Topical Bible: Israel: Lived in Egypt for Four-Hundred and Thirty Years

◄ Israel: Lived in Egypt for Four-Hundred and Thirty Years ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt is a significant period in biblical history, marking a time of both prosperity and eventual enslavement. This era is encapsulated in the statement found in Exodus 12:40-41 : "Now the duration of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions went out of the land of Egypt."

Historical Context

The journey of the Israelites to Egypt began with Joseph, the son of Jacob (also called Israel), who was sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt under Pharaoh. During a severe famine, Jacob and his family moved to Egypt to be with Joseph, as recorded in Genesis 46. This migration marked the beginning of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt.

Duration of the Sojourn

The 430-year period mentioned in Exodus 12:40-41 has been a topic of discussion among scholars and theologians. This duration is understood to encompass the entire time from Jacob's descent into Egypt until the Exodus. The Apostle Paul also references this period in Galatians 3:17, indicating the time from the promise given to Abraham to the giving of the Law at Sinai.

Life in Egypt

Initially, the Israelites lived in the land of Goshen, where they prospered and multiplied greatly. Genesis 47:27 states, "Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number." However, as time passed, a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph and viewed the growing Israelite population as a threat. This led to their enslavement and harsh treatment, as described in Exodus 1:8-14.

Theological Significance

The period of 430 years in Egypt is significant in the biblical narrative as it sets the stage for the Exodus, a foundational event in Israel's history. This time of bondage and deliverance is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, symbolizing God's power to save and His faithfulness to His covenant promises. The Exodus is commemorated annually in the Jewish festival of Passover, which celebrates God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

Prophetic Fulfillment

The sojourn in Egypt and subsequent Exodus were foretold to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14 : "Then the LORD said to Abram, 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.'" This prophecy underscores the divine orchestration of Israel's history and God's sovereign plan for His people.

Cultural and Spiritual Impact

The experience in Egypt profoundly shaped the identity of the Israelites. It was during this time that they grew from a family into a nation. The hardships they endured and the miraculous deliverance they experienced became central to their understanding of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer. This period also laid the groundwork for the giving of the Law and the establishment of the covenant at Mount Sinai, which would define their relationship with God and their role as His chosen people.

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Exodus 12:40,41
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelled in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
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Genesis 15:13
And he said to Abram, Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
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Acts 7:6
And God spoke on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
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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 cancel, that it should make the promise of none effect.
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Library

The Pentateuch.
... heaven" doubtless included all the high hills where man lived, and which ... Moses:
"Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt, was four ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xix the pentateuch.htm

The Exodus
... jewels like Pilgrim's Progress, if he had not lived in Egypt ... of age, yet he was a
son of Israel, and out ... place, THE TIME WHEN THE ISRAELITES CAME OUT OF EGYPT. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the exodus.htm

The Rod that Troubled Egypt.
... the Lord, neither will I let Israel go ... all the land except Goshen where the Israelites
lived. ... seventy souls when they came into Egypt, four hundred and thirty ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xi the rod that.htm

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be ...
... old when he began to rule over Egypt (Genesis 4:1 ... Origen, who lived about one hundred
and eighty years after ... And God threatened to visit Israel for keeping the ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/ten reasons demonstrating the commandment.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... to the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, you will ... In his time, in the fifteenth year,
Israel was carried away ... And these are said to have lived after the age of ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... Of Thousands, And Rulers Of Hundreds, Who Lived Without Order ... King Of Syria And Pekah
King Of Israel, Made War ... And How Onias Built A Temple In Egypt Like To ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Concerning Rehoboam, and How God Inflicted Punishment Upon Him for ...
... The priests also that were in all Israel, and the ... But God sent Shishak, king of Egypt,
to punish them for ... Jeroboam, and he died when he had lived fifty-seven ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 concerning rehoboam and.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.
... accurate knowledge of the affairs of Egypt, Tyre, Syria ... Hoshea began to reign in
Israel (2 Kings 15:30 ... King Ahaz, according to one authority, lived twenty years ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm

Concluding Reflections. Faith and Criticism.
... them to pieces when he saw that the people of Israel worshipped the ... "I lived in times ...
as sacred books, in the churches of Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Italy, and ...
/.../section 102 concluding reflections faith.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... Passover is thus ordained: "The children of Israel shall keep ... land of Canaan, and
thenceforward Joseph lived in peace ... in reading "in the land of Egypt and in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm