Greek word · G1841

ἔξοδος

exodos

departure

Basic sense: a "way out" or "going out." That covers an exit or road out of a place, the departure of a person or army, the end of a period, and (as a softened way of saying it) the end of life. BDAG gives "departure" with the specific sense "death" for Luke 9:31 and 2 Pet 1:15.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἔξ-οδος, -ου, ὁ

(ὁδός), [in LXX chiefly for מוֹצָא also חוּץ, etc. ;]

a going out, departure: Hebrews 11:22; of death, Luke 9:31, 2 Peter 1:15.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Peter 1:15

Range of meaning

Basic sense: a "way out" or "going out." That covers an exit or road out of a place, the departure of a person or army, the end of a period, and (as a softened way of saying it) the end of life. BDAG gives "departure" with the specific sense "death" for Luke 9:31 and 2 Pet 1:15. It is used three times in the New Testament: Luke 9:31 (Jesus' death in Jerusalem), Hebrews 11:22 (the exodus of Israel from Egypt), and here.

Against the English

BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV and NASB have "departure," which keeps the picture of leaving. KJV "decease" (following the Vulgate's obitum) and NLT "after I am gone" give the plain fact of death but drop the picture of a journey out, along with any echo of the Exodus or the Transfiguration.

How it drifted

Latin obitus in the Vulgate, carried into KJV as "decease," made it a flat word for death. In modern English "decease" sounds clinical or legal, so the image of going out is lost entirely.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) names the second book of Moses Exodos. Wisdom of Solomon 3:2 says of the righteous dead, "their exodos was thought to be an affliction." Wisdom 7:6 says there is one entrance into life for all and a like exodos. Josephus uses the word when describing Moses' farewell at the end of his life (Antiquities 4.189). Irenaeus (around AD 180, Greek preserved in Eusebius, Church History 5.8.3) writes that "after the exodos" of Peter and Paul, Mark handed on Peter's preaching in writing.

From the study of Judith 1:4

Range of meaning

A going out, exit or departure. Also an outlet or way out, and in military use the marching out or sortie of troops. It can also be a euphemism for death (Luke 9:31; Wis 3:2).

Against the English

Translations say 'going forth' or 'go out'. English readers may hear 'Exodus' and think of Israel leaving Egypt, but nothing in this verse alludes to that.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint uses ἔξοδος for Israel's departure from Egypt (Exod 19:1), which gave the book of Exodus its Greek name. Elsewhere it is used for troops going out to war and for the 'goings out' of a person's daily life.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 9:31 ἔξοδον going out

    They appeared in glory and spoke about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 11:22 ἐξόδου exodus

    By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 1:15 ἔξοδον departure

    And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.

    Here: His death, described as a "going out" or exit. It is the name of the book of Exodus in the Greek Old Testament. It is also the word Luke uses for Jesus' coming death in the Transfiguration scene (Luke 9:31), and Peter goes on to describe the Transfiguration in vv. 16–18.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.