Laws in the Book of Shemot (Exodus)

Exodus refers to "the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt in the 13th century BCE, under the leadership of Moses; also, the Old Testament book of the same name. The English name of the book derives from the Septuagint (Greek) use of "exodus" to designate the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and their safe passage through the Sea of Reeds (traditionally mislocated as the Red Sea). The Hebrew title of the work is Shemot (Names). Chapters 1–18 narrate the history of the Egyptian bondage, the Exodus from Egypt, and the journey to Mount Sinai under the leadership of Moses. The second half of the book tells of the Covenant that was established between God and Israel at Sinai and promulgates laws for the ordering of Israel's life.

"Since Exodus continues the sacred story of the divine promise to Israel begun in Genesis, it must be seen as part of a larger literary unit that is variously understood to include the first four, five, or six books of the Bible. Scholars have identified three literary traditions in Exodus, designated by the letters J, E, and P. The J strand, so called because it uses the name Yahweh (Jahweh in German) for God, is a Judaean rendition of the sacred story, perhaps written as early as 950 BCE. The E strand, which designates God as Elohim, is a version of the sacred story from the northern kingdom of Israel, written in about 900–750 BCE. The P strand, so called because of its cultic interests and regulations for priests, is usually dated in the 5th century BC and is regarded as the law upon which Ezra and Nehemiah based their reform. Each of these strands preserves materials much older than the time of their incorporation into a written work. Exodus thus conserves extremely old oral and written history." – Encyclopaedia Britannica.


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 19:5-6.


The Ten Commandments: I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt 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 them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. – Exodus 20:1-17.


Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. – Exodus 22:19.


Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. – Exodus 23:1


Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment[pervert justice]. – Exodus 23:2.


Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. [You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.] – Exodus 23:3.


Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. – Exodus 23:7.


Thou shalt take no gift [bribe]: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. – Exodus 23:8.


[Consider the following reference to an angel to be a personal Guardian Angel.] Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go before thee. – Exodus 23:20-23



The Via Christa does not financially profit from any link we post.


References

Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Exodus," The Holy Bible.Encyclopædia Britannica, January 14, 2020 [accessed March 4, 2020].

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Purchase a Bible here: The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV). Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Read the full text of the Book of Shemot (Exodus) at the Jewish Virtual Library.