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Exodus

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The departure of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, led by Moses; a foundational narrative of liberation in Judaism.

Detailed Definition
The Exodus is the archetypal story of liberation from oppression, guided by God toward a promised land. In poetry, it serves as a powerful metaphor for any journey from bondage to freedom, from darkness to light, from despair to hope. It can represent a personal spiritual awakening, a social justice struggle, or the soul's escape from the "Egypt" of ignorance and sin. The themes of wandering, testing, divine guidance, and covenantal promise make it a rich source of narrative and symbolic resonance.
Example
Example in poetry:
In biblical poetry, Exodus is liberation: “Walk through the sea—dry ground beneath your feet”; In African American spirituals, Exodus symbolizes freedom: “Let my people go—Pharaoh’s chains won’t hold us”; In modern refugee poetry, Exodus is ongoing: “We carry tents, not tablets—our Exodus has no map”; Poets link Exodus to inner journey: “My Exodus: from fear to faith, one step at a time.”
Additional Notes
Exodus is not just historical but archetypal—representing liberation from oppression (slavery, sin, ignorance); it structures spiritual autobiographies and civil rights rhetoric; poets use wilderness, pillar of fire, or parted sea as metaphors for guidance through personal or collective struggle toward promised freedom.
Other Meanings of “Exodus”
Also Known As
Departure Flight from Egypt
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