ISRAEL’S CAPTIVITY IN EGYPT
By W. P. Hendrickson
MANY believe the Bible teaches that Israel was in Egyptian bondage four hundred years, and for proof of this position we are cited to Gen. 15:13, which reads: “And He [the Lord] 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.” There are many ways in which one people may “afflict” another without making slaves of them. Let us see whether Israel was really in bondage four hundred years in Egypt. “Now the Lord 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 show thee. . . . So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; . . . and Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance . . . that they had gotten . . . in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan.” Gen. 12:4, 5. This was in the year 1921 B. C., as will appear by consulting chronology. We will pass over the history of Israel till the time that Jacob and his family went down to Egypt, in the year 1706 B. C., just two hundred and fifteen years after Abram left his “father’s house” (1921—1706 = 215). It is evident that Israel had not been in Egyptian bondage up to this time. “And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee; the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell. . . . And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, . . . as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread [“as a little child is nourished,” margin].” Gen. 47:5–12. By reading the whole chapter, it will be seen that Joseph did not so “nourish” the Egyptians. “Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh. . . . And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have a fifth part.” Verses 23–26. “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.” Verse 27. In this history, it does not appear that Israel was compelled to give money, to sell their stock or themselves, as were the Egyptians; for “Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession . . . in the best of the land, . . . as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren.” Verses 11, 12. Thus Israel dwelt in Egypt, being nourished through the years of famine; and Jacob, after being in Egypt seventeen years, died, in 1689 B. C. Gen. 49:33. Fifty-four years later “Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old.” Gen. 50:26. His death occurred in 1635 B. C., seventy-one years after his father went to Egypt (1706—1635 = 71). There are no signs of slavery yet. “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” Ex. 1:7. The terrible famine that had raged seven years had left the Egyptians in slavery to Pharaoh, while Israel had been “nourished” by Joseph, and given “a possession . . . in the best of the land.” But “now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” His jealous eye saw the “mighty” increase of Israel, and he reasoned that they were likely to become more powerful than the Egyptians, unless something was done to check their increase; so he said to his people: “Come on, let us deal wisely with them. . . . Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens: . . . And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with vigor: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, . . . and Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” Verses 8–22. How dreadful! how different from when “Joseph nourished them,” and when they were given “a possession” by the king, who welcomed them to the “best of the land.” Under the reign of this new king we see slavery established over Israel in all its horrors. This occurred in the year 1573 B. C., or three hundred and forty-eight years after Abram left his father’s house (1921—1573 = 348). Two years later Moses was born (Ex. 2:2); and in the year 1491 B. C. he led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt—just four hundred and thirty years after Abraham left his father’s house (1921—1491 = 430). “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.” Ex. 12:40, 41. As already noticed, the children of Israel were brought into bondage, or slavery, under the reign of the new king who knew not Joseph, in the year 1573 B. C., and they were led out of Egypt by Moses in 1491 B. C. It is plain, then, that they were in slavery only eighty-two years—from 1573–1491.