The Hebrew title of this book (we'elleh shemot) originated from the ancient practice of naming a Bible book after its first word or words. "Now these are the names of"is the translation of the first two Hebrew words.
"The Hebrew title of the Book of Exodus, therefore, was to remind us that Exodus is the sequel to Genesis and that one of its purposes is to continue the history of God's people as well as elaborate further on the great themes so nobly introduced in Genesis."1
Exodus cannot stand alone. It would not make much sense without Genesis. The very first word of the book, translated "now,"is a conjunction that means "and."
The English title "Exodus"is a transliteration of the Greek word exodosfrom the Septuagint translation meaning "exit,""way out,"or "departure."The Septuagint translators gave the book this title because of the major event in it, namely, the Israelites' departure from Egypt.
"The exodus is the most significant historical and theological event of the Old Testament . . ."2
