Exodus Through the Centuries

This bible commentary looks at how Exodus has influenced and has been influenced by history, religion, politics, the arts and other forms of culture over the ages.

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• A bible commentary tracing the reception history of Exodus from Old Testament times, through the Patristic and Reformation periods, to the present day.
  
• Considers the ways in which Exodus has influenced and has been influenced by history, religion, politics, the arts and other forms of culture in Jewish, Christian and secular settings.
  
• Looks at how Exodus has served as a tool of liberation and tyranny in a variety of settings.
  
• Shows how Exodus has been used to shape the identities of individuals and groups.
  
• Discusses the works of current and past poets, musicians, film-makers, authors and artists influenced by Exodus.
  
• Addresses uses of Exodus related to American and European history such as the Glorious Revolution, colonialism, the American Revolution, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans, and Native Americans, as well as uses by prominent and little-known historical figures
  
• Considers the impact of the Ten Commandments and other laws, in legal, political and religious contexts.
  
• The Blackwell Bible Commentary series is supported by a website at www.bbibcomm.net

List of Illustrations viii

Series Editors’ Preface xi

Preface xiii

Introduction 1

Jewish and Christian Uses 2

Political and Social Uses 4

Oppressive and Contradictory Uses 6

Artistic Uses 8

Aim and Design 10

Exodus 1–2 13

1:1–14 The Israelites’ Suffering 14

1:15–22 Attempts to Kill Israel’s Male Infants 17

2:1–10 Moses’ Birth 21

2:11–25 Moses’ Early Life 35

Moses and Modern Biographies 38

Exodus 3–4 42

3:1–6 Moses Encounters YHWH 43

3:7–4:17 Moses and YHWH Negotiate 61

4:18–31 YHWH Attempts to Kill Moses 72

Exodus 5–10 78

5:1–7:7 Moses and Pharaoh Begin Negotiations 78

7:8–10:29 The Plagues 88

Exodus 11:1–13:16 105

12:1–13:16 The Passover 105

11:1–3; 12:33–6 The Plundering of the Egyptians 116

11:1–10; 12:29–32 The Death of the Firstborn 119

Exodus 13:17–15:21 126

13:17–14:31 The Exodus 126

15:1–21 Israel’s Celebration 159

Exodus 15:22–18:27 170

The Testing of Israel 171

Exodus 19–31 185

Chapters 19–24 The Ten Commandments and Other Laws 186

Chapters 25–31 The Tabernacle 221

Exodus 32–40 231

Chapters 32–34 The Golden Calf 232

Chapters 35–40 The Completed Tabernacle 250

Epilogue: A Personal Word 254

Bibliography 256

Ancient and Medieval 256

Early Modern and Modern 264

Biographies and Glossary 283

Name Index 289

Subject Index 292

"The series emphasises the influence of the Bible on literature, art, music and film, its role in the evolution of religious beliefs and practices and its impact on social and political developments. Drawing on work in a variety of disciplines, it is designed to provide a convenient and scholarly means of access to material until now hard to find, and a much needed resource for all those interested in the influence of the Bible of Western culture."
Theological Book Review

"The interpretative material is especially rich, in both quantity and significance … This is a mine of information which should both delight and inspire."
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

"On the history of reception, there is no equal to this fine book. A feast for historians of Western culture!"
International Review of Biblical Studies

"Preachers will enjoy using Exodus through the Centuries by Scott M. Langston, in which the author shows the varying ways in which this key book has been understood, not least by liberation movements down the centuries. Truly a commentary with a difference, offering much illustrative material." Ministry Today

"It is almost impossible to convey the breadth of the scope of this book … A very well researched and interesting book, containing an extensive bibliography, useful biographies and glossary and name and subject indexes. The main strength of this book is the author’s ability to engage with a diversity of sources, traditions and artistic expressions and examine a variety of theological and secular interpretations of the Exodus story with a consistent academic rigour. This book is recommended for all serious students of scripture." Journal of Beliefs & Values

"Langston’s book, and the entire Blackwell series, offers a compact and focussed entrance into sources for the interpretation and reception of the Bible."
Peter D Miscall, Denver, Colorado

“There is much to reflect upon from this presentation of the ‘reception history’ of Exodus across the ages and Scott Langston is to be thanked for his labours.”
Ernest Nicholson, Oxford

"Langston has offered an accessibility to the book of Exodus that opens the imagination … Biblical scholars interested in sociology and anthropology should certainly read this book."
Benjamin Bury, University of Birmingham

“Presents a colorful tapestry … illustrating multiple interpretations … and the sheer creativity of recontextualization … .Langston fills a gap.”
Religious Studies Review

Scott M. Langston has taught Biblical Studies and American History at various institutions on the graduate and undergraduate levels. He currently is teaching Biblical and Religious Studies at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. This bible commentary focuses on Exodus, one of the key books in the Old Testament, which features such colorful stories as the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the burning bush, and the giving of the Ten Commandments.

The commentary considers the ways in which Exodus has influenced and has been influenced by history, religion, politics, the arts, and other forms of culture in Jewish, Christian, and secular settings. The author traces the book’s various uses throughout the centuries, from Old Testament times, through the Patristic and Reformation periods, to the present day. He pays particular attention to how Exodus has served as a tool of liberation and tyranny, and to how it has helped to shape collective and personal identity. He also addresses uses of Exodus related to American and European history such as the Glorious Revolution, colonialism, the American Revolution, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans, and Native Americans, as well as uses by prominent and little-known historical figures.

More information about the Blackwell Bible Commentary series is available at www.bbibcomm.net