Why Moses is named
The traditional answer is Moses. Exodus tells the story of his birth, his call at the burning bush, the rescue from Egypt, and God’s covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. More than the central character, Moses is presented as God’s appointed leader and spokesman throughout the book.
At Sinai, Moses wrote down the words the Lord had given him for the people. Later, God specifically instructed him to record the conflict with Amalek. These moments show that Moses did not merely speak God’s message, he put it into writing as well (Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:4).
And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
What Exodus itself tells us
Exodus does not open by saying, “Moses wrote this book”, in the way a modern title page might. Still, it repeatedly records Moses receiving God’s words, speaking them to Israel, and writing what God commanded. Near the end of the covenant instructions, the Lord again tells Moses to write the words connected with the covenant (Exodus 34:27).
That matters because Exodus is not simply a collection of inspiring memories. It presents itself as the account of God acting in history, delivering a people from slavery and making a covenant with them. Moses stands at the centre of that recorded testimony.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
How the rest of Scripture speaks
Later books of the Bible connect Moses with the written law given to Israel. After Israel’s wilderness years, Moses is described as writing the law and giving it to the priests and elders (Deuteronomy 31:9). This fits naturally with Exodus as part of the Torah, the name commonly used for the first five books of the Bible.
Jesus also spoke of Moses as a writer whose words pointed ahead to him. In a conversation with religious leaders, Jesus said that believing Moses would lead them to believe him too, because Moses wrote concerning him (John 5:46). Jesus later referred to the Law of Moses as part of the Scriptures that testified to him (Luke 24:44).
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
A helpful way to read Exodus
So, Christians have long received Exodus as a book written by Moses, under God’s direction. Some readers ask detailed questions about how ancient books were copied, arranged, or preserved over many generations. Those are fair questions, but they do not erase the Bible’s own strong link between Moses and the written law.
As you read Exodus, look beyond the question of authorship too. Notice what it reveals about God: he sees oppressed people, keeps his promises, judges evil, provides a way of rescue, and chooses to dwell among his people. The story begins in suffering and ends with God’s glory filling the tabernacle (Exodus 3:7-8; Exodus 40:34).