How does Acts 7:14 align with historical records of Joseph's family moving to Egypt? Text Under Consideration Acts 7:14 : “Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.” Apparent Difficulty Genesis 46:27; Exodus 1:5; Deuteronomy 10:22 (Hebrew Masoretic Text) total those who went down to Egypt as seventy. How can Stephen’s “seventy-five” be reconciled? Dual Ancient Textual Traditions 1. Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) – preserved through rabbinic custodianship, totals 70. 2. Greek Septuagint (LXX) – translated c. 250 BC for Greek-speaking Jews, totals 75. Stephen, a Greek-speaking Jew addressing a Hellenistic audience (Acts 6:1), cites the wording of the LXX, the Scripture version normally read in the synagogues of the Diaspora (cf. Philo, Life of Moses 2.25). How the Septuagint Arrives at 75 Genesis 46:20 (LXX) expands the list of Joseph’s offspring: • Manasseh: Machir • Machir’s son: Gilead • Ephraim: Shuthelah & Tahan • Shuthelah’s son: Eran The Hebrew MT omits these five male descendants. Adding them to the standard tally of 70 yields 75. Both lists are accurate—one shorter, one more detailed. Dead Sea Scroll and Samaritan Evidence 4QExod-Lev (a second-century BC Hebrew scroll) supports the MT’s 70, demonstrating that both figures circulated in Second-Temple Judaism. The Samaritan Pentateuch also retains 70. The coexistence of such variants shows no contradiction, only different genealogical granularity. Ancient Genealogical Counting Practices Ancient Near-Eastern family registers were fluid, frequently including or omitting grandsons, female members, and deceased sons (cf. the stylized Sumerian King List). The biblical text likewise legitimately abbreviates or amplifies its census lists according to purpose. • Genesis 46 counts the direct “persons of Jacob who came from his body” (46:26). • The LXX counts everyone “in Jacob’s house” currently living in Egypt, thus adding Joseph’s grandsons. Immediate Historical Context Ussher’s chronology places Jacob’s descent to Egypt at 1706 BC, during Egypt’s Second Intermediate Period. Archaeology at Tell el-Dabʿa/Avaris (Manfred Bietak, 1990-on) confirms a sudden influx of Northwest-Semitic families at that exact horizon, with pastoral wealth and Asiatic burial customs consistent with Genesis 46–47’s portrait of Jacob’s clan. External Corroborations • Four-room houses unearthed in Goshen match the architectural footprint typical of highland Canaan c. Middle Bronze II. • Ipuwer Papyrus (Leiden 344) describes famine, social upheaval, and Semitic servants gaining prominence—precisely the conditions Genesis 41–47 depicts. • An elite Syrian-style tomb (Tomb 1, Avaris) contains a multicolored coat statue fragment, a plausible memory-marker of Joseph’s status. Theological Harmony Scripture never claims the 70 and the 75 are the same list; rather, both complement: 70 = foundational family entering Egypt (promise line). 75 = fuller household reflecting God’s immediate fruitfulness to Joseph (“fruitful in the land of my affliction,” Genesis 41:52). Psalm 105:23 cites “Israel came into Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham,” echoing the broader household context. Practical Teaching Points 1. Biblical “discrepancies” often dissolve when manuscript traditions are rightly weighed (2 Timothy 2:15). 2. Apparent numerical tensions invite deeper textual study that exposes Scripture’s precision (Proverbs 25:2). 3. The harmony between Acts and Genesis buttresses trust in the Spirit-guided unity of both Testaments (John 10:35). Conclusion Acts 7:14 aligns perfectly with historical and textual data once both legitimate ancient enumerations are recognized. Stephen’s figure of seventy-five draws on the Septuagint’s extended genealogy, accurately reflecting Joseph’s larger household, while Genesis’ Hebrew total of seventy focuses on Jacob’s immediate offspring. Far from conflicting, the two records together present a complementary portrait that magnifies the providence of God in preserving the covenant family. |
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