Exodus

by sefaria.org

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Daniel]

I have more mixed feelings about this book of the Bible. On the one hand, it’s a book about freedom and the struggle to be free. It introduces one of the most beautiful principles in Judaism: “you must not exploit or oppress a stranger in your land, for you have been strangers in the land of Egypt.” On the other hand, the laws given to Moses sometimes sound so specific to their context that it completely undermines the Bible’s claim of being the universal law of God. The choice of what are the Ten Commandments (especially what is excluded from them) is odd. Specifically, the law regarding slavery being right after the ten big ones. We’ve been slaves and yet we cannot categorically ban slavery? I can understand that this might’ve been progress regarding its historical context, but it makes no sense that the universal law of God would be just a slight improvement in relation to the other Bronze Age peoples instead of an unequivocal statement that people are not property. In the narrative aspects the ambiguities also come up. While the struggle for freedom is an incredible plot, given god’s omnipotence the violence used is out of place. I would’ve understood if the Hebrews had to resort to violence, but the way God at the same time punishes the Egyptians while hardening the pharaoh’s heart only makes him look sadistic. The solution to this freedom conundrum is through the God of Spinoza. Freedom from bondage comes from accepting God, but not the dead god of scripture but the living Deus sive Natura.