Characters in Exodus

Even though Moses is definitely the star, Exodus is full of other people, perhaps giving us some indication of what a vibrant and varied group the 'children of Israel' (Ex 11: 10) were at this stage. At a quick glance, here's who appears in the account:

women
- Hebrew midwives (Ex 1:15-22)
- a daughter of Levi (Ex 2:1) - Moses' mother
- Moses' sister (Ex 2:4)
- the daughter of Pharaoh and her maidens
- 7 daughters of the priest of Midian (Ex 2:16)
- Zipporah (one of the daughters) (Ex 2:21) - Moses' wife
- every woman and daughters (Ex 3:22)
- a Canaanitish woman (Ex 6:15)
- Jochebed (Ex 6:20) - Amram's wife (Moses and Aaron's mother)
- Elisheba (Ex 6:23) - Aaron's wife
- one of the daughters of Putiel (Ex 6:25) - Aaron's son Eleazar's wife
- our daughters (Ex 10:9)
- Miriam the prophetess (Ex 16:20) - Moses' sister
- wives (Ex 19:16)
- mothers (Ex 20:12)
- neighbour's wife...and maidservant (Ex 20:17)
- wives and daughters (Ex 21)
- widow (Ex 2: 21)
- everyone whose heart stirred him up...both men and women (Ex 35:21-22)
- women that were wise-hearted (Ex 35:25)
- every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work (Ex 35:29)

men
- Jacob's descendants, including Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph - (Ex 1:1-6)
- a new king over Egypt ([Pharaoh], which knew not Joseph (Ex 1:8-22)
- a man of the house of Levi (Ex 2:1)
- baby Moses (Ex 2:2-10); - the man Moses (Ex 2:11 onward)
- an Egyptian fighting a Hebrew (Ex 2:11-12)
- two Hebrew men fighting (Ex 2:13-14)
- the priest of Midian* (Ex 2:15) - named Reuel here (Ex 2:18)
- shepherds (Ex 2:17)
- Moses' son, Gershom (Ex 2:22); sons (Ex 4:20); sons Gershom & Eliezer (Ex 18:3-6)
- Jethro* - [Moses'] father in law (Ex 3:1; Ex 4:18; Ex 18:1-24)
- mention of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Ex 3:6)
- a new Pharaoh (Ex 2: 23 and Ex 3:10)
- Aaron (Ex 4:27-30; Ex 5:1 etc)
- the officers of the children of Israel (Ex 5:15, 19)
- the descendants of Jacob's sons (Ex 6:14-25) - became a great army (Ex 6:26)
- Pharaoh's servants (Ex 7:10)
- Pharaoh's wise men and sorcerers and magicians (Ex 7:11, 22; Ex 8:7 etc)
- 600,000 men on foot (Ex 12:37)
- servants (Ex 12:44)
- Amalek (Ex 17:8-14)
- Joshua and Hur (Ex 17:10-13; Ex 24:13-14)
- father (Ex 20:12)
- manservant (Ex 20:17)
- judges (Ex 21:6)
- Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar - Aaron's sons (Ex 28: 1 onward; also Ex 38:21)
- Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur (Ex 31:2)
- Joshua the son of Nun (Ex 33:11)
- wise-hearted men eg. Bezaleel and Aholiab (Ex 36:1,2; Ex 38: 23)
- Ahisamach the engraver and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen (Ex 38:23)

What lessons can we learn from this book? Mary Baker Eddy wrote: "Of old the children of Israel were saved by patient waiting" (Retrospection and Introspection 79:25). Perhaps that's an area of investigation worth undertaking as we delve more deeply into Exodus.

Julie Swannell