The Exodus

Biblical Text and Narrative

The Exodus narrative appears in chapters 1–15 of the Book of Exodus. The descendants of Israel, who had gone down to Egypt in the time of Joseph, multiplied greatly, and a new king who did not know Joseph oppressed them with forced labor and ordered that their male infants be killed (Exodus 1). Moses, who was born during this period, was raised by Pharaoh's daughter. He later fled to Midian, where he received God's call from the midst of a burning bush (Exodus 3:12–15). Moses and Aaron demanded that Pharaoh let the people go, and each time Pharaoh refused, one of the Ten Plagues followed. On the night of the final plague, the Passover was instituted (Exodus 12), and Israel departed from Egypt. The crossing of the Red Sea, in which the sea parted before the pursuing Egyptian army (Exodus 14), is followed by the song of Moses and Miriam (Exodus 15). The people then arrived at Mount Sinai and entered into the Sinai Covenant.

Background

The Korean term chul-aegup (出埃及) means "going out of Egypt." The English name of the book, Exodus, derives from its Greek title in the Septuagint, exodos ("going out, departure"). In the Hebrew Bible the book is called Shemot ("Names"), after its opening words.

Scholars differ on the date of the Exodus. One view places it in the fifteenth century BC on the basis of the "four hundred and eightieth year" in 1 Kings 6:1, while another places it in the thirteenth century BC on the basis of the store city "Raamses" mentioned in Exodus 1:11. In biblical archaeology, debate also continues over the historical scale on which the event took place. Interpreters likewise differ on whether the "about six hundred thousand on foot that were men" of Exodus 12:37 should be read as a literal figure. Because the Hebrew yam suph, rendered "Red Sea" in the New Korean Revised Version, can also be translated "Sea of Reeds," several theories exist concerning the location of the crossing, as well as the location of Mount Sinai.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

In the Old Testament, the Exodus is the defining event that reveals who God is. The Ten Commandments begin with the words "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (Deuteronomy 5:6–10). The Psalms and the Prophets repeatedly recall this event, and Isaiah 43:16–21 portrays the return from Babylonian exile as a "new exodus."

The New Testament also takes up this theme. In Luke 9:31, the word "decease," which Moses and Elijah discussed with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, is exodos in Greek. Paul calls Christ "our passover" (1 Corinthians 5:7) and presents the experience of the wilderness generation as an example for the church (1 Corinthians 10:11–12).

Interpretations and Issues

• The hardening of Pharaoh's heart: The text speaks both of the LORD hardening Pharaoh's heart ("I will harden his heart," Exodus 4:21) and of Pharaoh hardening his own heart ("he hardened his heart," Exodus 8:15). Romans 9:17 also cites this narrative. The Calvinist tradition emphasizes God's sovereignty in this passage, while the Arminian and Wesleyan traditions tend to emphasize Pharaoh's responsibility for first hardening his own heart (see Predestination and Free Will).
• Miracle and natural phenomena: Exodus 14:21 records that when the sea parted, "the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night." Some interpreters read this as God working through nature, while others emphasize the supernatural character of the miracle itself.
• Reading the Exodus as a story of liberation: Latin American liberation theology and Korean minjung theology read the Exodus as a paradigm for the liberation of the oppressed. Critics of interpretations focused on political liberation point out that the purpose of the Exodus lay in the Sinai Covenant and in worship (Exodus 3:12).
• Traditions outside the text: Through films and popular media, the idea that the pharaoh of the Exodus was Ramesses II has become widespread. The biblical text, however, does not name the pharaoh.

In the Korean Church

Korean preaching frequently uses the progression "Egypt–wilderness–Canaan" as an analogy for salvation from sin, the refining of faith, and the fulfillment of God's promises. Sermons on the wilderness journey are common at New Year's and at New Year's Eve watch-night services. The Passover lamb is often cited in Communion and Holy Week sermons as an image pointing to the death of Christ.