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Commentary on the Book of Exodus

Hegomen Tadros Y. Malaty

The Holy Book begins with the Book of Genesis, in which God proclaimed the beginning of creation and human life in the bosom of God, the Lover of mankind. But it happened that man rebelled and was expelled from paradise, carrying in his soul a void that nobody could fill; and in his heart an eternal death, that nobody could escape.

God did not stay with His hands tied before man -- his beloved creation. If man chose to give God the nape instead of the face then God, in His love, committed Himself to save him, and to get him back again into His divine bosom.

Thus, the Book of Exodus came to proclaim allegorically the free salvation of God; presenting us with the exodus of the old people, out of the land of bondage, by the mighty hand of God, to set forth toward the freedom of glory of the children of God. This Book, although it presents us with actual historical events was not meant to record these events for their own sake -- as it is not a documentary book, but its intention is to let us enter into the depths, to discover the salvation that we are now living. Concerning this, the scholar Origen says: [These things are not written as a historical record -- as we do not think the divine books cared for recording the history of the Egyptians, but are written to teach us and for our admonition (1 Corinthians 10: 11)].

He also says: [We know that the Holy Books are not written to present us with ancient stories, but for the sake of edifying our salvation. So, what we read about the king of Egypt (Exodus 1: 8), we are living it today in the life of each one of us].