EXODUS IS A LONG BOOK. One danger in outlining a book of this length is that one can get lost in the minutia. Outlines of any sort sometimes obfuscate the highlights with endless sub-points and sub-sub-points. How much more the case with a book as busy as Exodus!
In an effort to avoid such trouble, the following is an attempt to present the contents of Exodus in ways that will hopefully bring to the foreground the essential divisions and forward movement of the book. An outline is not an end in itself but a means to an end, which is to understand what the book as a whole is communicating.
Nor is there any one outline that by itself catches the essence of the book. Exodus may be depicted in several outlines, each of which serves to help the reader grasp the book on various levels. Several outlines of varying detail are given below, and the reader is invited to make use of the one that proves most helpful.
In its simplest outline, Exodus may be divided into two parts that highlight the Israelites’ departure from Egypt and their stay at the foot of Mount Sinai:
I. Departure From Egypt (chs. 1–15)
II. Journey to and Arrival at Mount Sinai (chs. 16–40).
A subdivision of Part II can easily be justified, since two basic activities are recounted in chapters 16–40: the giving of the law and the building of the tabernacle:
I. Departure From Egypt (chs. 1–15)
II. Mount Sinai: Law (chs. 16–24)
III. Mount Sinai: Tabernacle (chs. 25–40).
This three-point outline gives the broad contours of Exodus, but a bit more detail will perhaps provide a more useful presentation of the book’s contents.
I. Departure From Egypt (chs. 1–15)
A. Prelude (chs. 1–6)
B. Plagues (chs. 7–12)
C. Departure (chs. 13–15)
II. Mount Sinai: Law (chs. 16–24)
A. Journey to Sinai (chs. 16–18)
B. Ten Commandments (chs. 19–20)
C. The Book of the Covenant (chs. 21–24)
III. Mount Sinai: Tabernacle (chs. 25–40)
A. Instructions for the Tabernacle (chs. 25–31)
B. Rebellion and Forgiveness (chs. 32–34)
C. Building the Tabernacle (chs. 35–40)
Although imperfect and far from complete, this outline is a reliable guide to the main divisions and flow of Exodus. As such, it is perhaps a good, basic outline to memorize. A more detailed outline (and one that I trust does not suffer from too much detail!) follows below. The rough chapter divisions given above are helpful for the purpose of memorization. Below, however, chapter and verse divisions are given more precisely.
It should also be observed that this more detailed outline is a compromise of sorts. It is not an “ideal” outline. Rather, the way in which I have finally outlined the book reflects the needs of this commentary series. The most obvious tinkering with the structure of Exodus can be seen with respect to chapters 25–40. Specifically, the golden calf episode (chs. 32–34) is treated after the entire tabernacle section, not at the midway point as the book of Exodus actually presents it. Also the tabernacle section (chs. 25–31 and 35–40) is collapsed, with parallel passages treated together. This is to avoid tedious repetition in the commentary. A fuller explanation for this and other organizational matters is given at the appropriate junctures in the commentary itself.
I. Departure From Egypt (1:1–15:21)
A. Prelude (1:1–7:7)
1. Pharaoh’s Solution to a “Growing” Problem (1:1–22)
2. A Savior Is Born (2:1–10)
3. Moses Finds a New Home (2:11–25)
4. Moses Meets His Maker (3:1–4:17)
a. The Burning Bush (3:1–10)
b. Moses Doubts Himself: “Who Am I?” (3:11–12)
c. Moses Doubts His Reception: “What Is Your Name?” (3:13–22)
d. Moses Doubts His Reception: Three Signs Are Given (4:1–9)
e. Moses Doubts His Reception: “I Am Ineloquent” (4:10–12)
f. Moses Refuses God’s Call (4:13–17)
5. Moses Returns to Egypt (4:18–31)
6. Prelude to Disaster (5:1–7:7)
a. Plan “A” Backfires (5:1–21)
b. Moses Stays the Course and Is Reminded of His Pedigree (5:22–7:7)
B. Plagues 1–9: Prelude to Israel’s Release and Egypt’s Destruction (7:8–10:29)
1. Preview of the Plagues: The Snake (7:8–13)
2. The First Cycle (7:14–8:19)
a. Water to Blood (7:14–25)
b. Frogs (8:1–15)
c. Gnats (8:16–19)
3. The Second Cycle (8:20–9:12)
a. Flies (8:20–32)
b. On Livestock (9:1–7)
c. Boils (9:8–12)
4. The Third Cycle (9:13–10:29)
a. Hail (9:13–35)
b. Locusts (10:1–20)
c. Darkness (10:21–29)
C. Departure (11:1–15:21)
1. The Plague on the Firstborn and the Passover: Israel Is Released (11:1–13:16)
2. Crossing the Sea (13:17–14:31)
3. The Song at the Sea (15:1–21)
II. Mount Sinai: Law (15:22–24:18)
A. Journey to Sinai (15:22–18:27)
1. Rebellion in the Desert (15:22–17:7)
2. Defeat of the Amalekites (17:8–16)
3. Helpful Advice From an In-Law (18:1–27)
B. Arrival at Sinai and Moses’ First Trip up the Mountain (19:1–25)
C. Ten Commandments (20:1–21)
D. The Book of the Covenant (20:22–23:19)
1. Worship: Idols and Altars (20:22–26)
2. Social Responsibility (21:1–22:17)
a. Freedom and Servitude for Hebrew Slaves (21:1–11)
b. Humans Injuring Other Humans (21:12–27)
c. Various Injuries Involving Animals (21:28–36)
d. Concerning Matters of Property (22:1–17)
3. Worship and Social Responsibility (22:18–23:19)
a. Worship: Sorceresses, Bestiality, and False Sacrifices (22:18–20)
b. Social Responsibility: Oppression and Loans (22:21–28)
c. Worship: Offerings, Firstborn, Holiness (22:29–31)
d. Social Responsibility: Testimony in Court, an Enemy’s Animal, Oppression (23:1–9)
e. Worship: Sabbaths and Festivals (23:10–19)
E. A Final Warning Against the Worship of Other Gods (23:20–33)
F. The Covenant Is Signed and Sealed (24:1–18)
III. Mount Sinai: Tabernacle (25:1–40:38)
A. The Building of the Tabernacle (25:1–31:18; 35:1–40:33)
1. Offerings for the Tabernacle (25:1–9; 35:4–9)
2. Ark (25:10–22; 37:1–9)
3. Table (25:23–30; 37:10–16)
4. Lampstand (25:31–40; 37:17–24)
5. Tabernacle (26:1–37; 36:8–38)
6. Altar of Burnt Offering (27:1–8; 38:1–7)
7. Courtyard (27:9–19; 38:9–20)
8. Oil for the Lampstand (27:20–21)
9. Priestly Garments (28:1–43; 39:1–31)
10. Consecration of the Priests (29:1–46)
11. Altar of Incense (30:1–10; 37:25–28)
12. Atonement Money (30:11–16)
13. Basin for Washing (30:17–21; 38:8)
14. Anointing Oil and Incense (30:22–38; 37:29)
15. Bezalel and Oholiab (31:1–11; 35:30–36:7)
16. Sabbath (31:12–18; 35:1–3)
17. Collecting of Materials (35:10–29)
18. List of Materials Used (38:21–31)
19. Work Is Completed (39:32–43)
20. Tabernacle Is Set Up (40:1–33)
B. Rebellion and Forgiveness: The Golden Calf (32:1–34:35)
C. The Glory of the Lord Fills the Tabernacle (40:34–38)