ἔξοδος
éxodos
G1841 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Departure, the act of going out or leaving a place; in specific contexts, refers to a significant departure such as the Israelite exodus from Egypt, or metaphorically, to death as a departure from life. In the New Testament, used both of literal departures and as a euphemism for death.
Semantic Range
exit, departure, going out, exodus (as a specific event), death (as a departure from life), journey from a place, the act of leaving
Root / Etymology
From ἐκ (out of) + ὁδός (way, road); literally, 'a way out' or 'exit.' Directly formed from these two elements in Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ἔξοδος primarily denoted the act of going out, a journey out, or an exit—used in various contexts such as a military expedition leaving a city, processions, or general departure. The Septuagint adopts ἔξοδος (most notably as the title of the book 'Exodus') to describe the Israelite departure from Egypt, which becomes a foundational narrative. In the New Testament, ἔξοδος acquires a metaphorical meaning referring to death or the end of one's life journey, as seen in Luke 9:31 (the transfiguration, referring to Jesus' forthcoming 'departure') and 2 Peter 1:15 (referring to death), reflecting a broader semantic range than the English word 'exit.' Standard translations sometimes render it as 'departure,' 'decease,' or sometimes specifically as 'Exodus.' The figurative usage as death is a development within Jewish Hellenistic literature and the New Testament and is not automatically implied in earlier Greek. Its use for death connotes not cessation but transition or passage, in keeping with metaphorical use of journeying language for dying. It bears a more formal or elevated tone than colloquial terms for death. Contrasts with terms like μετάβασις (change, crossing over) or θάνατος (death), which may indicate more general or direct concepts of death.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐκ and ὁδός; an exit, i.e. (figuratively) death:--decease, departing.
Root Family
ἔξοδος (exodos) — exit, departure, going out, way out, exodus
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1841-01 |
ἔξοδον | exodon | N ACC F SG |
departure | a departure | 2 |
G1841-02 |
ἐξόδου | exodou | N GEN F SG |
of departure | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1841-01 |
Luke 9:31 | ἔξοδον | exodon | N ACC F SG |
departure | a departure |
G1841-02 |
Hebrews 11:22 | ἐξόδου | exodou | N GEN F SG |
of departure | |
G1841-01 |
2 Peter 1:15 | ἔξοδον | exodon | N ACC F SG |
departure | a departure |