Significant Chronology: Exodus 12:40-41

The time children of Israel spent in Egypt

In order to find out how many years the children of Israel spent in Egypt, we have to involve the following time period from the bible.

Exodus 12:40,41 "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."

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.”

The sojourn of the children of Israel started when Abraham was 75 years old and ended the day they came out of Egypt. And that period is 430 years. We know Isaac was born to Abraham 25 years later, and Jacob was born to Isaac 60 years later and Jacob was 130 years when he entered the land of Egypt.

Taking away the above 3 periods from the 430-year period would leave the rest of the time the children of Israel spent in Egypt.

The time the children of Israel spent in Egypt = 430 - 25 - 60 - 130 = 215

COMMENT:

The common view held by some is that the children of Israel spent over 400 years in Egypt. This view is incorrect for the following reason:

Kohath, the grandfather of Moses, entered Egypt along with Jacob. Gen 46:5-7,11. Kohath begat Amram, and Amram begat Moses. The total years lived by Kohath and Amram were 133 and 137 respectively. Exo 6:18,20. And the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt when Moses was 80 years old.

Suppose Kohath was just born when he entered Egypt and begat Amram in the year of his death. Similarly, Amram begat Moses in the year of his death, the time the children of Israel spent in Egypt would still be significantly less than 430 years (133+137+80 = 350).

Therefore, based on the above contradiction, we can conclude that the sojourning of the children of Israel started when Abraham was called out, and lasted until the time the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt. “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” - Exo 12:40