Tag Archives: Exodus 1:1

Opening: Context and Verse This is the opening line of Sefer Shemot — Exodus — a threshold verse that ushers us into a new era in Israel’s story. It begins with a deceptively familiar formula: וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמֹות֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְרָ֑יְמָה אֵ֣ת יַעֲקֹ֔ב אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵיתֹ֖ו בָּֽאוּ׃ “And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, with Jacob — each man and his household entered.” (Exodus 1:1) The book opens not with drama or divine speech, but with a list — a catalog of names.… Learn Hebrew