This bible commentary focuses on Exodus, one of the key books in the Old Testament, which features such colorful stories as the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the burning bush, and the giving of the Ten Commandments.

The commentary considers the ways in which Exodus has influenced and has been influenced by history, religion, politics, the arts, and other forms of culture in Jewish, Christian, and secular settings. The author traces the book’s various uses throughout the centuries, from Old Testament times, through the Patristic and Reformation periods, to the present day. He pays particular attention to how Exodus has served as a tool of liberation and tyranny, and to how it has helped to shape collective and personal identity. He also addresses uses of Exodus related to American and European history such as the Glorious Revolution, colonialism, the American Revolution, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans, and Native Americans, as well as uses by prominent and little-known historical figures.