Exodus (Heb. shemot)
The second of the five books of Moses, named in Hebrew for its introductory
words, ve-eleh shemot, "These are the names," contains forty chapters. It
tells of Israel's subjugation in Egypt and Pharaoh's decrees, the birth of
Moses, his vision of God at the burning bush and his mission to Pharaoh, the
ten plagues, Israel's exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the Reed Sea, the
theophany, Decalogue, Lawgiving, and golden calf apostasy all at Mount
Sinai, and the building of the Tabernacle. The main themes in Exodus are
God's election of Israel, its physical and spiritual liberation from
bondage, and its nationhood.