NOTES ON EXODUS

Exodus 1:19 lit,"they are animals."

Exodus 2:10 see Isaiah 6:3.

Exodus 3:5 The commands to draw closer and take off your sandalswere in order that he might come 

in contact with holy ground.

Exod. 3:7-8 Look at the sequence of verbs in this passage. It also applies to the means by which God 

saves men through Christ.

Exodus 5:6-13  Egyptian papyrai confirm that it was the normal practice to first beat a suspect and 

then question him. They felt that only in this way could they get an honest answer out of him. (BAR 

Spring 2020)

Exod. 5:14-19 Several Egyptian papyrai mention the fact that brick makers had a daily quota of bricks 

to make.

Exodus 6:10-30 Kaiser: This passage is bracketed by similar statements in 10-12 and 28-30 regarding 

Moses' lack of credentials for his job. The same point is made in a subtle manner in the seemingly 

boring genealogy in the center of passage. Only three of Jacob's sons are listed: Reuben, Simeon, and 

Levi. Levi is there to lead up to Moses and Aaron. Reuben and Simeon each had grievous sins to their 

account. This points out that it is God who chooses men, not the men themselves. (Kaiser)

Exodus 7:14 God used whatever a country worshiped in place of God to punish it, (Jim Rose)

Lauren Winner-- The Jewish principle of hiddur mitzvah: "The idea that one does not just do the 

commandments, one beautifies them." This verse may be translated as "This is my God and I will 

beautify him with praises." What does this mean? The rabbis have an answer: “Adorn yourself before 

him by a truly elegant fulfillment of the religious duties” (beautiful ram's horn, scroll, tabernacle, etc.)

Exodus 14:21 see Ezekiel 43:1.

Exodus 15:22 shur means “wall.”

Exod. 15:25 looks back to the tree in Eden and forward to the cross.

Exodus 17:7 see I Corinthians 10:4.

Exodus 18 The word davar ("word") appears in this chapter ten times in the singular and once in the 

plural. Different forms of the verbal root dibber ("speak") and of the noun form appear ten times in the 

Mt. Sinai incident, leading up to the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 19 It has been suggested that the confusion as to whether the mountain was called Sinai or 

Horeb (see Deuteronomy 4:10) was purposeful so that future generations would not know where God 

had revealed himself.

Exodus 20 Ernest Jones: One tablet is God's copy and onr belongs to Israel. By both being placed in 

the Temple, this indicates God's continuing presence with his people.

Exod. 20:1-17 Commandments are addressed to individuals, not Israel as a whole.

Exod. 20:2-3 Freedom from slavery starts with freedom from idol worship.

Exod. 20:4-5 one interpretation-- no transference of curse to subsequent generations. Instead, the curse 

is that the person's subsequent generations will be cut off, i.e. they will not have children.

Exod. 20:20 two types of fear

Exod. 20:26 Implication—like The Emperor's New Clothes. Attempt to exalt oneself backfires.

Exodus 22:25 See Deuteronomy 24:12-13.

Exod. 22:27 Septuagint reads "you shall not revile gods." Philo explained that it might become a habit 

that would lead to reviling God himself.

Exodus 25:22 seems contradicted by Leviticus 1:1 but is resolved in Numbers 7:89.

Exodus 26:14 The last word is the most puzzling one in the whole description of the temple. It has 

been variously translated badger, porpoise, goat, leather, dolphin, seal and sea cow.

Exodus 28:32-35 A small gold bell was found around 2010 in a Jerusalem sewer that fits the 

description.

Exodus 31:18 "Finger of God" may be symbolic since the same phrase occurs in Exodus 8:19.

Exodus 32:7 Compare with verse 11 and the use of "thy people."

Exod. 32:10 Moses is tested: his ambition, devotion to people.

Exod. 32:20 The Ugaritic Epic has the destruction of a deity described using exactly the same verbs as 

in this passage -- burn, grind, and scatter.

Exodus 33:22 BAR, July/August 1985: A cave has been found on the top of Har Karkom, a mountain 

which also contains rock engravings including (a) 10 straight lines in a row and (b) a rectangular tablet 

divided in two with ears on top of each half and further divided by 10 lines. Much of the art can be 

dated to the Bronze Age.

Exodus 34:14 God's name is jealous, i.e. zeal that arises when sin rises up and threatens our 

relationship with Himself.

Exodus 35 Eugene Peterson-- “Those first 34 chapters are where all the action is. At chapter 35, the 

action comes to a stop. Moses starts talking about Sabbath keeping—what we don't do...It is here, at 

chapter 35 that the name Bezalel appears for the first time-- Bezalel the artist. I had never noticed this 

transition before: the transition from getting the Hebrews involved in the saving and revealing action of 

God to preparing them for a lifetime of living in response to and participation in that salvation and 

revelation.”