (11:7)

Exodus 19
Session 8: Signs and Wonders (Exodus 7-11)

Literary Patterning in the Plague Narrative

Chart from Kenneth Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, 253.

Plague # Forewarning Timing Command Where

1 Yes “In morning” Station self

2 Yes None Go to Pharaoh

3 None None None

4 Yes “In morning” Station self

5 Yes None Go to Pharaoh

6 None None None

7 Yes “In morning” Station self

8 Yes None Go to Pharaoh

9 None None None

10 Yes None None

The suggestion that each plague confronts a particular Egyptian god is an argument from silence.
Many of the connections are quite weak. However, the plagues were clearly an affront to the
order of Egyptian society and worship, especially to the very important concept of ma’at or order/
balance/harmony that governed Egyptian society. Ma’at is the ancient Egyptian concept of truth,
balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice.
The suggestion that the plagues were naturally occurring phenomena related to each other in
a chain reaction is intriguing, but cannot account for all the plagues. Furthermore, it does not
acknowledge the text’s claim that each plague miraculously started and stopped at Moses’
command.

Plagues as Un-Creation
• Chaos in place of order
• Loss of dominion over creatures
• Boundaries erased between domains
• Creation no longer “good”

Exodus 20
Plagues as “Signs” of Judgment to Come
Terence E. Fretheim identifies links between the plagues and the sea crossing in which the
plagues “point beyond themselves toward a disastrous future” (“The Plagues as Ecological Signs
of Historical Disaster,” What Kind of God?, 226).
• Moses’ staff “swallows” Egyptians’ staffs // Egyptians “swallowed” by the sea (15:12)
• Water of the Nile turns to blood // Egyptian armies killed in the sea
• Frogs “covered” the land // the sea “covered” the Egyptians
• Dead frogs piled up // dead Egyptians piled up (14:30)
• Not one fly remained (8:27) // not one Egyptian remained (14:28)
• Locusts driven into the sea // Egyptians driven into the sea

The Plagues as “Signs” of Deliverance

Fretheim also notes that the narrator tells the story in such a way that we are invited to compare
YHWH’s treatment of the Egyptians and the Israelites (“The Plagues as Ecological Signs of
Historical Disaster,” What Kind of God?, 234).
• “They could not drink the water” (7:24 vs. 15:23)
• “raining” hail vs. “raining” bread (9:18 vs. 16:4)
• “came up and covered the land” (10:14-15 vs. 16:13)

The Plagues as a Warning

58
If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this
book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God—
59
the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and
prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring on you all
the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you.

Deuteronomy 28:58-60

Exodus 21
Session 9: Hard Heart (Exodus 7-11)

Pharaoh’s “Heart”: Two Views

Heavy Heart = Guilty Hard Heart = Resolute

YHWH co-opts an Egyptian concept expressed in the As in Hebrew, the Egyptian concept of a “hard heart”
Book of the Dead where the gods weigh a dead person’s is not cruel but resolute. YHWH inverts the positive
heart on a balance against a feather. A heart heavier than Egyptian concept of “stoutheartedness” and shows that
the feather is guilty of injustice. YHWH finds Pharaoh Pharaoh’s ideals are contrary to YHWH’s. Pharaoh fails to
guilty by his own standards. define good and evil on YHWH’s terms.

Egyptian background for “heavy heart” from the Book of the Dead

Photo: Public Domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17527324).

“Judgment scene from the Book of the Dead. In the three scenes from the Book of the Dead
(version from 1275 B.C.E.) the dead man (Hunefer) is taken into the judgment hall by the jackal-
headed Anubis. The next scene is the weighing of his heart, with Ammut awaiting the result and
Thoth recording. Next, the triumphant Hunefer, having passed the test, is presented by the falcon-
headed Horus to Osiris, seated in his shrine with Isis and Nephthys” (British Museum).

Who Is Doing What Kind of Hardening?

Exodus 22
 ‫( קׁשה‬qšh) ≈ hard ‫( חזק‬ḥzq) ≈ strong ‫( כבד‬kbd) ≈ heavy

Commission 4:21 Y > P (future)

Second 7:3 Y > P (future)

Commission

Staff > Snake 7:13 P (qal)

Nile > Blood 7:22 P (qal); ‘he 7:14 P (state; adj); ‘he
would not listen’ refuses’

Frogs 8:15[11] P > P

Gnats 8:19[15] P (qal);

‘he would not
listen’

Flies 8:32[28] P > P

Cattle 9:7 P (state; qal); ‘he

did not send away
the people’

Boils 9:12 Y > P

Hail 9:35 P (qal) 9:34 P&S > P&S

Locusts 10:20 Y > P 10:1 Y > P&S

Darkness 10:27 Y > P

Death of 11:10 Y > P

Firstborn

13:15 when P > P

(summary)

Sea of Reeds 14:4 Y > P (future)

Sea of Reeds 14:8 Y > P

Sea of Reeds 14:17 Y > E (future)

Things To Note About Pharaoh’s Heart

• Generally speaking, causation shifts from Pharaoh to YHWH. (Exception: Hail falls in the
second group of five, but Pharaoh and his servants make their hearts heavy.)
• Pharaoh never makes his own heart “strong” (= resolute), always “heavy” (= guilty).
• YHWH only makes Pharaoh’s heart “heavy” (= guilty) once. YHWH almost always makes it
“strong” (= resolute).
• YHWH and Pharaoh each make his heart “hard” once.

Exodus 23
Pharaoh’s Heart in the Literary Design of Exodus

1 4 7

‫חזק‬ ‫כבד‬ ‫חזק‬

‫כבד‬ ‫כבד‬

2 5 8

‫כבד‬ ‫כבד‬ ‫חזק‬

‫כבד‬

3 6 9/10

‫חזק‬ ‫חזק‬ ‫חזק‬

‫חזק‬

Pharaoh’s Heart in the Literary Design of Exodus

• Pharaoh imposes “heavy” labor and ends up “heavy hearted.”
• Moses “strengthens” the snake, while YHWH “strengthens” Pharaoh (4:4, 21).
• YHWH sends “heavy” swarms of flies, plague, hail, and locusts in response to Pharaoh’s
“heavy heart” in those episodes (lex talionis).
• Even in passages where causation of the heavy/strong heart is not explicit, the context
makes clear that Pharaoh is at fault (7:14; 9:7; 7:22; 8:19[15]). The heavy heart goes with
inaction, while the strong heart goes with refusal to listen.
• YHWH’s “strong arm” overcomes Pharaoh’s “strong heart” (6:1; 13:3, 9, 14, 16; 14:31).
• YHWH’s “glory” (heaviness) outweighs Pharaoh’s “heavy heart” (14:4, 17, 18).
• Key takeaway: the punishment fits the crime.

Does Pharaoh Lose Free Will?

“Exodus gives no sign that Pharaoh longed to submit to Yahweh as his sovereign
and was prevented from doing so; he received numerous rebukes, explanations,
and commands that imply opportunity to submit.”

Coover-Cox, Dorian (2006). “The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart in Its

Literary and Cultural Contexts.” Bibliotheca Sacra. 163.

Exodus 24
Session 10: Passover Ritual (Exodus 12-13)

The Literary Function of the Passover

Why interrupt an epic narrative with ritual? Performative ritual allows every generation of Israelites
to participate in this foundational event, making it part of their own story.

“The historical event is at one and the same time a liturgical event.”

Fretheim, Terence E. (2010). Exodus: Interpretation:

A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
Westminster John Knox Press.

Passover
This event initiates a new calendar (Exod. 12:2). It is a new creation event, fulfilling God’s promise
to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16.
What is the Passover? Has the word “passover” been mistranslated? According to the Dictionary of
Classical Hebrew, the verb ‫( פסח‬pesach) can mean:
1. Pass over, spare (?)
2. Limp, leap
3. Protect (?)
The third meaning seems most appropriate in these contexts.
• Exodus 12:23: "And YHWH will pass through [unrelated word] to strike the Egyptians and will
see the blood upon the lintel and the two door posts and YHWH will ‫ פסח‬the doorway and
will not allow the destroyer to enter your house to strike you."
• Isaiah 31:5: "Like swooping birds, thus will YHWH of hosts protect Jerusalem; he will protect
and deliver,‫ פסח‬and rescue."
Who can participate in the Passover? God gives restrictions in Exodus 12:43-49 along covenant
lines, not based on ethnicity. Circumcision is the approved sign of covenant membership.

The Firstborn Belong to YHWH

YHWH’s claim on the firstborn of Egypt extends to the Israelites as well. Every firstborn belongs
to him and must be sacrificed (in the case of animals) or redeemed (in the case of children) for 5
shekels (Num. 18:15).
Wilda Gafney argues that this law includes daughters as well as sons. Although verses 12 and
15 specify only male animals are to be sacrificed or redeemed, the language for humans is
arguably generic (bekhor, adam, beney Israel). See Gafney, Wilda C. (2017). Womanist Midrash: A
Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne. Westminster John Knox Press.

Exodus 25
Exodus and Liberation Theology
Exodus has been a major source of inspiration for liberation theologies of Latin America and the
American South. When we read the Bible with the oppressed, we notice two things. 1) “Salvation”
is not primarily spiritual or other-worldly, but sets the oppressed free from those who abuse
earthly power. 2) Humans are invited to participate in the task of liberation here and now.
A few more key things to notice:
• Exodus does not liberate for the sake of freedom, but for worship of YHWH. The people go
from serving Pharaoh to serving YHWH.
• The family of Abraham is the specific target of YHWH’s deliverance.
• The liberation of the Hebrews becomes the basis for the call to treat others well in biblical law.

Exodus 26
Session 11: Sea Crossing (Exodus 13b-14)

What Body of Water Did the Israelites Cross?

• Hebrew: yam suph = Sea of Reeds
• Greek translation: eruthran thalassan = Red Sea
• Both “gulfs,” the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, were yam suph.
• Some scholars think it became the Red Sea because each of the cardinal directions (North,
South, East, and West) was associated with a color. (Black Sea is north, Red Sea is south, etc.)
• First mention of the Sea of Reeds: Exodus 10:19; 13:18; 15:4; 15:22; 23:31. (e.g. 1 Kgs. 9:26
shows that Ezion Geber is on the shore of yam suph too).

“A theory favored by some modern scholars is that the name red

is referring to the direction south, just as the Black Sea’s name
may refer to north. The basis of this theory is that some Asiatic
languages used color words to refer to the cardinal directions.”

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea).

Sea of Reeds in the Literary Design of Exodus

The Hebrew name Sea of Reeds forges an important connection with the deliverance story of the
infant Moses, whose mother placed him among the “reeds” in the Nile, and whose name means
“one who draws out.”
Just as Moses passed through the reeds to escape death by Pharaoh’s hand, so the Israelites
passed through the Sea of Reeds to escape death by Pharaoh’s hand.

Exodus 27
How Many Hebrews Left Egypt?
English translations say “600,000 men” plus families (Exod. 12:37).
• Why question this?
• That would likely mean over 2 million Israelites total.
• Archaeology doesn’t support it, either in Egypt or in Canaan, at that time.
• How could 12 brothers become 600,000 men in four generations? (Exod. 6:14-25)
• Other logistical problems include the size of the camp and the length of time
needed to cross the Sea of Reeds.
• What are our options?
• Archaeologists are wrong.
• The numbers are rhetorical or symbolic.
• The numbers were multiplied by 10 for rhetorical reasons (Ronald Allen,
“Exodus,” REBC, 65-69). This accounts for round numbers and fits with the
exact number of firstborns in relation to the Levites.
• The numbers represent the population during a later period (Terence
Fretheim, Exodus: Interpretation, 144). This is a way of affirming that later
Israelites were participants in the exodus event.
• The phrase is mistranslated and should read “600 military units” plus families.

Translating Exodus 12:37

Hebrew does not use numerals but instead spells out numbers in full.
ֵ ‫“ = ְּכ ֵׁש‬Six hundred ‫( ֶא ֶלף‬ʾeleph) on foot, men without children”
‫ׁש־מאֹות ֶא ֶלף‬
The word ʾeleph has four possible meanings in a Hebrew lexicon.
1. Thousand
2. Head of cattle
3. Military unit
4. Clan (tribal unit smaller than a tribe)
• Judges 6:15: “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My ‫ ֶא ֶלף‬is the weakest in Manasseh,
and I am the least in my family.”
• Joshua 22:14: “And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel,
every one of them the head of a family among the ‫ ֶא ֶלף‬of Israel.”

Exodus 28
Session 12: Prophetic Song (Exodus 15)

The Literary Function of the Song of the Sea

Like liturgy, songs make history memorable. The people are not jubilant about their escape until a
body of water stands between them and slavery, and until their oppressors are brought to justice.
Freedom is not enough on its own. As long as the possibility of re-enslavement remains, freedom
is incomplete. The Song of the Sea celebrates justice.
The Torah’s poetry often conveys the heart of its theology.

The Themes of the Song of the Sea

YHWH struck the gods of Egypt (15:1-12; cf. Exod. 12:12-13).

“Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you–majestic in holiness,
Victory
awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exod. 15:11)

“He turns to stubble the army that demanded stubble.” (15:7; cf. 5:12)

YHWH’s deliverance established his reputation among the nations (15:14-16).

Renown
Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan tremble.

YHWH’s deliverance creates Israel as a new nation and dismantles Egypt.

Creation The “deeps” cover the Egyptian army (15:5; cf. Gen. 1:2).

The Israelites walk through on “dry ground” (15:19; cf. Gen. 1:9-10).

YHWH’s deliverance would culminate in proximity to his presence in the land.

Rest YHWH will “bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your
inheritance” (15:17).

The Literary Function of Miriam the Prophet

• Miriam witnessed Moses’ rescue from death in the River of Reeds (2:4).
• Though only a child, Miriam brought women together to
participate in redemption (2:7-8).
• Miriam witnessed Israel’s rescue from death in the Sea of Reeds.
• Now a grown woman, Miriam brings together the women to
celebrate redemption (15:20-21).
Miriam’s participation links these two redemption stories and reminds us of how many times God
used women to accomplish his purposes. Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Levi, the daughter of
Pharaoh, the maidservants, Zipporah, the women who plundered Egypt, and now the women who
celebrate what God accomplished.
Her song echoes the theme of the plague narratives—that you may know that I am YHWH—by
announcing its fulfillment—sing to YHWH for he is highly exalted. As a previous Pharaoh had
mandated that the Israelites hurl their sons into the River, now YHWH hurls Pharaoh’s warriors
into the Sea.

Exodus 29
Exodus 30
Session 13: Liminal Space (Exodus 16-17)

Imes, Carmen Joy (2019). Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters. IVP Academic. 14.

Exodus 31
Chiasm in the Wilderness Journeys
Exodus 5-15: YHWH’s showdown with Pharaoh, king of Egypt

   Exodus 14:19-20: Angel of YHWH protects Israel from Egypt’s army

     Exodus 15: Song of victory over Pharaoh, king of Egypt

      Exodus 15:22-25 :Springs of water provided

         Exodus 16:1-17:6: Food?!; Sabbath; opposing Moses; water from rock

            Exodus 17:8-16: Joshua wins battle with Amalekites

          Exodus 18:1-6: Moses’ family (conflict?)

              Exodus 18:13-18: Moses’ leadership burden

            Exodus 18:19-27: Assisted by Midianite kin (Jethro)

                  Exodus 19:1-2: Arrival at Sinai

                    SINAI NARRATIVES (Exodus 19-Numbers 10)

                  Numbers 10:11-13: Departure from Sinai

                    Numbers 10:29-32: Assisted by Midianite kin (Hobab)

              Numbers 11: Moses’ leadership burden

            Numbers 12: Moses’ family (conflict)

          Numbers 13-14: Joshua and Caleb; battle with Amalekites/Canaanites lost

         Numbers 15:32-21:9: Sabbath; opposing Moses/Aaron; water from rock; food?!

      Numbers 21:16-18a: Springs of water provided

     Numbers 21:18b-35: Song of victory over Sihon, king of Ammon

   Numbers 22:21-35: Angel of YHWH protects Israel from Moab’s curses

Numbers 23-24: YHWH’s showdown with Balak, king of Moab

Boxall, Ian; Gregory, Bradley C. (2022). The New Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation.
Cambridge University Press.

Key Themes of the Wilderness Narratives

The people’s ingratitude and rebellion meets …
God’s gracious provision in cycles of work and rest …
Which results in a contrast between serving YHWH and serving Pharaoh.
(dabar yom b’yomo in 16:4 and 5:13, 19)

Exodus 32
Session 14: Burden of Leadership (Exodus 18)

Exodus 18 in the Literary Design of Exodus

Exodus 4:18-31 and Exodus 18 frame Israel’s deliverance story.
• Moses speaks with Jethro (4:18; 18:5-12).
• Jethro offers a blessing of peace (4:18; 18:7).
• Zipporah traveled with Moses’ sons (4:20; 18:6).
• The noun ḥōtēn, which can mean father-in-law or other male in-law (4:18; 18:1, 7-8, 24, 27);
Zipporah also uses the related noun ḥātan (4: 25-26) which refers more broadly to a relative
by marriage.
• Aaron greets Moses with a kiss at the mountain of God (4:27); Moses greets Jethro with a
kiss near the mountain of God (18:5-7).
• Aaron and the “elders of Israel” (4:29; 18:12).
Note the vague location in Exodus 18:5, reserving “Sinai” for later so that this incident can
participate in wilderness framing of the Sinai narratives.

Jethro’s Testimony
“Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the
Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand
of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other
gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”

Exodus 18:10-11 NIV

Jethro’s testimony affirms the literary structure of the book: rescue of Moses + rescue of Israel =
the nations know YHWH is greater than all gods.

Exodus 18 in the Literary Design of the Torah

Exodus 18 and Numbers 10-11 frame the Sinai narratives.
• Moses receives advice from a Midianite family member (Exod. 18:17-23 // Num. 10:29).
• Moses struggles under the burden of leadership (Exod. 18:13-16 // Num. 11:10-17).
• Moses appoints elders to share the burden (Exod. 18:24-26 // Num. 11:24-25).
Moses’ complaint in Numbers 11 echoes Jethro’s words from Exodus 18.

Exodus 18:18b Numbers 11:14

‫כי־כבד ממך הדבר‬ ‫לא־אוכל אנכי לבדי‬

‫לׂשאת את־כל־העם הזה‬

‫לא־תוכל עש ֹהו לבדך׃‬ ‫כי כבד ממני‬

For this thing is too heavy for you I myself am unable alone

To carry all this people

You are unable to do it alone For it is too heavy for me

Exodus 33
Session 15: Commissioning the Nation (Exodus 19)

Key Terms for the Sinai Narratives

• Theophany: visible manifestation of God’s presence
• Covenant: formal, permanent agreement between two parties
• Decalogue: Ten Commandments
• Stipulations: requirements of the covenant to which both parties agree
• Ratification: official ritual by which a covenant takes effect
• Tabernacle: authorized place of God’s holy presence (tent)
• Priesthood: official tabernacle service by authorized men from Levi
• Ordination: official ritual in which someone becomes a priest
• Consecrate: set apart, make holy
• Cult: entire system of worship (tabernacle, priests, sacrifices)

“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on
eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep
my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.
Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests
and a holy nation." These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.

Exodus 19:4-6

What Does It Mean To Be God’s Treasured Possession?

Hebrew: segullah
• Concrete uses: personal treasury of a king (1 Chron. 29:3 and Ecc. 2:8)
• Metaphorical uses: covenant partner with special responsibility to represent the sovereign
(Exod. 19:5; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ps. 135:4; Mal. 3:17)
• Cf. Ugaritic (sgl) and Akkadian (sikiltu) also use the word in these two ways.

Exodus 34
Who Is YHWH’s Treasured Possession?
Usually, Israel is the treasured possession because of the Sinai covenant (Exod. 19:5; Deut. 7:6;
14:2; 26:18; Ps. 135:4).
But Malachi 3:17 envisions a future day in which YHWH will select a new segullah. That new
acquisition prompted Greek translators to choose a slightly different phrase.
περιούσιος 》 περιποίησις

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy

nation, God’s special possession (περιποίησις), that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but
now you are the people of God; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

Peter applies covenant titles from Sinai to a mixed audience of Jews and Gentiles. He sees the
Church as the fulfillment of Malachi 3:17—God’s acquisition of a new segullah.

Exodus 35
Session 16: Law as Mission (Exodus 20)

How Should We Read the Decalogue?

• Literary Context
• Historical Context

Literary Context of the Decalogue

What has happened in the story so far, leading up to Sinai? Note: The law is not Israel’s
means of salvation!

Historical Context: How Did the Israelites Feel About the “Law”?
5
See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God
commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are
entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will
show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear
about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and
understanding people.” 7 What other nation is so great as to have their
gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray
to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous
decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Deuteronomy 4:5-8

Cf. Exodus 19:8; 24:3, 7

Historical Context: How Many Stone Tablets Were There?

• “When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave to Moses the two tablets of the
[covenant] document (‫)עדּות‬,
ֵ tablets of stone, inscribed by the finger of God.” (Exod. 31:18)
• “And Moses turned and he went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the
[covenant] document (‫)עדּות‬ֵ [were] in his hand, tablets inscribed on both sides, inscribed on
front and back.” (Exod. 32:15)
• “And he took and he set the [covenant] document (‫)עדּות‬
ֵ into the ark …” (Exod. 40:20)

Historical Context: What Is the Significance of Having Two Tablets?

Excerpt from the treaty between Suppiluliuma and Shattiwaza:

“A duplicate of this tablet has been deposited before the sun-goddess

of Arinna, because the sun-goddess of Arinna regulates kingship and
queenship. In Mitanni land [a duplicate] has been deposited before
Teshub, the lord of the [sanctuary] of Kahat. At regular [intervals] shall
they read it in the presence of the king of the Mitanni land and in the
presence of the sons of the Hurri country.”

Kitchen, Kenneth A; Lawrence, Paul J. N. (2012). Treaty, Law

and Covenant in the Ancient Near East. Harrassowitz.

Exodus 36
Session 17: No Other Gods (Exodus 20a)

The Importance of Exodus 20:2

I am YHWH, your God, who brought you out from the land
of Egypt from the house of slaves.

Exodus 20:2

The Implied Cosmology of Exodus 20:4

Three-tiered universe with domains and residents

Do not make for yourself a statue of any figure

that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth
beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth.

Exodus 20:4

The Textual Unity of Exodus 20:2-6

I am YHWH, your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the
house of slaves. Do not have (for yourself) other gods before me. Do not make for
yourself a statue of any figure that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth
beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth. Do not bow down to them and do
not serve them because I am YHWH your God, El Qanna (Impassioned God), who
attends to (the) iniquities of the fathers upon the children even upon the third and
upon the fourth (generation) of those hating me, and acts in covenant faithfulness
to thousands who love me and obey my commands.

Exodus 20:2-6

How many commands are in this passage?

• A (motive): I am Yahweh your God (verse 2)
• B (prohibition): You are not to have any other gods (verse 3)
• C (prohibition): You are not to make a carved-image (verse 4)
• B (prohibition): You are not to bow down to or serve them (verse 5a
• A (motive): I am Yahweh your God (verse 5b-6)
Adapted from Greenstein, Edward (2011). “Rhetoric of the Ten Commandments.” The Decalogue in
Jewish and Christian Tradition. T & T Clark.

The Point of the First Command

Exclusive loyalty to YHWH means that the people will serve only YHWH.

The Consequences of Idolatry

In the BibleProject video on the image of God, Tim says that the temple doesn’t have an image or
idol of God in it because God has already made humans as his image. When we show allegiance
to anything other than God, we not only rob God of the praise he deserves, we also diminish
ourselves as those made to represent God.

Exodus 37
Session 18: Bearing His Name (Exodus 20b)
You shall not lift up / carry the name of Yahweh, your God, in vain, for
Yahweh will not acquit one who lifts up / carries his name in vain.

‫ת־ׁשמֹו ַל ָּׁשוְ א‬
ְ ‫ֹלהיָך ַל ָּׁשוְ א ִּכי לֹא יְ נַ ֶּקה יְ הוָ ה ֵאת ֲא ֶׁשר־יִ ָּׂשא ֶא‬
ֶ ‫ת־ׁשם־יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬
ֵ ‫לֹא ִת ָּׂשא ֶא‬

History of Interpretation of the Name Command

Most translators assume it is “elliptical.”
“You shall not lift up [. . .] the name of Yahweh [. . .] in vain”
= You shall not lift up [your hand] to the name
i.e. swear an oath
= You shall not lift up the name [on your lips]
i.e. use lightly, say, or call upon

What if the name command is not elliptical?

Historical Context of the Name Command

Official Seals Stone Inscriptions Human Branding

Inscription of a god’s name implied ownership, sovereignty, and an obligation to protect whatever
was inscribed. The god's reputation was then bound up with the fate of what he or she owned.

Literary Context of the Name Command

• Covenant / election: the vassal is a “treasured possession” (segullah) of the sovereign and
represents him through loyal service.
• High priest as representative: The high priest “carries” the “names” of the Israelite tribes as
their representative and wears YHWH's name on his forehead.

The High Priest “Bears Names”

So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of You shall make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave
Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart on it, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy, belonging
when he goes into the holy place, for a continual to Yahweh.” You shall fasten it on the turban with a
remembrance before Yahweh. blue cord; it shall be on the front of the turban.

Exodus 28:29 Exodus 28:36-37

Exodus 38
‫קדש ליהוה‬

Israel Bears YHWH’s Name

And YHWH has had you declare yourselves this day to be his
treasured people, just as he said to you, so you shall keep his
commands, and he shall set you high over all the nations that
he has made, for praise, for fame, and for honor, and to be a
people holy, belonging to YHWH your God, just as he said.

Deuteronomy 26:18-19

Theological Context of the Name Command

Israel bears YHWH's name and thereby represents YHWH among the nations.
The point of the second command is the proper representation of YHWH by his people (e.g., “He
leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake”) (Ps. 23:3).

The Covenant Formula

“I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” (Exod. 6:7 NIV)
• Command #1: Worship no other gods
• Command #2: Don’t misrepresent YHWH
See also Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 7:23; 11:4; 30:22; Ezekiel 36:28.

Exodus 39
Session 19: Resting in God’s Provision (Exodus 20c)

The Sabbath Command

8
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor
and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your
God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter,
nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner
residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and
the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

What is the Sabbath for?

• A day of rest
• Stopping
Who is the Sabbath for?
• Everyone in the community
• Rich or poor
• Native born or foreigner
• Male or female
• Human or animal
• Everyone gets a rest
Why should we keep the Sabbath?
• God set this pattern at creation when he finished his work and rested.
• Note: Deuteronomy 5 offers a different rationale.

A Tale of Two Sabbaths

Exodus 20:8-11 Deuteronomy 5:12-15

8
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you 12
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD
shall labor and do all your work, your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and
do all your work,14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD
but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God.
10
your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your
On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox,
daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing
nor any foreigner residing in your towns. in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest,
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the
11 as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that
sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty
hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

Exodus 40
Session 20: “Slavery” Laws (Exodus 21-23a)

Objecting to the Old Testament

“Slavery was bad for [the Israelites] to experience
but acceptable for them to initiate and practice.”

Kirk-Duggan, Cheryl. (2016). “Let My

People Go.” Voices From the Margin (edited
by R.S. Sugirtharajah). Orbis Books.

Exodus 21:2-6: The Case of the Male ʿEbed

2
If you hire a Hebrew ʿebed, six years he shall serve but in the seventh he may
leave freely at no cost. 3 If he came alone, he shall leave alone. If he possessed
a wife, his wife may leave with him. 4 If his master gave him a wife and she bore
him sons or daughters, the woman and her offspring will belong to her master,
and he must leave alone. 5 But if the servant insists, “I love my master, my wife,
and my children. I will not go free!” 6 then his master shall bring him to God and
he shall bring him to the door or to the doorframe so his master may pierce his
ear with an awl and he shall serve him permanently.

Exodus 21:2-6

Aspects of an ʿebed:
• Voluntary hired worker
• Limited term of service
• Free to leave and to marry
• Voluntary permanent service
The goal of these laws was to protect the vulnerable from exploitation by the powerful.

Exodus 21:7-11: The Case of the Female ʾAmah

But if a man sells his daughter as an ʾamah, she shall not leave as the male servants
leave. If she is troublesome in the eyes of her master who has claimed her for
himself, then he must let her be ransomed. He is not allowed to sell her to foreign
people because he broke the agreement with her. But if he has claimed her for his
son, he must treat her in accordance with daughters’ rights. If he takes another
[wife] for himself, he may not reduce her food, clothing, or marital rights. But if he
does not give her these three, then she may leave without paying any money.

Exodus 21:7-11
Aspects of an ʾamah:
• Marries into the household
• Fathers always arranged marriages for their daughters
• “Bride price” is expected for the bride’s family
The goal of these laws is to guard against sexual exploitation.

Exodus 41
Literary Structure of the Book of the Covenant
• A: 20:23-26 — Worship regulations
• B: 21:2-11 — Sabbath patterns for servitude
• C: 21:12-23:9 — Neighbor laws (injuries, property, justice)
• B’: 23:10-12 — Sabbath patterns for land and work
• A’: 23:13-19 — Worship regulations
Adapted from Morrow, William (2017). An Introduction to Biblical Law. William B. Eerdmans.
The point: These laws are oriented toward freedom / Sabbath rather than slavery.

Attention to Genre and Context

Genre: Casuistic laws (“if … then …”) regulate non-ideal situations.
Context:
• YHWH brought them out of servitude (20:2)
• Servants and foreigners get a Sabbath rest (20:10)
• Kidnapping strictly prohibited (21:16)
• Death penalty for killing a servant (21:20-21)
• Release for permanently injured servants (21:26-27)
• Accidental death of servant is taken seriously (21:32)
• Mistreatment of foreigners prohibited (22:21)
• Taking advantage of vulnerable prohibited (22:22)
• No interest on loans to the needy (22:25)
• No denying justice to the poor (23:6)
• Unplowed (Sabbath) fields support the poor (23:10)

Exodus 42
Exodus 21:20-21: The Case of the Injured Servant

If a man strikes his ʿebed or his ʾamah with a rod, and he dies under
his hand, he shall surely be avenged. However, if (after) a day or two
days he stands up, he shall not be avenged, for it/he is his silver.

Exodus 21:20-21

Note:
• Death is the penalty for killing a servant.
• Verses 18-19 are concerned with the loss of labor. The aggressor must pay the injured
person for loss of work time. In the case of a hired servant, the master bears the loss of labor
himself, since he is responsible for the injury. He cannot add to the debt of the servant.
• “It” refers to the fee, not the servant (Hoffner).
• There is no need to enact “eye for an eye” because the master has already borne the loss of
his servant’s labor as he recovered.

A Wider Vision on Old Testament Law

“The Old Testament and later the New Testament “[The biblical slavery laws were] calculated to make
create an imaginative world in which slavery readers uneasy about the ethics of slave-owning.
becomes more and more untenable.” These laws represent an early strategy for raising
readers’ conscience about the institution of slavery
McCaulley, Esau. (2020). Reading While Black: and (implicitly) calling it into question. Overall, their
African American Biblical Interpretation as an tactics reflect an ethic of concern for the vulnerable.”
Exercise in Hope. IVP Academic. 142.
Morrow, William. (2017). An Introduction to
Biblical Law. William B. Eerdmans. 98.

Exodus 43
Session 21: Defining the “Conquest” (Exodus 23b)
What does YHWH’s messenger provide for the Israelites?
• Protection on their journey (v. 20)
• Guidance to the promised land (v. 20, 23)
• Ongoing instruction (v. 22)
• Leadership in battle (v. 23)
What will YHWH do for the people?
• Oppose Israel’s enemies (v. 22)
• Wipe out Israel’s enemies (v. 23)
• Throw nations into confusion (v. 27)
• Drive out the nations (v. 28-30)
• Establish Israel’s borders (v. 31)
• Give the people into Israel’s hands (v. 32)
What are the Israelites supposed to do?
• Not bow down to or worship their gods (v. 24)
• Demolish the gods and their sacred stones (v. 24)
• Worship YHWH (v. 25)
• Drive out the people from before you (v. 31)
• Make no covenant with them or their gods (v. 32)
• Not let them live in the land (v. 33)
Why can the Canaanites not live in the land?

Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against
me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.

Exodus 23:33

Note: This is not ethnic cleansing. The concern here is the exclusive worship of YHWH
(cf. Deut. 7:1-6; 12:1-4).

Exodus 44
Session 22: Covenant Ratified (Exodus 24)

Covenant Ratification Ritual

• Context of worship (v. 1-2, 9-11)
• Clear articulation of expectations (v. 3, 7)
• Verbal agreement from the people (v. 3, 7)
• Written record of expectations (v. 4)
• Stone pillars to represent all 12 tribes (v. 4)
• Ritual offerings (v. 4-5)
• Blood symbolism (v. 6, 8)
What does the sprinkled blood symbolize?
The priestly ordination ritual also applies blood to both altar and person (Lev. 8:23-24, 30).
• Sprinkled blood = official entrance into the covenant
• Sprinkled blood underscores Israel’s role as a kingdom of priests
Note: Leviticus 14:1-32 reinstates an unclean person to the covenant community with sprinkled
blood, but that blood is not applied to the altar.

Davis, John Steeple (19th or early 20th century). The Covenant Confirmed.

Recommended Resources
Richter, Sandra L. (2020). “Does God Really Command Women to Marry Their Rapists? A Study of
Deuteronomic Law.” HebraicThought.org (https://hebraicthought.org/deuteronomic-law-women-
marry-rapists/).
Durgin, Celine; Johnson, Dru (2022). The Biblical World of Gender: The Daily Lives of Ancient Men
and Women. Wipf & Stock.

Exodus 45
Session 23: Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31)

Time in the Tabernacle Texts (Exod. 24:15-18)

15
When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the
glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the
mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the
cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire
on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up
the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 24:15-18

Theological insight emerges from attention to the elapse of time on the mountain. Through this
time of testing in the wilderness (40 days/nights ≈ 40 years), God is doing a new work of creation
(six days), inviting his people into sabbath rest (seventh day) by which he lives among them again.

Creation Echoes in the Tabernacle Texts

• Culminates in consecration (Gen. 2:13; Exod. 40:9-13)
• Cherubim as guardians of sacred space (Gen. 3:24; Exod. 25:18; 26:1)
• Tree of life // lampstand with seven branches (Gen. 2:9; Exod. 25:31-37)
• Gold and onyx stones (Gen. 2:12; Exod. 26:37; 28:5-6, 9, 17-19)
• “Evening” and then “morning” (Gen. 3:5; Exod. 27:21)
• Prescribed food and proscribed food (Gen. 2:16-17; Exod. 29:31-34)
• God’s spirit, knowledge, and skill in creation (Gen. 1:2; 2:2-3, 7, 17; Exod. 31:3)
• Seven-day process (Gen. 1; Exod. 29:30; Lev. 8:33)
• Clothing the “priests” (Gen. 3:21; Exod. 28:41)

Exodus 46
Time in the Tabernacle Texts (Exod. 25-31)
YHWH’s instructions presented as seven speeches:
1. 25:1-30:10: Tabernacle and furnishings
2. 30:11-16: Atonement money
3. 30:17-21: Wash basin
4. 30:22-31: Anointing oil
5. 30:34-38: Incense recipe
6. 31:1-11: Appointing Bezalel and Oholiab
7. 31:12-17: Sabbath

Narrative Space in the Tabernacle Texts

Focus on two items:
• Ark of the covenant
• Breastpiece of the high priest

Sacred Space in the Tabernacle Texts

Diagram by Danny Imes from Imes, Carmen Joy (2018). Bearing YHWH’s Name at Sinai. Eisenbrauns.
The outside curtains are white, with the east-west axis using the most elaborate fabrics. The
expense and beauty of materials increases as you approach the most holy place.

Exodus 47
Session 24: Priestly Garments (Exodus 28-29)

Priestly Garments

1. Tunic, 2. Sash, 3. Robe, 4. Ephod, 5. Band, 6. Breastpiece, 7. Turban, 8. Medallion

Drawing by Carmen Imes from Imes, Carmen Joy (2018). Bearing YHWH’s Name at Sinai. Eisenbrauns.

Function of the Priestly Garments

• Aaron and his sons are part of the cultic apparatus.
• The garments are essential to (constitutive of) their role (28:35).
• The garments imply sacred privilege and responsibility.
• Aaron alone wears colored fabrics (except for the priests’ sash).
• Aaron is an “inside-out tabernacle” with his most elaborate garments visible.1 1. Propp, Exodus 19-40, 528.

• Aaron becomes the authorized representative of YHWH and of all 12 tribes,

mediating between them (28:12, 29).
• Urim and Thummim facilitate and centralize divine decision making (28:30).
• Aaron bore sanctuary-related sin as the authorized representative (28:38).

Symbolism of the Ordination Ceremony

• Involves all three defining marks of a rite of passage:
• Separation
• Liminality
• Reintegration
• Moses is the primary actor (Aaron and sons are quite passive).
• Blood is an essential symbol of cleansing.
• Priests must first be cleansed before they can facilitate others’ cleansing.
• Sacrifices restore the holiness of the community.
• Blessing initiates the community’s vocation as YHWH’s representatives.

Exodus 48
Session 25: Apostasy (Exodus 32)

12th Century B.C.E. Bronze bull Calf idol from Ashkelon, 16th
from Samaria; Israel Museum Century B.C.E.; Israel Museum
(Photos: C Imes) (Photos: C Imes)

What does Aaron think he’s doing?

1. Making a visual representation of YHWH?
2. Making a visual representation of YHWH’s transport?
3. Introducing a new deity to Israel like Baal of Canaan?
Note: The point of the exodus was to demonstrate YHWH’s superiority over the gods, so this ruins
everything! It breaks the first command—no other gods/idols.

Exodus 49
The Theological Function of the Gold Calf Incident

“Since idolatry diminishes the glory of God, and since humans are made
in the image of God, it follows that idolatry is also detrimental to the very
essence of our humanity. … Idolatry is radical self-harm. It is also radically,
terribly ironic. In trying to be as God (in the original temptation and
rebellion), we have ended up becoming less human. … If you worship that
which is not God, you reduce the image of God in yourself. If you worship
that which is not even human, you reduce your humanity still further.”

Wright, Christopher J.H. (2020). “Here Are Your Gods”:

Faithful Discipleship in Idolatrous Times. IVP Academic.

The Theological Function of the Gold Calf Incident

Idolatry betrays a desire to domesticate the divine and approach God on our terms.
As God’s “image” (Hebrew: tselem), we are God’s concrete representatives in the world.
By worshiping idols, we abdicate our God-given role. Idolatry is the inverse of our (Image source: https://
collections.louvre.fr/en/
creation purpose. Rather than subduing creation, we submit to it and are subdued. ark:/53355/cl010120231)
We become like what we worship (Ps. 115:1-8; 135:15-18). And Israel becomes
“stiff-necked” just like the metal calf they worship (32:9; 33:5).

The Literary Function of the Gold Calf Incident

Exodus 25-31 Exodus 32-34 Exodus 35-40

Tabernacle Tabernacle Instructions

Instructions Given Carried Out

YHWH anticipates the need for a sacrificial system that can deal with the effects of sin in the
community. Before the incident occurs, he has already given Moses the tabernacle blueprints.

Did Moses Have a Temper Tantrum? (Exod. 32:19-20)

Moses’ burning anger is justified, and it mirrors God’s (32:10). Breaking the tablets demonstrated
that the people had broken the covenant stipulations.

Exodus 50
Contrasting the Leadership of Aaron and Moses

Aaron Moses

• Makes no attempt to correct them • Refuses YHWH’s offer of special status

• Caves in to the people’s desires • Intercedes for God’s mercy for the nation
• Tries to redeem the event by dedicating • Shows concern for God’s reputation
the festival to YHWH • Shares God’s anger over the incident
• Minimizes his own complicity • Brings consequences to the idolaters
• Binds his life with the peoples’ (32:32)

Moses put his own life on the line by interceding for the people and begging for God’s mercy.

Exodus 51
Session 26: Presence (Exodus 33-34)

Eden Restored
The purpose of the tabernacle was the restoration of divine presence (Exod. 25:8: “Then
have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them”). However, Israel’s idolatry
jeopardized this plan (Exod. 33:1-6).

The Most Important Thing (Exod. 33:12-17)

YHWH: “My presence will go and I will give you (Moses) rest.”
Moses: “If your presence doesn’t go, do not send us up from here.”
The presence of God is the mark of his favor and the sign of Israel’s distinctiveness.

YHWH’s Self-Revelation (Exod. 34:6-7)

6
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord,
the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in
love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving
wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty
unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin
of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7

This is arguably the most important passage in the Hebrew Bible—the passage most often quoted
or alluded to in all of Scripture (20+ times).
We may think of compassion and judgment as opposites, but YHWH’s character is holistic and
non-contradictory.
God’s patience and justice are held in tension.
If we neglect any of these attributes, we end up with a god we’ve made in our image.

The Radiance of Moses

Being in God’s presence changed Moses—his face became radiant.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s

glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing
glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

“I am changed in the presence of a holy God.”

Mark Altrogge

(See BibleProject’s video Visual

Commentary: Exodus 34:6-7.)

Exodus 52
Session 27: Participation (Exodus 35-40)

Literary Function of Exodus 35-40

• Fulfillment of YHWH’s instructions to Moses in chapters 25-31
• Frames the golden calf incident
• Leads up to the climax of the book, God’s presence in the community

Building a Tent for God

These chapters present three speeches from Moses to the community.
1. Sabbath reminder (35:1-3)
• Doing God’s work does not cancel the Sabbath
• God’s work must be done in God’s way
2. Commands about community participation in construction (35:4-29)
• “Everyone who is willing”
• Offerings were voluntary, but specific (25:1-9; 35:1-9)
• Both men and women responded (35:22-24, 29)
• Leaders contributed gemstones and ingredients for oil and incense (35:27-28)
• The people gave more than enough (36:3-7)
• “All who are skilled”
• Skilled women spun yarn (35:25-26)
3. Appointment of Bezalel and Oholiab to design and teach (35:30-36:7)
• Spirit of God, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, skills
• Metalwork
• Engraving gemstones
• Woodworking
• Artistic crafts
• Embroidery
• Weaving

Exodus 53
Obedience to God’s Instructions at Sinai

The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD
had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work
and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had
commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Exodus 39:42-43

Theological Function of Exodus 35-40

• Resolves the alienation from God of Genesis 3
• Marks Israel as the community where YHWH has chosen to dwell
• Ensures the success of Israel’s future, as long as they maintain proper worship and live in
obedience to covenant stipulations

Exodus 54
Session 28: Glory (Exodus 40)

More Creation Echoes in the Tabernacle Texts

• Moses “finished” the work (31:18; 40:33; cf. Gen. 1:31-2:1).
• Moses “saw” the work and approved (39:43; Gen 1:31).
• Moses gave a “blessing” (39:43; cf. Gen. 1:28).
• Moses “consecrated” the result (40:9; cf. Gen 2:3).
See Mann, Thomas W. (1988). The Book of the Torah: The Narrative
Integrity of the Pentateuch. Westminster John Knox Press.

What Are the Implications of God’s

Presence Among Them?
• Danger—sin is taken seriously
• Guidance on their travels
• Reassurance day and night
• Israel has a new master

Exodus as a Creation Story

The creation of a new nation:
• From disorder to order
• From oppression to love of neighbor
• From serving Pharaoh to serving YHWH
A new society shaped by:
• Sacred time (a new calendar)
• Sacred space (YHWH’s presence in their midst)
• Obedience to covenant stipulations

Exodus 55