DURATION OF THE SOJOURN IN EGYPT. Moses says the "sojourning" of the children in Israel was four hundred and thirty years (Ex., 12:40, 41), but he does not say they sojourned in Egypt all this time. Paul says that the law was four hundred and thirty years after the promise (Gal., 3:17). Both the Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch translate Ex., 12:40: "Now the sojourning of the children (Israel) and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt was four hundred and thirty years" Gen., 15:13 I regard as an expression in round numbers of the time that the Hebrews were to [21] dwell in a strange land. Bear in mind that the Hebrews were strangers in the land of Canaan as elsewhere, until they entered it under the leadership of Joshua. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were strangers in this land (Gen., 23:4-19; Acts, 7:5; Heb., 11:8,9). Abraham's seed, Isaac and Jacob, lived and died sojourners in strange lands (Gen., 26:17-32; 35:27-29; 46:1-5; 47:28). The Hebrews sojourned two hundred and fifteen years in Canaan and two hundred and fifteen years in Egypt. It was twenty-five years from Abraham's entrance into Canaan to the birth of Isaac (Gen., 12:4, 5; 21:5). It was sixty years from the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob (Gen., 25:26). It was one hundred and thirty years from Jacob's birth to his introduction to Pharaoh (Gen., 47:1-9). 25 + 60 + 130 = 215. It was two hundred and fifteen years from Abraham's entrance into Canaan to Jacob's introduction to Pharaoh. It was four hundred and thirty years from the promise to Abraham (Gen., 12:1-3) to the exodus or the giving of the law (Ex., 12:40, 41; Gal., 3:17). 430 - 215 = 215. It was, therefore, two hundred and fifteen years from Jacob's introduction to Pharaoh to the exodus.

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