The Samaritan Pentateuch reads, "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their fathers in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt, was 430 years." The Alexandrine copy of the LXX has the same reading; and the same statement is made by the apostle Paul, in "Andª thisª I say,ª° [that] the covenant,ª that was confirmed beforeª° ofª Godª inª Christ,ª the¹ law,ª which wasª° four hundredª andª thirtyª yearsª after,ª cannot² disannul,ª°¹ that² it should make²° the promise² of none effect.ª°¹¹" {Gal 3:17}, who reckons from the promise made to Abraham to the giving of the law. That these three witnesses have the truth, the chronology itself proves; for it is evident that the descendants of Israel did not dwell 430 years in Egypt; while it is equally evident, that the period from Abraham's entry into Canaan to the Exodus, is exactly that number. Thus, from Abraham's entrance into the promised land to the birth of Isaac, was 25 years; Isaac was 60 at the birth of Jacob; Jacob was 130 at his going into Egypt; where he and his children continued 215 years more; making in the whole 430 years. See Kennicott's Dissertation on the Hebrew Text. |
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