THE MAIN CHARACTER AND THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS
presentation of the problem

The fragment of the book of Exodus shown below was taken from the international edition of the Bible  [1], and it includes:

• translations of the sentences of the Hebrew text,
• headings rendered in a bold font and being of a greater size or in italic,
• indents of text,
  where headings and text indents divide the text into smaller literary units. It is necessary to know that they are not in the Hebrew text, but were added by the International contemporary editors who worked on the translation for many years.

On this page there are visible headings („Exodus”, „The Israelites Oppressed”, „The Birth of Moses”) and indents of text (at the beginning of verses: in the first chapter: 6, 8, 11, 15, 19, 20, 22; in the second chapter: 5).

These headings and indents are to help the reader to quickly know the main problems of the text contained between them. One ought to notice that they simultaneously:

• give the literary structure for the text, i.e. divide it thematically into “main parts”, “sections”, “subsections”;
• indicate who is the main character of each part.

Every reader should know, however, that contemporary editors are not always able to perform the task set for by themselves to accurately express the idea of the hagiographer / editor working under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, editor of the final text of the book, written in Hebrew ages ago (it is supposed that the final editing occurred about the sixth century before Christ – when Israel was in captivity in Babylon.)

It is necessary yet to notice that in quite a few cases the many years of exegetic research of the Hebrew text is needed to find: 1. what literary structure for the text gave the last editor–hagiographer working under the God’s inspiration, and 2. who is the main character in his counsel.

Having observed particular headings from the international edition of the Bible one can notice that – according to the contemporary international editorial staff – it is Israel and her leader, Moses, who are together the main character of the Book of Exodus.

Does the answer for the question of the main character, being read from headings, correspond to the intention of the Hebrew hagiographer–editor of the final version of the inspired text? – it is the key–question for the analysis which will be conducted here. Equally important is the second question: Does the literary structure of the Book of Exodus 1–18, being read from headings and indents, is a structure given to the Book by this inspired hagiographer–editor?

The example of the Bible in English: The Jerusalem Bible [1]:

The example of the Bible in German: Die Heilige Schrift des Alten Bundes [2].

The second example of the Bible in German: Das Alte Testament  [9]:

The example of the Bible in French: La Bible. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible [12]:

The division of Book of Exodus in Biblia Wujka (i.e. The Jakub Wujek Bible) [1] in the elaboration of S. Styś [2]:

The division of Book of Exodus in Biblia Wujka (i.e. The Jakub Wujek Bible) in the elaboration of J. Frankowski  [8]:

The Book of Exodus in the elaboration of S. Łach [13] of 1964 year:

The Book of Exodus in the elaboration of S. Łach [15] of 1996 year:

The Book of Exodus in Biblia Poznańska  [17]:

TRUTHFULLY SCIENTIFIC
METHODOLOGICAL RULES
OF THE BIBLE RESEARCH

IT IS WORTH TO KNOW RULES OF HEBREW RHETORIC
(semitic techniques of literary composition):

• Precursors are: R. Lowth and J. Bengl (XVII century)
• Relationships between elements of the structure:
  • parallelisms: Cf. Catholic Encyclopedia; See also: J. R. Lundbom
    • synonymous
    • antithetical
    • synthetic
  • concentric structures      A B C B’ A’
  • chiasmus structures        A B C C’ B’ A’        –   Cf. Wikipedia
  • inclusions                       A …………….. A
• These relations can connect:
  • not only verses,
  • but also greater fragments of the text.
• The literary medium of the meaning are (A. Schökel, 1981):
  • not only words or sentences,
  • but also relations between elements of the work structure.
• The study of the literary structure is like a radiography of the text (S. Hałas, 1998).

Examples of the Hebrew Rhetoric:

• Parallelisms:
  • Gen 27:29: the series of three successive parallelisms: two first are synonymous, and the third is antithetical:
    1. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow to you;
    2. master over your brothers, And let your mother’s sons bow to you.
    3. Cursed be they who curse you, Blessed they who bless you.
  • Sir 24:20–22: the series of three successive parallelisms: the first is synonymous, two next are synthetic:
    1. 20 For the memory of me is sweeter than honey, and the possession of me sweeter than the honeycomb.
    2. 21 Those who eat of me will hunger for more, and those who drink of me will thirst for more.
    3. 22 Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame, and those who work with me will not sin.
  • Isa 51,9–10: – please click to read the discussion of this parallelism in my doctoral dissertation; (You should select pages 209–217 there)!
• Inclusion:
  • Inclusion consisting of two identical phrases “with Pharaoh king of Egypt” is in verses Exo 6,13 and Exo 6,27
  • Inclusion consisting of two pericopes: Exo 1,1–6,1 and Exo 15,22–18,27
• chiasmus: Chiasmus: chiasmus consisting of six pericopes

THE EXPLANATION OF THE CONVICTION OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE FORMGESCHICHTE METHOD:
The Bible is only a valuable collection of various, mainly damaged, fragments of an ancient history:

The photo is placed here with the consent of the owner of the website http://traveladventures.org

THE EXPLANATION OF THE CONVICTION OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF METHODS OPPOSITE TO THE FORMGESCHICHTE
(Childs, Meynet):
Books of the Bible are beautiful,
precisely composed;
it is necessary to discover their hidden beauty,
recorded by means of language from before 3000–2000 years.

The below photo of the temple does not show it en bloc, so we do not know whether it is well kept (or else it has damages – as it was on the photo in the Previous screen). A question about the degree of damage of the temple can be resolved not by guesswork, but by the humble search for the truth. When somebody ask for the degree of damages of the Bible text, he ought to act similarly. It is illustrated in the next screen.

The photo is placed here with the consent of the author,
reverend professor dr hab. Tomasz Jelonek,
professor of the Pontificial University of John Paul II in Cracow

THE HEBREW BIBLE
AS THE SOURCE OF THE DIVINE REVELATION

The presented below example text of the Book of Exodus 4,18–23 from the Hebrew Bible shows the manner of recording of the God’s Revelation, the manner used by the inspired writers about six centures before the birth of Christ. In the text there are also visible Arabic numerals and Latin letters, introduced by contemporary publisher.

It is worth noting that this Hebrew text is a basic source for exegetical studies, whose aim is the most faithful reading of the divine revelation. The importance of this task cannot be overestimated because translator–exegete has to transmit the words of God himself!

Dear Reader!

With the awareness of the importance of the task of the proper, accurate reading of the Holy Scripture as Divine Revelation, the task being still actual, let us support contemporary Biblicists by our prayers, so that they will be able to faithfully perform the duty incumbent on them.

THE ALLEGED DISCONTINUITIES IN THE TEXT
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18
cont

• THE GENEALOGY OF MOSES AND AARON (Exo 6,14–26) – what is the aim of it?

  NAB Exo 6,13-27
  13 Still, the Lord, to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them his orders regarding both the Israelites and Pharaoh, king of Egypt (אֶל־פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם).

  14 These are the heads of the ancestral houses. The sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon were Jenuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar and Shaul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16 The names of the sons of Levi, in their genealogical order, are Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived one hundred and thirty-seven years. 17 The sons of Gershon, as heads of clans, were Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived one hundred and thirty-three years. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of Levi in their genealogical order. 20 Amram married his aunt Jochebed, who bore him Aaron, Moses and Miriam. Amram lived one hundred and thirty-seven years. 21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. 23 Aaron married Amminadab’s daughter, Elisheba, the sister of Nahshon; she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Aaron’s son, Eleazar, married one of Putiel’s daughters, who bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the ancestral clans of the Levites. 26 This is the Aaron and this the Moses to whom the Lord said, “Lead the Israelites from the land of Egypt, company by company.”

  27 These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt (אֶל־פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם), to bring the Israelites out of Egypt – the same Moses and Aaron.

THE ALLEGED DISCONTINUITIES IN THE TEXT
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1–18
cont

• THE PASSOVER:    where are the boundaries of the description?
  •   7,8–13,16 [1]

  • 11,1–13,16 [2]

  • 12,1–21; 12,43–13,16 [3]

  • 12,1–20 [4]

  • 12,1–36 [5]

  • 12,1–13,16 [6]

  • 12,1–20. 21–28. 43–51 [7]

  • 12,1–13,22 [8]

  • 12,1–14. 21–28. 43–51 [9]

  • 12,1–28.42–51 [10]

THE RESULT OF ANALYSIS
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1–18
WITH THE THEOCENTRIC METHOD
Introduction

The theocentric method of reading the Bible takes into account the principal condition to maintain the fear of God. God answers to this method–attitude with His grace: an indispensable help for a man for a deeper understanding of His word.

As a result of this reading it was found that the Exodus 1–18 consists of six main parts – pericopes. Then it was found that external pericopes 1:1–6:1 and 15:22–18:27 have the same basic literary structure.

It is the detailed discussion of these external pericopes to which the three following elements of this presentation are devoted. Below is shown a simple eventual schema which helps Dear Reader to quickly understand these successive stages of the analysis:

The first pericope (1,1–6,1):

The last pericope (15,22–18,27):

PERICOPES EXO 1,1–6,1 AND EXO 15,22–18,27
AS THE RHETORICAL INCLUSION
FOR THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1–18

The identical structure of both external pericopes also points out on the necessity of understanding them as parallel elements, as a clamp containing the other four elements of the literary structure of Exodus 1–18.

Also to the same conclusion leads the following specification in the below table:

• Some fundamental problems that have their source in the first pericope, and its solution in the last one,
• pairs of some contrastingly different situations of the first and last pericope.

The analysis carried out in the above table revealed that the pericopes Exo 1,1-6,1 and Exo 15,22-18,27 are elements referring to each other regarding their content and concentric structure.

In the literary structure of Exo 1-18, these pericopes-elements constitute the frame for the whole text, that is to say the inclusion – so typical element of Hebrew rhetoric!

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18:
six pericopes and their chiastic thematic relation.

The presentation of the structure of the remaining pericopes is now omitted – this problem may be supplemented in the future. Now, however, the totality of the structure of Exo 1-18 will be shown.

It is ascertained as a result of research with the theocentric method that the Book of Exodus 1-18 at the level of content:

• is composed of six pericopes:
  1:1-6:1; 6:2-11:10; 12:1-13:16; 13:17-14:31; 15:1-21; 15:22-18:27,
• each pericope separately communicates a strictly definite topic, which is different from topics of other pericopes,
• consecutive pericopes serve to exhibit consecutive stages of the plan of God liberating the People of Israel from Egypt,
• pairs of pericopes: 1st and 6th; 2nd and 5th; 3rd and 4th are linked by the relation “announcement – fulfillment,”
• the literary entirety, composed of six pericopes, has a concentric structure A B C C’ B’ A’.

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18:
six pericopes and their chiastic lexical relation: introduction.

It is found as a result of the theocentric method research that in the level of the thematic content of pericopes, the literary structure of Exo 1-18 is a concentric one; thus, it has a feature typical for Hebrew literary compositions.

It turns out that such a concentric structure is hidden deeper – in the lexical level, namely:

if in each of the six pericopes separately, one examines the number of Hebrew words occurring in one of the two groups chosen in the comprehensive research:

1. forms of future tenses: either in the imperfect or in the perfect with waw consecutive, or in the imperative,
2. forms of past tenses: either in the perfect or in the imperfect with waw consecutive,

the following results are obtained [1]:

These relations can also be presented in the bar graph form – it is shown in the next step of this presentation.

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18:
six pericopes and their chiastic lexical relation: the bar graph.

•   red bars concern the past’s words – regarding past events
•   blue bar concerns the future’s words – regarding future events

The table and the bar graph show that:

• external pericopes I and VI have the same percentage of words in the past tenses (62%) and the future tenses (38%)
• pericopes II and V have the same percentage of words in the past tenses (56%) and the future tenses (44%);
• Central pericopes III and IV are characterized by an even more interesting relationship (in a very good mathematical approximation):
  • the percentage of words in the past tenses in the pericope III = the percentage of words in the future tenses in the pericope IV (35% almost equals 34% )
  • the percentage of words in the future tenses in the pericope III = the percentage of words in the past tenses in the pericope IV (65% almost equals 66%)

Thanks to these numerical dependencies, the arrangement of six pericopes is a concentric structure A B C C’ B’ A’; in this case biblical scholars say that it is exactly the chiasmus [1] – a special type of the concentric structure. Such a structure is typical for Hebrews.

Dear Reader!

At the actual stage of this presentation, we know a lot about the literary structure of the Book of Exodus 1-18. In the next stage, it will be shown the identity of this literary structure with the structure of ancient Hittite treaties of the 16th century before Christ.

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18
AND THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF ANCIENT HITTITE TREATIES
introduction

As a result of the investigations, it was found that the structure of six consecutive pericopes (literary elements) of the Book of Exodus 1-18 fulfills the requirements imposed by the literary scheme… of the Hittite alliance treaties discovered on the clay tablets.

Alliance treaties are official political documents written by scribes (specially prepared for this task) after the conclusion of the alliance between two countries. These treaties, being preserved in sanctuaries of both allied countries, had to testify about contracting the pact – the alliance – in this case between Hittites and other countries.

In the period from the sixteenth to the twelfth century before Christ, the treaties had to have six consecutive parts, namely:

1. The historic prologue showing a contribution of a stronger partner to the life of a weaker partner in their hitherto existing history – that is until the day when they met to perform the four-element ceremonial of covenant-making, what had to be accomplished in four consecutive steps: 2, 3, 4 and 5.
2. Presentation of two covenant partners, in this the show, full of eastern exaggeration, of the majesty of a stronger partner and his magnanimous promise of a gift-giving for a weaker partner (for example, the bestowal of a territory).
3. Presentation of the basic covenant law, whose aim was to make the weaker partner remembering about the undertaken allegiance relation (it was determined here how often and in which solemnity the weaker partner is obligated to read the covenant treaty publicly and to remind himself and his servants of the duties concerning the stronger partner).
4. The undertaking of the already irrevocable act of covenant-making (cutting). It was performed in the following way: two partners passed between halves of split (cut) animals; going on the ground soaked with their blood, they were passing as if through the sphere of death – in fact, the alliance had to be indissoluble, for life-and-death.
5. Fulfillment by the suzerain and the vassal of the promises made at the beginning of the ceremony. Commemoration of the fact that the covenant had been made and that the promises had been fulfilled, often marked by the raising of a mound or the planting of a tree, and by the composition of a hymn.
6. The description of the laws governing the daily relationships between two covenant partners.

Like a clamp, the external elements of the literary structure of the document (of the treaty) embraced the four central elements.

The central elements were not only a fruit of the literary talent but a report of the covenant-making ceremony, really accomplished by both partners. This ceremony was composed exactly according to the four consecutive elements 2, 3, 4, and 5 – it was performed according to the universally binding political-religious ceremonial.

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18
AND THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF ANCIENT HITTITE TREATIES
details

As a result of the investigations, it was found that the structure of six consecutive pericopes of the Book of Exodus 1-18 fulfills the requirements imposed by the literary scheme of the Hittite alliance treaties:

1. Exo 1:1-6:1: the description of the constant God’s care of Israel in the situation of the threat of the existence of the Nation in the time preceding God’s revelation to Moses in Egypt, i.e., the revelation, described since Exo 6:2, which begins the four-element ceremonial of the covenant-making.
2. Exo 6:2-11:10:
   • Exo 6:2-8: presentation of the stronger partner, his name, his relations with the ancestors of the weaker partner
   • God gives promises to Israel:
     • Exo 6:7: to make a covenant:
       “I will take you as my people, and I will be your God”,
       what is tantamount to the expression:
       “I will make the alliance with you”;
     • Exo 6:6-8: to give them freedom;
     • Exo 6:8: to give them the land of Canaan for their possession;
   • Exo 6:14-26: the genealogy of Moses and Aaron – it is the presentation of the weaker partner of the covenant,
   • Exo 7:8-11:10: show of majesty and magnificence and power of the stronger partner of the covenant – the ten miraculous signs.
3. Exo 12:1-13:16: God gives the basic covenant law for Israel: in honor of God, Israel has to celebrate the Passover annually, starting from the dusk of the fourteenth day of the month Abib, and to eat without leaven throughout seven days after. The narrative elements (in this, the description of the killing of the firstborn sons of Egypt and the description of Israel’s departure out of bondage – Exo 12:29-42) serve as an explanation of this law.
4. Exo 13:17-14:31: the act of the covenant-making (cutting) – God leads Israel from the place of consumption of the Passover meal to the Sea of Reeds (the Red Sea), and the two partners pass between its split waters as between the halves of an animal, in accordance with the ceremonial rite (the legitimacy of this understanding is confirmed by perfectly understood text of Isa 51:9-10 – click, please, to read the discussion about this parallelism, which is contained in my doctoral thesis: it is necessary to choose there the pages 209-217).
5. Exo 15:1-21: the commemoration of the fact of the ratification of the covenant and of the fulfillment of its obligations.
6. Exo 15:22-18:27: God’s orders, prohibitions, blessing and anger towards Israel, protection from enemies; the appointment of the judges of the People; the thanksgiving to God for the contracted covenant and for His redemptive intervention.

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1–18
AND THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF ANCIENT HITTITE TREATIES
the possibility of the reduction to 4 elements

As a result of the investigations it was found that the structure of six consecutive pericopes of the Book of Exodus 1–18 fulfills the requirements imposed by the literary scheme of the Hittite alliance treaties. At the same time, you can see that:

• The 1st and the 2nd pericope in some respects are the entirety – they show the magnificence of God, His love for Israel, His promises of the covenant: self–presentation of God as the king–suzerain, as the king full of glory, splendour and majesty; presentation of the contributions of God to the life of Israel–vassal within the framework of the history preceding the ratification of the Passover/exodus covenant; the God’s initiation of the ratification ceremony of the covenant with Israel, being connected with the promise of the bestowal of the Land of Canaan upon her.
• Also the 5th and the 6th pericope in some respects are the entirety – they show how the magnificent God fulfils the promises of the alliance after its ratification, and how the bestowed Israel inscribes into her memory the doings of God who as the partner of the alliance is her protector against enemies, hunger and thirst; he is a patient teacher of the covenant law; he leads Israel to Himself, to the life in the land He promised to their fathers.

For that reason the structure of Exod 1–18 can be reduced to four elements:

The possibility of making such a thematic reduction was perceived at the beginning of Israel as the People of the Lord; it became the principle for incorporation of the history of Exod 1–18 into the Passover ritual, what is being discussed in the next few points of the presentation.

PASSOVER:
the rite of the Passover in the light of “The Passover Haggadah”

The Passover Haggadah”[1] – “הַגָּדָה שֶל פֶסַח” –

mentions the four ritual cups of wine constituting the basic structure of the rite. “Haggadah” is a liturgical book which contains specific prayers, wisdom teachings, songs, symbolic acts (the washing of hands, the eating of symbolic dishes…), which are performed in order, as being attributed to successive fourteen parts of the rite. “Haggadah” is a Jewish book of liturgy of the Paschal Vigil [2]. For this reason, the analysis of the text of “Haggadah” in its original Hebrew / Aramaic recording will be one of the main exegetical tasks for every one who wants to come to know the logic of the Passover rite.

The text of “Haggadah” came into being gradually, through many centuries [3]. Its first version was compiled probably between the second half of the 2nd century AC and the end of the 4th century AC.

It is believed that although the currently known ancient text of “Haggadah of Pesach” is later than the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (which took place in the 70th year after Christ), however basic part of the Hebrew and Aramaic text and key ideas of the whole book are prior to the Jesus Christ’s coming to the world [4].

“Haggadot” (the plural form of “Haggadah”) of the 8th century, preserved in the Genizah in Cairo, are known only in fragments. On their basis, however, it is impossible to come to know the whole text of that period.

The oldest complete readable manuscript of the “Haggadah” is found in a prayer book compiled by Saadia Gaon (the head of the Academy at Sura) in the 10th century.

In the 13th century, Polish or German Jews added final songs to that text [5].

From the 13th century also begins considerable growth of the commonness of custom of the use of “Haggadah” as the separate liturgical book to perform the Passover in Jewish homes [6].

The oldest confirmed printed copy of “Haggadah” dates from 1486 year, from Soncino in Italy.

Since several centuries, “Pesach Haggadot” are widely printed. Often richly decorated and illustrated, this little books contain a description of successive steps of the Passover liturgy: of deeds and word – of the rite. The explanation of these successive holy acts is often added in “Haggadot”. Attention is focused not only on each doing or word of the celebrated Passover, but also on their prescribed order, which in Hebrew is expressed by the word “seder” (סֵדֶר) [7].

The same term is also used:

• as the term equivalent to “Passover Haggadah”,
• as the name of the special plate, where the six ritual foods are placed on,
• as the liturgy leader’s name, which indicates his essential role to faithfully preserve the order of the successive acts of the Passover liturgy.

THE RITE OF THE PASSOVER
IN THE LIGHT OF THE HITTITE CEREMONIAL
OF MAKING THE COVENANT

The structure of the Book of Exodus 1–18 and accordingly the structure of the law pericope (Exo 12,1–13,16) are the skeleton for the Seder (the rite) of the Passover, celebrated by all Israel on the night of the 15th of Abib every year in honor of the Lord as the sovereign of Israel. The celebration of the Passover is the every–time actualisation (i.e. “making–present”) of the covenant being made by the Lord and Israel during the whole time of the departure out of Egypt, described in the Book of Exodus 1–18, especially in the four pericopes: 6,2–11,10; 12,1–13,16; 13,17–14,31; 15,1–21.

Just as the first essential step in the procedure of the covenant making is the presentation of its partners, especially the stronger of them, including his promises for a weaker partner, so in the first pericope (6,2–11,10) and in the first section of the Passover Seder the majesty of the Lord is shown, whose magnitude was revealed by ten miraculous signs, which were made by Him through Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, and which are announced by the leader of the Passover Seder in any place of the earth where the liturgy of this holy night is performed.

The covenant law, which in the treaties of the ancient covenants is the next element after the presentation of its partners, is represented by the law pericope (12,1–13,16) in the Book of Exodus, and by the eating of the Passover lamb (which is commanded by the paschal law) in the Passover seder. For the actual impossibility to sacrifice the lamb to the Lord in the Jerusalem temple, the seder contains liturgical substitutive acts, whereat the eating matzah with bitter herbs is the most significant sign, which makes it present what was commanded by the Lord in Egypt and what was fulfilled by the forefathers in Egypt: the consumption of the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (cf. Exo 12,8).
It should be noted that the description of the Israelites’ departure out of Egypt, contained in the law pericope (Exodus 12,34–39), serves to explain the aim of the Passover law.

The very act of the irrevocable making (cutting) of the covenant, described in the third pericope (13,17–14,31), is made present in the part 3. of the Passover seder: the eating of the unleavened afikoman, and the prayer for the redemptive exodus, the opening of the door, and the prayer for the outpouring of the God’s anger upon the enemies of the people starting the departure out of Egypt – they are the signs of the “made present” passage of the Lord and His People through the desert and between halves of the divided Rahab, i.e. between the divided waters of the Sea of Reeds. The very act of the covenant making is accomplished in the identical form as the covenant of the Lord with Abram (Gen 15,17f ← click please).

Just as after the making of the covenant, performed through the passage between the Sea of Reeds, Israel sang a hymn of praise in honor to the God–Saviour (15,1–21), so in the fourth part of the seder Israel raises powerful Hallel, praising with psalms 114–118 and 136 and with songs Him who is God above all gods, and whose grace for Israel is unfathomable.

This hymn simultaneously:

• it is a form (liturgical!) of the fulfilment of the covenant commitments of the both contracting parties,
• it records in the memory of Israel that: a/ the Lord has made with her the covenant (while passing together with her between the dimidiated waters of the Sea of Reeds), b/ the Lord has already fulfilled His promises which He had announced in the day of the covenant inauguration.
  The Lord’s most significant obligation (cf. Exo 6,6–8 ← click) was the Israel’s bestowal of freedom and the land of Canaan; the most important obligation of the People was to give glory and honor to the Lord, what had to be expressed by obedience to His law, especially to the Passover law (see Exo 12,27–28 ← click).The fulfillment of the commitments is already anticipated in verses of songs. Israel, full of joy, inspired by the Spirit of God, already participates in goods which God, the King loving her and the Bridegroom of her, will give her within the framework of the human history only in the future time!

THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1–18
AND THE STRUCTURE
OF THE SIX-BRANCHED LAMPSTAND

Exo 25,31 “You shall make a lampstand of pure beaten gold – its shaft and branches – with its cups and knobs and petals springing directly from it. 32 six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand, three branches on one side, and three on the other. 33 On one branch there are to be three cups, shaped like almond blossoms, each with its knob and petals; on the opposite branch there are to be three cups, shaped like almond blossoms, each with its knob and petals; and so for the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 34 On the shaft there are to be four cups, shaped like almond blossoms, with their knobs and petals, 35 including a knob below each of the three pairs of branches that extend from the lampstand. 36 Their knobs and branches shall so spring from it that the whole will form but a single piece of pure beaten gold. 37 You shall then make seven lamps for it and so set up the lamps that they shed their light on the space in front of the lampstand. 38 These, as well as the trimming shears and trays, must be of pure gold. 39 Use a talent of pure gold for the lampstand and all its appurtenances. 40 See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

As it was shown on the earlier screen of this presentation, if in each of the six pericopes separately one examines the number of Hebrew words occurring in one of the two groups chosen in the comprehensive research:

1. forms of future tenses, now then either in the imperfect or in the perfect with waw consecutive, or in the imperative,
2. forms of past tenses, now then either in the perfect or in the imperfect with waw consecutive,

then it is obtained the above shown graph for the six pericopes, how similar in the shape to the six-branched menorah!: the longest branches and the longest bars are on both ends; the shortest branches and the shortest bars are in the middle.

It should be noted that there is a striking similarity between the above presented menorah, i.e. the six-branched lampstand, and the six-element literary structure of the Book of Exodus 1-18. This lampstand was one of the most important sacral elements required by God within the framework of the covenant which He made with Israel on the Mount Sinai. It had to be situated inside the Tabernacle – the Holy Sanctuary – in the holy place, outside the veil separating this place from “the Holy of Holies”, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed (cf. Ex 26,35). It can be concluded that similarly the Book of Exodus 1-18 is of the highest sacral rank as the covenant treaty built on the six-element literary structure. It plays such an important role because it is the witness of the first, original covenant between God and Israel – the covenant made, yet before the Sinaitic covenant, during the passage of the both partners between the halves of the divided Sea of Reeds (Red Sea). For that reason in the Sinaitic covenant the six-branched lampstand is to remind that everything what God ordered and to what He committed himself in the Previous covenant, has its irrevocable continuation in the next one (i.e. Sinaitic).

The relationship between the menorah and the covenant is testified also by:

• The Hebrew word “גָּבִיעַ»” (cup), used for the designation of the floral cups in the lampstand (see Exo 25,31.33.34; 37,17.19.20), refers not only to a cup of flower, but also to a cup to drink wine (see Gen 44,2.12.16.17; Jer 35,5); and this in turn meets with the Passover rite, with cups of wine being drunk off successively with the progress of the liturgical action, in order required by the seder service.
• Exo 25,33-34: the amount of the floral cups: 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 3. The four ritual cups, constituting the Passover rite, occupy the central, preferential place in the construction of the lampstand – the same place as in the six-element literary structure of Exo 1-18 is occupied by the four central pericopes describing the ceremony of the covenant making.
• The Hebrew designation of the six lampstand branches – קָנֶה – is associated with the verb of the same root – קנה – to get, to take. The verb appears in the song, sung by the people immediately after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds:
  Exo 15,16: “Terror and dread fell upon them. By the might of your arm they were frozen like stone, while your people, o Lord, passed over, while the people you had gotten (קנה) passed over”.
• The word “גָּבִיעַ” in Exo 25,32. 33. 35; 37,18. 19. 21 is used to describe that the six branches come out of the lampstand sides; in Exo 1-18 the same word is used to describe that Israelites come out of the Egyptian slavery (Exo 3,10. 11. 12; 6,6. 7. 13. 26. 27. 28; 7,4. 5; 11,8; 12,17. 31. 39. 41. 42. 51; 13,3. 4. 8. 9. 14. 16; 14,8. 11; 15,22; 16,1. 3. 6. 32; 18,1).

It is worth to notice that there is in the Old Testament the law of continuation of the covenant commitments: if God makes one covenant, and afterwards He makes the next one, and then the next one… then in every new covenant not only gives He new requirements, but simultaneously He preserves what was obligatory in all earlier covenants. The God made the covenant with Abram (afterwards called Abraham) three times, about what the Book of Genesis says:

1. Gen 15, in this 15,18.
2. Gen 17, in this 17,2.9ff.
3. Gen 22,1-18, in this 22,16-17.

The obligation of the circumcision, which was imposed upon Abraham and his descendants in the second of these covenants (cf. Gen 17:10-14), was and still is important for every Israelite who wants to remain in this covenant.

Therefore, in the covenant of the Passover / of the Exodus the God only reminds of the necessity of its preservation, and does it in the following manner:

1. First, in that “mysterious” event described in Exo 4,24-26 – God didn’t want to kill Moses but to remind him that really the every descendant of Abraham who hadn’t obeyed the law of circumcision he couldn’t have admitted to the next covenant with Him; now then and the uncircumcised son of Moses could not participate in the covenant of the Passover / of the exodus!
   It is necessary to notice in which pericope this scene takes place: in Exod 1,1-6,1, so in the pericope preceding the sequence of the four pericopes describing this 4-stage-history of the Israelites departure out of Egypt, the history being made present by the God’s power of the 4-element rite of every annual Passover.
   Now then so as at present every Israelite may and should correct the possible neglect of circumcision of all the men of his house yet before the annual Passover,
   in the same way in those ancient days the God gave this possibility to Moses before the undertaking of the first of four steps of the process of liberation of Israelites out of Egypt (what is described in the Book of Exodus, in the passage from verse 6,2 to verse 15,21).
   This is also the answer to the question posed in the earlier stage of this presentation: Did the God want to kill Moses?
2. Then the God, within the framework of the pericope of the covenant law (Exo 12,1-13,16), no longer in the “mysterious” way but through words addressed to Moses (cf. Exo 12,43.48), imposes the obligation of circumcision on every man who wishes to participate in the feast of the Passover lamb, and consequently to participate in the covenant of the Passover / of the exodus.

The same law of continuation must be perceived in the laws which God gave within the framework of the Sinaitic covenant.

Dr. Wojciech Kosek

15. April 2009
8. December 2010 – the day of publication of this translation to English