Framework Revisions (Rewind)
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Exodus 1:1 ESV
The names – What is the name of this book in the Bible? If you read a Bible based on Christian traditions, the name will be “Exodus.” But if you read the Tanakh, the name of this book is shemot (“the names”). You may have known this (probably not), but have you ever asked why the name of the book was changed in Christian thought? You see, it isn’t a translation issue. The name of the book in Hebrew is not the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word exodus. In fact, this complete alteration in the name of the book is also true of Genesis (beresheet), Leviticus (va-yikra), Numbers (be-midbar) and Deuteronomy (devorim). And it is inaccurate to justify the change by claiming that we are only “translating” the first words of the Hebrew text. Even the Hebrew names are not always the first words (as is the case in beresheet). So, why were the names changed? Don’t point to the LXX either. The Greek translation of the Hebrew text follows the Hebrew. But the Christian tradition does not. Why not?
Imagine if I did this with well-known books from your culture. Imagine if I “translated” “Romeo and Juliet” and titled the play, “A Tragic Romance.” Or what if I changed “A Tale of Two Cities” to “A Case Study of Family Economics.” Would you read the work with the same understanding? Doesn’t the title set the framework for the meaning of the text? What is the difference between “The Names” and “Exodus”? What is the focal point of one title as opposed to the other? Isn’t the title “Exodus” focused on leaving Egypt while the title “Names” focuses on the continuity of the tribes? And when you read Exodus and discover that most of the book is not about leaving Egypt at all, does your perspective change in spite of the title, or does the title smother the rest of the text? If you are Hebrew/Jewish, what is more important: the continuity between the story of Abraham and the tribes of Israel whom God calls as His people, or the way God delivers Israel out of Egypt? If you’re Christian, what is more important: God’s triumph over Egypt (an allegory for the bondage of sin) or the connection between God’s covenant promise to Abraham and the actual Hebrews who received the Torah of Moses?
What if revising the titles of the books is a subtle form of anti-Semitism? What if Christians made up new titles because the old titles, which were perfectly good enough for Yeshua and Sha’ul, were Jewish and Christians needed a ChristianOld Testament? Have you ever considered that possibility?
There is no linguistic reason to change the names of the books of the Pentateuch. The change in the names comes from a shift in theology, not linguistics. That means the name change is intentional. The name change serves a theological purpose. What do you suppose that purpose really is?
Topical Index: names, Exodus, anti-Semitism, Exodus 1:1
