How long were the Hebrews in Egypt?

How long were the Hebrews in Egypt?

 

Was it 400 or 430 years 350 years…or even 215?

Many people who attack the Bible claim that not only does the Bible state that the Israelites would be slaves in the land of Egypt for both 400 years and 430 years, this being a clear contradiction, but also that in actual fact according to the ages given in the scriptures the actual time that Israel was in Egypt could have been no more than a maximum of 350 years. All proving the Bible has errors and therefore cannot be the word of a perfect God. 

So what does the Bible actually state regarding the time the Israelites would be in slavery in Egypt?

God in the book of Genesis very clearly told Abraham that his seed would be in a land that was not theirs for 400 years.

Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (all scriptures from the KJV unless stated)

However in the book of Exodus we are told that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt for 430 years.

Exodus 12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
We are given these 2 same figures in the NT, firstly in the book of acts where Stephen declares that God stated 400 years as per the verse in Genesis

Acts 7:6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

But Paul later states that the law was given after 430 years as per the verse in Exodus.

Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot 
disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Did God get it wrong?

So it would seem that God got his years wrong he told Abraham 400 years but both Exodus and Galatians tell us it was actually 430 years. 
Some try to answer this by simply saying that God didn’t give an exact time he gave an approximation, the actual duration being 430 years but “rounded” down to 400. When God referred to 400 years he was not meaning a literal 400 years but thereabouts. Although this may be a “good enough” answer for some it clearly allows for “approximations” and for the word of God to simply “suffice” not really to be taken as 100%. I believe the Bible isn’t just “good enough” its inherent and perfect. There is always an answer even if we haven’t found what hat answer may be. When God stated 430 years and 400 years he meant 430 years and 400 years respectfully. There was no, in the ballpark of.
However it must also be noted that when we add up the dates in the Bible (which I will do later in this writing) we will see that it is an actual numerical impossibility for the Israelites to have been in Egypt for either 430 or 400 years, it could literally have been no more than 350 years maximum. 

Another problem

Oh dear we seem to have yet another problem here. Even before answering why the Bible states 430 and 400 years there seems to be a very clear problem with either date. I chose the word “seems” very carefully and very deliberately because that is exactly how it is. It would only seem to be a problem until we understand all the figures being stated. Before we deal with the actual time the Israelites were in Egypt which we will find is in fact 215 years let’s go back and deal with the discrepancy with the 430 and 400 years and actually the rest kind of resolves itself.

2 different numbers

The Bible clearly states these 2 different figures and the Bible gives the explanation for the use of these two figures. NEITHER of which refer to the time that Israel were in Egypt. 
It all comes down to how the text is read (and translated) against what the text ACTUALLY states. When it comes to the number given in Exodus most people read this as the children of Israel lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact if you read the verse in Bible versions such as the NIV and ESV that’s EXACTLY what it states.

Exodus 12:40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. NIV

Exodus 12:40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. ESV

 

However if we look at the text in the KJV it does not say that they lived in Egypt for 430 years.

 

Exodus 12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:40 does not say that they dwelt in Egypt 430 years but the time of the sojourn OF the the children of Israel, WHO dwelt in Egypt, was 430 years. The children of Israel who had dwelt in Egypt had sojourned for 430 years.They had been sojouring for 430 years when they came out of Egypt but the text does not say they had been IN Egypt for 430 years. To state that the verse says or translate it as they lived in Egypt for 430 years is an incorrect rendering of the text. 
Some people appeal to the Greek Septuagint to answer this supposed contradiction.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint states

Exodus 12:40 And the sojourning of the children of Israel, while they sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Chanaan, was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass after the four hundred and thirty years, all the forces of the Lord came forth out of the land of Egypt by night.

We see here that the verse has they sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Chanaan rather than just Egypt and so its claimed that this is the correct rendering of the verse as it explains that the sojourning was not meant to just include Egypt. 

While this actually does answer the contradiction correctly , I believe this was added at a later date in order to correct the supposed contradiction.  The Latin Vulgate and 2 Dead sea scrolls read as the Masoretic text. 

Exodus 12:40 habitatio autem filiorum Israhel qua manserant in Aegypto fuit quadringentorum triginta annorum

And the abode of the children of Israel that they made in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. Vulgate

Exodus 12:40 Now the time that the children of Israel lived in the land of Egypt was four hundred thirty years.
4Q14 Exodus^c  

50-25BC

Exodus 12:40  Now the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years. 2Q2 Exodus^a

1st Century BC-1st Century AD

The  Samaritan Pentateuch reads the same as the LXX

40Now the time that the children of Yishraʾel and their fathers dwelt in the land of Kaˈnan and
in the land of Miṣrem was four hundred and thirty years
Samaritan Pentateuch 

 

 

The Bible itself answers the supposed contradiction.
Paul adds some clarification. Paul stated that the 430 years had started with the promise to Abraham and not with the entering into Egypt.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

The law that was given 430 years after the promise given to Abraham. The law was given not long after Israel had left Egypt which was 430 years after God had made his promise to Abraham.
The promise was given to Abraham when he was 75 when he left his country, Haran and entered into Canaan.

Abraham given the promise

Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

And so began the sojourning in a land that wasn’t theirs. Abraham left his land and went into a land that wasn’t his. Jacob may have had his name changed to Israel and started the nation of Israel in the flesh but the nation of Israel started with Abraham and the promise. 
430 years does NOT refer to the time the Israelites were in Egypt .
But what about the 400 years of affliction as stated by God is that not a contradiction to the 430 years.

Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Acts 7:6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

Notice that in both of these verses God mentions Abraham’s seed. God is not referring directly to Abraham but his seed. Abraham’s seed started when Isaac was born. Although Abraham had a previous child, Ishmael with Hagar, Ishmael was not counted as his seed in terms of the promise. Ishmael was his seed but the seed of the flesh. It also does not say that they will be in bondage or serve them for 400 years only that they will be in bondage and serve them. It is the affliction/entreated evil that is stated as being for 400 years. It is very important to read what the verse actually states rather than what we have been told

God told Abraham that in Isaac his seed shall be called.

Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

So the 400 years of affliction did not start with Abraham unlike the 430 years of sojourning, but with Isaac, Abraham’s seed. There was a 30 year difference between the start of the sojourning and the start of the affliction of the seed.

Isaac was born 25 years after the promise was given to Abraham when Abraham was 100 old.

Genesis 21:5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Isaac the seed of the promise was mocked by Ishmael the seed of the flesh

Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking

Paul makes mention to this persecution of Isaac.

Galatians 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

We are told in the previous verse in Genesis that this mocking was on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Genesis 21:8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking

This was when Ishmael was cast out

Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

We are not given an actual time for when Isaac was weaned, however, if the age would be 5 then this persecution would have happened 30 years after the promise. 430 years from the promise to the exodus minus 30 years between the promise and the start of the persecution of the seed would be 400 years of persecution just as God had stated. 
Now some will say that 5 years is far too old for a child to be weaned. However, we have to remember this was thousands of years ago, long before the introduction of baby formula.
Jewish law allows for weaning of an infant up to 5 years of age. It is not uncommon, even if not the norm for children in today’s society to be weaned at the age of 5 and even beyond this. 
We are not told as to why Ishmael mocked Isaac..it is possible he did so because of the age of Isaac when he weaned.

We do know that Ishmael was 14 when Isaac was born 

Genesis 16:16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

If Isaac was indeed 5 years old when he was weaned and it most certainly would seem as such as this age would perfectly line up with the 400 years then Ishmael would have been 19 years old. 
So The 430 years started with the promise and the 400 years of affliction started when Ishmael mocked Isaac.
But neither of these figures can fit inside 4 generations as God told Abraham

Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Neither 430 or 400 years can be the length of time that Israel was in Egypt. 
What we we actually find is that the 430 years was in 2 parts. There were 215 years before Israel went into Egypt and then 215 years that Israel spent in Egypt.

Abraham was 75 when he received the promise and 100 when Isaac was born. 
Isaac was 60 when Jacob who became Israel was born

Genesis 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Jacob was 130 years old when he went down into Egypt. 

Genesis 47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

So if we add up 25 +60 + 130 we get 215. 215 years had passed since the promise when Israel went down into Egypt.

Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus wrote 
“They left Egypt in the month Xanthicus, on the fifteenth day of the lunar month; four hundred and thirty years after our forefather Abraham came into Canaan, but two hundred and fifteen years only after Jacob removed into Egypt
Antiquities of the Jews II 15-2

And there were 215 years after Israel went into Egypt until the exodus. 
Jacob/Israel goes to Egypt

Genesis 46:1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Genesis 46:8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. 9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.10 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 11 And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

We can see that one of the people who went down into Egypt with Jacob was Kohath

Genesis 46:11. Kohath had a son, Amram who was born in Egypt. Kohath lived 133 years. Genesis 6- 18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

Amram lived 137 years and was the father of Moses. Exodus 6- 20And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

Moses was 80 years old at the time of the exodus.

Exodus 7:7 And Moses wasfourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

So if we add up 133 – 137 and 80 we get 350 years. Even if Amram was born the year his father Kohath died and Amram died the year Moses was born the maximum amount of time in Egypt could only have been 350 years. Not 430 or 400 as some believe the text states.

Interestingly in the record of those who went down into Egypt only in the Genealogy of Moses and AAron only. The line of Levi are the ages given. 

Exodus 6:13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben. 15And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon. 16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years. 17The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. 18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years. 19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations. 20And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. 21 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites. 25 And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

However they were not slaves in Egypt for 215 years. 
They did not become slaves until after Joseph AND ALL THAT GENERATION died.

Exodus 1:6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. 7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

A new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph and the Israelites rose up.

Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 

We know that Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before the old Pharaoh having been given charge over all Egypt.

Genesis 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 
Genesis 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt

Then there was 7 years of abundance and 7 years of famine.

Genesis 41:53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

It was 2 years into this famine that Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt

Genesis 45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shallneither be earing nor harvest.

Pharoah invites all of Joseph’s family into Egypt which included his father Israel.

Genesis 45:16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

Israel accepts and goes into Egypt.

Genesis 45:28And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

So if we add 30 (the age Joseph was when he took charge of Egypt) then 7 for the 7 years of plenty and 2 years at the start of the famine when Israel came to Egypt we will see joseph was about 39 years old when Israel came into Egypt.

Joseph died when he was 110 years old

Genesis 50:26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. 

And as we know it wasn’t until after Joseph and his generation died that the new Pharaoh arose and the slavery started. 
So Israel had been in the Egypt for a minimum of 71 years before the slavery started . As the slavery started when ALL THAT GENERATION died it is highly unlikely that all the generation died in the same year as Joseph and so the minimum 71 years is likely to have actually been more. 
Israel entered into Egypt 215 years after the promise and left again 215 years later , a total of 430 years after the promise.

So Israel was actually in Egypt for 215 years. However, even if we take the minimum 71 years before the enslavement of Israel started Israel could only have been in actual slavery for a maximum of 144 years (215-71= 144).

We know that Moses was born when Israel was already in slavery and being afflicted by the Egyptians and Moses was 80 years old when the exodus took place. Therefor the slavery must have been a minimum of 80 years. Somewhere between the death of Joseph and the birth of Moses the Israelites found themselves in slavery. 
So the Israelites were slaves in Egypt between 144 maximum and 80 years minimum..

So 430 years is correct, 400 years is correct 215 years is also correct. However none of these figures refer to the length of time of slavery in Egypt.

There are no mistakes or contradictions in the Bible.( Man I love the Bible)

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