Exodus (Exodus 12:31)

Picture description: The Israelites were free to leave.
Picture copyright: V. Gilbert and Arlisle F. Beers

meaning

An exodus now comes to mean an exit of a large group of people.

origin and application

The Israelites were put to hardship in the land of Egypt where they served as slaves. Concerned about their hardship, God struck the land of Egypt with plagues of different types in the hope that Pharoah would free the Israelites. But Pharoah’s heart was as hard as steel. As a last resort, God struck the firstborn of every Egyptian household during the Passover. In order to distinguish Israelite households from Egyptian, God asked them to put lamb’s blood on their doorframes so that their household would be spared from the plague. Seeing that all the firstborn in Egypt were struck down, Pharoah had no choice but to send the Israelites out of the country. The Israelites were finally free from the Egyptians, and left the country altogether.

example

An exodus of nurses will not compromise the hospital’s ability to cope with patients, says the health minister.