The Chronology now runs for 307 years from Abram entering the land of Canaan in 01 Can to the death of Levi in 307 Can. Unfortunately, neither the life years of Kohath nor Amram were useful in extending the Chronology because Scripture gives no birth year information for either of them. However, extending the Chronology is still possible because Scripture gives a summary total of years of 430 years. The question is does the 430 years refer to the time the children of Israel spent in Egypt OR to the time between Abram entering Canaan and the Exodus. Well, that depends. Exodus 12.40-41 translated from the Masoretic(1) text indicates that it refers to the time in Egypt.
And the time of the dwelling of the sons of Israel, which they dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it happened, from the end of four hundred and thirty years, it happened on this day, all the armies of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt. (Green)(2)
Exodus 12.40-41 translated from the Septuagint(3) includes a phrase not found in the Masoretic text indicating that it refers to the time the children of Israel spent in Egypt and in the land of Canaan.
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. | 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. (Brenton, Septuagint) (4)
I did my own translations from both the Masoretic text (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia)(5) and the Septuagint.
and the sojourning of the sons of Israel who dwelt in the land of Egypt ~ [was] 430 years # So it happened at [the] end of 430 years ~ it happened in that very day, [that] all the hosts of YHWH went out from the land of Egypt # (Exo. 12.40-41 - Masoretic, dmd translation) But the dwelling place of the sons of Israáyl, his dwelling in the land of Aigúptos and in the land of Chanaán, [is] 430 years. And it came to pass after the 430 years, it happened in that very day, [that] all the hosts of YHWH went out from the land of Aig úptos [by night] (Exo. 12:40-41 - Septuagint, dmd translation)
Below is a table comparing my two translations.
| Comparison of Exodus 12.40-41 | |
| Masoretic | Septuagint |
| and the sojourning of the sons of Yisrä@ël | But the dwelling place of the sons of Israáyl, |
| who dwelt in the land of Mitsräyim ~ | his dwelling in the land of Aigúptos |
| and in the land of Chanaán, | |
| [was] 430 years # | [is] 430 years |
| So it happened at [the] end of 430 years ~ | and it came to pass after the 430 years |
| it happened in that very day, | it happened in that very day, |
| [that] all the hosts of YHWH | [that] all the hosts of YHWH |
| went out from the land of Mitsräyim # | went out from the land of Mitsräyim |
| by night | |
Putting the two together:
and the sojourning of the sons of Israell who dwelt in the land of Egypt [and in the land of Canaan] ~ [was] 430 years # So it happened at [the] end of 430 years ~ it happened in that very day, all the hosts of YHWH went out from the land of Egypt [by night] # (Exo. 12.40-41, dmd translation)
This combination indicates that the 430 years includes the time the Hebrews were in Canaan and in Egypt. Other Evidence Is there any other evidence related to whether the 430 years refers to the time in Egypt or to the time in Canaan and Egypt? Yes, there is. In Galatians 3.17, Paul wrote:
But I am saying this, the law introduced 430 years later does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God [with reference to Christ], so as to nullify the promise [dmd translation].
Paul was talking about the Abrahamic covenant and the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. He cited 430 years between the two events. Actually, that is a rounding because the Friendship Covenant occurred 10 years after Abraham got to Canaan. Since the New Testament quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures are well attested as coming from the Septuagint,(6) it's likely Paul was also referring to Exodus 12.40 in the Septuagint text here. Now it is possible Paul had access to a first century Hebrew text that had not lost the phrase "and in the land of Canaan," but there is no way to know that. We do know the Septuagint provides the information of 430 years spent in Canaan and Egypt and the New Testament writers quoted from the Septuagint. So, that's a New Testament confirmation that the Septuagint did preserve a genuine phrase lost in the later Hebrew manuscripts used to form the Masoretic text. The Geneva Bible has another confirmation. The first edition of the Geneva Bible was translated by the English Reform scholars in exile in Switzerland in 1560. The Geneva Bible was the first ‘commentary’ Bible with its use of marginal notes. As such, it gives insight into how the Calvinist Bible scholars of the day understood Scripture. The Geneva Bible(7) has another confirmation. The first edition of the Geneva Bible was translated by the English Reform scholars in exile in Switzerland in 1560. The Geneva Bible was the first 'commentary' Bible with its use of marginal notes. As such, it gives insight into how the Calvinist Bible scholars of the day understood Scripture.
So the dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelled in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And when the four hundred and thirty years were expired, even the selfsame day departed all the hosts of the Lord out of the land of Egypt. (Exo. 12.40-41, Geneva)
Now, the Geneva Bible has a marginal note for Exodus 12.40-41:
"From Abraham's departing from Ur in Chaldea unto the departing of the children of Israel from Egypt are 430 years."
In addition, the Geneva Bible marginal note for Acts 7.6 (Stephan's defense before the Sanhedrin) speaks to both the 400 years in Genesis 15.13 and the 430 years in Exodus 12.40-41 and Galatians 3.17:
There are reckoned four hundred years, from the beginning of Abraham’s progeny, which was at the birth of Isaac and four hundred and thirty years which are spoken of by Paul, Gal 3.17, from the time that Abraham and his father departed together out of Ur of the Chaldeans.
So, the 16th century English Reform scholars understood the 430 years as referring to the time between Abraham and the Exodus. They start the 430 years count from when Abraham and Terach left Ur of the Chaldees instead of from when Abraham arrived in the land of Canaan. Since Scripture does not indicate how long Terach lived in Haran before he died, the English Reform scholars' count could technically work. However, Exodus 12.40 in the Septuagint states "the children of Israel spent 430 years in Egypt and in the land of Canaan." Nothing in either the Masoretic or Septuagint texts indicates the 430 year count includes the time spent in Haran. The 430 year count starting from when Abram arrived in Canaan seems the most logical deduction. But what about the 400 years in Genesis 15.13?
And He said to Abram, "Know for certain that your seed will be a sojourner in a land not theirs and they will serve them, and [by them] they will be oppressed ~ 400 years" # (Gen 15.13 - dmd)
Does this verse mean that Abraham's seed would be enslaved for 400 years? That's a common interpretation today, but does that interpretation hold up under examination? Researching this question required a closer look at the grammar of the original Hebrew. So, on to the next essay.
FOOTNOTES (1) The oldest Masoretic text dates from the 10th century A.D. Source: Wikipedia 'Masoretic Text' article is a nice summary with good documentation. A text used currently is: Elliger, K. and Rudolph, W., eds. Biblica Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. 1967/77, 1574p Return (2) Green, Jay P., sr. Holy Bible: KJ3 Literal Translation. Mulberry, IN: SGP Books. 2010, 1170p. Return (3) The Septuagint (LXX) is the second century B.C. Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which was authoritative Scripture for the first century Christians. Return (4) Brenton, Sir Lancelot C.L. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. London: Bagster & Sons. 1851 (2001, US: Hendrickson), 1138p, 248p. Return (5) Elliger, op. cit. Return (6) Bromiley, Geoffrey W., et.al. The International Standard Bible Encylopedia, vol. 4 (Q-Z);, revised 1956. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 1988, 'Septuagint,' pp.400 . Return (7) 1599 Geneva Bible. White Hall, WV: Tolle Lege Press. 2006, 1366p. Return [G] Great (are) the deeds of YHWH ~ <> [D] (They are) the ones sought with care by all delighting in them # <> [H] Majestic and splendid (are) His acts in history ~ <> [W] And His righteousness [tsëdëq] enduring to the continuing future # <> [Z] A remembrance [zëkher] He has made His marvels ~ <>
| I will remember the deeds of Yäh ~ | Surely I will meditate on Your wonders of old # |
| and I will ponder on all Your historical acts ~ | and on Your deeds I will muse # |
| @Élöhîm, in the holiness (is) Your way ~ | who (is) a great @ël like @Élöhîm? # |
| You, the @Él who does wonders ~ | You make known among the people Your strength # |
| You redeemed with strength Your people ~ | the sons of Jacob and Joseph Seläh # |
| Psalm 77.12H - 16H (dmd translation) |
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