Shemot שְׁמוֹת

Shemot 1:1—6:1 · 124 verses · 13 of 54

A new king arises who did not know Yosef; the bondage begins and the midwives refuse to kill. Moshe is drawn from the river, grows up, kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian. At the bush that burns and is not consumed he is sent to Pharaoh—and the first demand makes the work heavier.

Read next on 2 January 2027, 22 January 2028. By the Israeli reading cycle.

People of the portion

Mosesprophet, leader of the Exodus, who received the Torah at Sinai2368–2488 AM · 120 years Aaronthe first High Priest, Moshe's elder brother2365–2487 AM · 122 years Jacobthe third patriarch, father of the twelve tribes, renamed Israel2108–2255 AM · 147 years Abrahamthe first patriarch, who made the one God known to the world1948–2123 AM · 175 years Isaacthe second patriarch, the only one who never left the Land of Israel2048–2228 AM · 180 years Josephson of Yaakov and Rachel, viceroy of Egypt2199–2309 AM · 110 years LeviYaakov's third son, ancestor of the priestly and Levite tribe2195–2332 AM · 137 years Jethroa Midianite priest, Moshe's father-in-law, an early convert

Egypt (Goshen) Exodus Mount Sinai Pesach Freedom of choice

Events of this portion

Echoes in the Prophets and history

These events themselves live in other books and other centuries; each is tied to this portion by the verse shown beside it: the early ones the portion recalls, in the later ones its word resounds:

2309 AMThe Death of Joseph and the Beginning of the Egyptian Bondage

The world at that time

The events of this portion fall in years 2362-2448 from Creation. Elsewhere in the world at that time:

How it is read

First	Shemot 1:1—1:17	17 verses
Second	Shemot 1:18—2:10	15 verses
Third	Shemot 2:11—2:25	15 verses
Fourth	Shemot 3:1—3:15	15 verses
Fifth	Shemot 3:16—4:17	24 verses
Sixth	Shemot 4:18—4:31	14 verses
Seventh	Shemot 5:1—6:1	24 verses
Maftir	Shemot 5:22—6:1	3 verses
Haftarah	Isaiah 27:6—28:13 on Sefaria	21 verses
Haftarah	Isaiah 29:22—29:23 on Sefaria	2 verses

The text

The English edition does not yet carry the text of the portion. The Hebrew with translation is on Sefaria; the Russian page of this portion carries the full text verse by verse — открыть по-русски →.