Length of Israel’s Sojourn in Egypt.
In Gen. 15: 13, we read that God said to Abraham, “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,” and in Ex. 12: 40, 41, we read that they did sojourn in Egypt four hundred and thirty years. Now what I want to know is, Does Gal. 3: 17, have reference to all the time from the covenant made with Abraham until the giving of the law at Mount Sinai; and, if so, how is it that there is no more than 430 years from the covenant until the law; for the covenant was made with Abraham, if I understand it right, 25 years before Isaac was born, and Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born, and Jacob was 130 years old when he went down into Egypt, making 215 years. Now if they sojourned in Egypt 430 years, would not that make 645 years from the time the covenant was made until they went out of Egypt? Or, how do you understand Gal. 3:17? P. W. B. ANSWER. In reply to the above queries, we would say that, chronologically, we do regard Gal. 3:17, as having reference to all the time from the covenant made with Abram to the giving of the law. But evidently P. W. B. misapprehends Ex. 12: 40. “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” These 430 years date from the time that Abram, to whom the promise was made, left his native land, and became a wanderer in the land of Canaan and Egypt. Gen. 12: 4, 5, 10. From that time to the entrance of Jacob into Egypt, was 215 years, as our correspondent has figured it up, and Jacob and his posterity continued in Egypt 215 years more, which, together, makes the round sum of 430 years. Any Bible which gives the chronology, will also show the same result. Thus, Abram went down into Canaan, after the Lord made the covenant with him B. C. 1921; Israel left Egypt B. C. 1491, which, deducted from the date of the promise, makes just 430 years. Dr. Clarke says the Samaritan Pentateuch reads, Ex. 12: 40, thus: “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan, and in the land of Egypt, was 430 years.” With this agrees the Septuagint, and also Paul, in Gal. 3:17. We will also add that the “four hundred years” of Gen. 15:13, probably date from the “mocking” of Isaac by Ishmael (Gen. 21:9), the son of the Egyptian woman. Paul, in Gal. 4:29, calls this persecution.