Duration of the Egyptian Exile/2

The Duration of the Egyptian Exile

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Faced with the apparent contradictions between the explicit verses which speak of 400 or 430 years and the upper limit of 350 years derived from Moshe’s genealogy, different commentators chose to take some verses at face value while reinterpreting others. This yields a full spectrum of approaches regarding the total number of years the Israelites spent in Egypt.

Shadal and the Hoil Moshe maintain that the Children of Israel were in Egypt for the full 430 years. They propose that Moshe's genealogy omits several generations and includes only the more prominent personalities. Others view Moshe's genealogy as a full listing and therefore suggest that the nation was in Egypt for much less than 430 years. To do so, they reread the verses which speak of 430 or 400, suggesting that this time span does not begin with the descent to Egypt but with some other event such as Avraham's journey to Israel, the Covenant of the Pieces, or the birth of Yitzchak. Depending on which of these approaches is chosen, the Children of Israel might have been in Egypt anywhere between 210 and 240 years. There is also a compromise approach which suggests that though the original plan was for a full 400 year exile in Egypt, Hashem changed his mind and shortened the stay.¹

Full 430 Years

The Israelites lived in Egypt for a full 430 years.

Sources:RashbaNew Responsa #367About Rashba,² ShadalShemot 6:20About Shadal agreeing with I.B. Koppe,³ Hoil MosheBereshit 15:16Shemot 6:18Yehoshua 7:1About Hoil Moshe.⁴

Crux of the position – Shadal and the Hoil Moshe maintain that the Israelites were in Egypt for a full 430 years. To do so, they must posit that Moshe's genealogy in Shemot 6 omits several generations and includes only the more prominent personalities.

430 years in Egypt – This position reads the verses in Shemot 12:40-41 literally, and thus maintains that the Israelites really were in Egypt for a full 430 years.

Moshe's paternal lineage – Shadal and the Hoil Moshe need to offer a novel interpretation of Shemot 6, maintaining that Moshe's genealogy omits several generations and includes only the more prominent personalities.⁵ Thus it, too, covers a period of 430 years.⁶

Moshe's maternal lineage – The Torah records that Yocheved was Levi's "daughter born to him in Egypt" ("‏בַּת־לֵוִי אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי בְּמִצְרָיִם") and Amram's aunt ("דֹּדָתוֹ"‎).⁷ If so, Yocheved would need to have lived at least from the year of Levi's death until Moshe's birth, which would make her at least 256 years old when she gave birth to Moshe. Thus, in order to sustain his position, the Hoil Moshe is forced to interpret "בַּת־לֵוִי אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי" as "a woman born to the tribe of Levi," rather than as a biological daughter of Levi himself.⁸ According to this, Yocheved could still be Amram's aunt, or, alternatively, "דֹּדָתוֹ" could be explained as a relative or cousin.⁹

"וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (Bereshit 15:16) – The Hoil Moshe Bereshit 15:16 explains that "generation" here doesn’t mean a literal generation, but rather the lifespan of an important personality which can extend over several generations.

400 in Bereshit vs. 430 in Shemot – The Hoil Moshe Bereshit 15:16 suggests that 400 is merely used as a round number approximating the more precise tally of 430 years spent in Egypt.¹⁰ According to this approach, the prophecy in Bereshit 15 is intended only to be a general foretelling of the future (rather than a precise historical account), and thus both the exact duration and location of the exile are not provided.¹¹

Number of Levites – Shadal and the Hoil Moshe point out that in Shemot 6 only twenty Kehatite descendants are mentioned, while in the second year in the wilderness, Kehat's male descendants numbered 8,600 (see Bemidbar 3:28). As it is impossible that Kehat's descendants multiplied 430 fold in a mere two years, this demonstrates that Shemot 6 cannot be a complete genealogy.¹²

Israelite population growth – Shadal notes that having a full 430 years in Egypt also more easily explains the nation's growth to 600,000 men. See Fertility Rate for other options.

Biblical genealogies – There are several other instances of characters from the generation of the Exodus whose lineages are traced back to their original tribes but only have a couple of names of ancestors listed in the interim.¹³ As two or three generations cannot span 430 years, the Hoil Moshe¹⁴ suggests that in all of these cases the ancestors named are not the character's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, but rather his household (בית אב‎), family (משפחה‎) and tribe (שבט‎).¹⁵

Duration of the slavery – Theoretically, this approach could posit that the Israelites were enslaved for over 300 years. However, the Hoil Moshe maintains that the harsh decrees spanned only the reign of the two kings mentioned in Sefer Shemot, or a period of about a hundred years.¹⁶

Change in Plans

The Israelites were supposed to be in Egypt for a full 400-430 years, but Hashem shortened their stay.

Sources:Rabbi (Yehuda) in the Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelBo 14About the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Pesikta DeRav KahanaHaChodesh 5:7About Pesikta DeRav Kahana, TanchumaMasei 7About the Tanchuma, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer47About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer.

Crux of the position – This approach resolves the discrepancy between four generations and 430/400 years by suggesting that there was a change in the Divine plan. Although Hashem originally decreed a longer exile in Egypt, He later shortened the stay to 210 years.

400 year period – Rabbi Yehuda in the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael notes that the figure of 400 years is inconsistent with the promise of a return of the fourth generation.¹⁷ He thus suggests that the verses are presenting two possibilities, a fast track and a slow track. If Avraham's descendants repent, then already the fourth generation will be redeemed, but if not, there will be a full 400 years.¹⁸ Similarly, the Pesikta and Tanchuma say that Hashem hastened the redemption by shortening the 400 year decree to 210 years.¹⁹

Hashem changing his mind – Tanchuma brings this case as a proof for the principle that Hashem sometimes rescinds a negative decree but never retracts a positive decree. See, however, the exact opposite positions of Ramban and Abarbanel below, who suggest that Hashem lengthened the slavery because of the nation's bad deeds. For more, see Change of Heart.

430 year period – The Midrashic motif of Hashem hastening the redemption would appear to be applicable only to the 400 year prophecy and not to the 430 figure which is part of an after the fact summation.²⁰ However, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer attempts to apply it to the 430 number as well. He suggests that Hashem doubled the 215 years spent in Egypt²¹ by counting both the days and nights, thus arriving at the 430 year total.

Only 210 years in Egypt – According to Rabbi Yehuda in the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Hashem could have shortened the 400 year period by any amount, and there is no evidence for specifically a 210 year stint.²² However, the Pesikta and Tanchuma specify that Hashem reduced the decree to 210 years. They are likely influenced by the position of Seder Olam Rabbah below.²³

Israelite population growth – The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael,²⁴ Pesikta,²⁵ and Tanchuma²⁶ all explain that the growth was supernatural. See Fertility Rate for more.

Never 430 Years

The Israelites were never supposed to be in Egypt for a full 400-430 years, and the verses which speak of a 400 or 430 year stay need to be reinterpreted as counting, not from the descent to Egypt, but rather from a different starting point.²⁷ This option subdivides regarding the point from which the 430 years are counted:²⁸

430 Years From Avraham's Aliyah

The 430 years are counted from the time when Avraham began his journey to the land of Israel. There are two variations of this possibility:

Departure at Age 70

The 430 year count begins when Avraham originally departed Ur Kasdim at the age of 70.²⁹

Sources:R. SaadiaCommentary Bereshit 15:13Emunot VeDeiot 8:4About R. Saadia, Ibn EzraShort Commentary Shemot 12:40Long Commentary Shemot 12:40About Ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 12:40About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambamShemot 12:40About R. Avraham b. HaRambam,³⁰ R. Yosef ibn KaspiShemot 12:40About Ibn Kaspi.³¹

Crux of the position – This approach suggests that the 430 year count begins when Avraham departed Ur Kasdim at the age of 70 while the 400 years is counted from the birth of Yitzchak (the beginning of the sojourn of Avraham's "seed"). The exile in Egypt, then, lasted 210 years.

Only 210 years in Egypt – According to these commentators, 220 of the 430 years preceded the descent to Egypt,³² and the Israelites were in Egypt itself for less than half of the 430 total. R. Saadia and others explain that the maximum total of the years listed in the genealogy of Shemot 6 leaves no choice other than to say that the 430 includes years spent outside of Egypt. However, the exact figure of 210 years, although widely known, is not based on any explicit Biblical text.³³

430 year period – "וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Shemot 12:40) – This verse can be reconciled with the above approach in three different ways:

• Reinterpreting two of its terms – R. Saadia adopts this method. Thus he suggests that "בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" can refer also to the Israelites' ancestors such as Avraham,³⁴ and that "בְּמִצְרָיִם" encompasses not only Egypt proper, but all lands which were under Egyptian dominion.³⁵ These broader definitions then allow him to explain that the 430 figure includes also the years from the time that the Patriarchs lived in Canaan and Haran (as those lands were then under Egyptian control).³⁶
• Assuming that the verse is giving only the central facts and not the full details – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor thus explains that the verse mentions only the stay in Egypt because that was the main part of the exile.³⁷
• Separating the 430 figure from the rest of the verse – R. Avraham b. HaRambam suggests that the verse is merely saying that the Israelites were in Egypt until the end of the 430 year Patriarchal era which began with Avraham.³⁸

400 year period – "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Bereshit 15:13) – R. Saadia explains that 400 years is the sum total for all of the events described in the verse (including "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם"), and does not refer exclusively to the slavery itself ("וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם")‎.³⁹ In addition, this approach needs to maintain that "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" includes Canaan.⁴⁰

430 in Shemot vs. 400 in Bereshit – R. Saadia explains that while the 430 years in Shemot 12:40-41 start with Avraham's own journey, the 400 years in Bereshit 15:13 begin only with the birth of Yitzchak thirty years later, as this verse specifies "זַרְעֲךָ".

Additional unsubstantiated assumptions – For this approach to be viable, it must assume that Avraham was 70 years old when he left Ur Kasdim (together with Terach).⁴¹ R. Saadia notes, however, that this age is not explicit in the Biblical text.⁴²

"וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (Bereshit 15:16) and Biblical genealogies – According to this approach, the Israelites were in Egypt for only 210 years, a period short enough to be covered by four generations. Similarly, the lineages of Moshe and other characters in the Torah are complete and do not omit any generations, and the fourth generation in fact returned to the land of Israel.⁴³ Moshe's maternal lineage, however, poses a greater challenge – see discussion below of Seder Olam Rabbah's position.

Duration of the slavery – As Shemot 1:6 implies that the entire generation of Yosef and his brothers died before the oppression began, we must deduct the 94 years Levi lived in Egypt from the 210 year total. This leaves a maximum of 116 years of slavery.⁴⁴

Arrival at Age 75

The 430 year count begins when Avraham arrived in the land of Canaan at age 75.⁴⁵

Sources:Demetrius the ChronographerPraeparatio Evangelica 21About Demetrius,⁴⁶ JosephusAntiquities 2:15:2About Josephus.⁴⁷

Crux of the position – Demetrius and Josephus propose that the 430 year count begins when Avraham arrived in the land of Canaan at age 75, and they apparently view the 400 as merely a round number. The nation was thus in Egypt for a total of 215 years.

215 years in Egypt – According to this position, 215 of the 430 years transpired before the descent to Egypt,⁴⁸ and the Israelites were in Egypt itself for exactly half of the 430 years.⁴⁹

430 year period – "וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Shemot 12:40) – Demetrius and Josephus utilized the text of the Septuagint which reads "in the land, Egypt, and in the land of Chanaan."⁵⁰ The version of the LXX they were using may also have read "they and their fathers" like Codex Alexandrinus.⁵¹

400 year period – "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Bereshit 15:13) – According to this position, the 400 figure is an approximation⁵² of the 405 years Avraham's descendants sojourned in Canaan and Egypt before the Exodus.⁵³

430 in Shemot vs. 400 in Bereshit – The 430 years include Avraham's own years in Canaan, while the 400 figure is a round number which approximates the 405 years from the birth of Yitzchak (as this verse specifies "זַרְעֲךָ").

"וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (Bereshit 15:16) and Biblical genealogies – The 215 years in Egypt is a period short enough to be covered by four generations, and Demetrius provides a reconstructed chronology of Moshe's ancestors.⁵⁴ Demetrius⁵⁵ also presents Yocheved as Amram's cousin, rather than aunt. Inserting an extra generation between Yocheved and Levi significantly reduces their requisite average age at childbirth, and thus obviates the chronological difficulty presented by Moshe's maternal lineage.

430 Years From Covenant

The 430 years are counted from the Covenant of the Pieces (ברית בין הבתרים). This possibility further subdivides regarding when the Covenant took place:

Covenant at Age 70

The Covenant of the Pieces (ברית בין הבתרים) occurred when Avraham was 70 years old.⁵⁶

Sources:Pseudo-PhiloBiblical Antiquities 8:14Biblical Antiquities 9:4About Pseudo-Philo,⁵⁷ Seder Olam RabbahCh. 1Ch. 3About Seder Olam Rabbah, Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelBo 14About the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Mekhilta DeRashbiShemot 12:40About Mekhilta DeRashbi, Targum Pseudo-JonathanShemot 12:40-41About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Beraita of 32 MiddotMiddah 32About Beraita of 32 Middot, R. Shemuel b. Chofni GaonBereshit 35:27Bereshit 41:1Bereshit 46:8About R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, R. Yonah ibn JanachSefer HaRikmah Sha'ar 28About Ibn Janach, RashiBereshit 15:13Shemot 6:18-20Shemot 12:40Megillah 9aAbout Rashi, RashbamShemot 12:40-41About Rashbam, and many others.

Crux of the position – This approach suggests that the 430 years began with the Covenant which happened when Avraham was 70 years old. It thus needs to rearrange the chronology of Sefer Bereshit and also assume either that the Covenant took place outside of Israel or that Avraham came to Israel only to leave and return again. The 400 years are counted from the birth of Yitzchak. This leaves 210 years for the sojourn in Egypt.

Only 210 years in Egypt – According to this position, 220 of the 430 years preceded the descent to Egypt,⁵⁸ and the Israelites were in Egypt itself for less than half of the 430 total. Seder Olam and the Mekhilta DeRashbi explain that the maximum total of the years listed in the genealogy of Shemot 6 leaves no option but to say that the 430 includes years spent outside of Egypt. However, the exact figure of 210 years, although widely known, is not based on any explicit Biblical text.⁵⁹

430 year period – "וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Shemot 12:40) – The sources taking this position can explain this verse in three different ways:⁶⁰

• Reinterpreting "בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" to refer also to the Israelites' ancestors such as Avraham⁶¹ and "בְּמִצְרָיִם" to encompass not only Egypt proper, but all lands which were under Egyptian dominion⁶² – This appears to be the option adopted by the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael and Mekhilta DeRashbi.
• Reading the 430 year figure as describing the duration of the Patriarchal period, whose endpoint coincided with the Exodus – R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon,⁶³ R. Yonah ibn Janach.⁶⁴
• Assuming that the verse is giving only the central facts and not the full details – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor thus explains that the verse mentions only the stay in Egypt because that was the main part of the exile.⁶⁵

400 year period – "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Bereshit 15:13) – Seder Olam Rabbah explains that 400 years is the sum total for all of the events described in the verse (including "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם") which began with the birth of Yitzchak, long before the start of the slavery itself ("וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם")‎.⁶⁶ In addition, this approach needs to maintain that "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" includes Canaan.⁶⁷

430 in Shemot vs. 400 in Bereshit – While the 430 years in Shemot 12:40-41 include Avraham himself, the 400 years in Bereshit 15:13 begin only with the birth of Yitzchak thirty years later, as this verse specifies "זַרְעֲךָ".

Additional unsubstantiated assumptions – In order to maintain that the Covenant of the Pieces occurred when Avraham was 70 years old, this approach must make two very far reaching claims:⁶⁸

• Achronology – As the events of Bereshit 12-14 and the first part of Bereshit 15 proceed sequentially from when Avraham was 75 years old, the story of the Covenant of the Pieces in Bereshit 15:7-21 cannot be in chronological order and is not a continuation of the first part of Bereshit 15.⁶⁹
• Setting – Since according to Bereshit 12:4-5 Avraham arrived in Israel only after he was 75, one must posit either that the Covenant of the Pieces took place outside of Israel before Avraham came to Israel⁷⁰ or that Avraham had made an earlier pilot trip to Israel before he was 70, left,⁷¹ and then returned at 75.⁷²

"וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (Bereshit 15:16) and Biblical genealogies – According to this approach, four generations would suffice to cover the 210 years, and the lineages of Moshe and other characters in the Torah are complete and do not omit any generations.⁷³ Moshe's maternal lineage, however, is more difficult, especially according to Seder Olam Rabbah 9 which says that Yocheved was already alive when Yaakov's family arrived in Egypt.⁷⁴ This would make her 130 years old when she gave birth to Moshe, 80 years before the Exodus.⁷⁵ Alternatively, Yocheved could have been born at some point after the Israelites arrived in Egypt. Either way, though, the sum of Levi's and Yocheved's ages at childbirth must total 173.⁷⁶

Duration of the slavery – Seder Olam Rabbah derives from Shemot 1:6 that the entire generation of Yosef and his brothers died before the Israelites were enslaved. It thus deducts the 94 years Levi lived in Egypt from the 210 year total and gives 116 as the maximum number of years of slavery. It also says that the slavery lasted no less than the 86/87 year age of Miryam at the Exodus.⁷⁷

Israelite population growth – The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael⁷⁸ and Rashi Shemot 1:7 explain that the growth was supernatural. See Fertility Rate for more.

Covenant at Age 80

The Covenant of the Pieces (ברית בין הבתרים) occurred when Avraham was 80 years old.

Sources:RambanBereshit 15:13Bereshit 46:15Shemot 12:40Sefer HaMitzvot, Root 1About Ramban's preferred option.⁷⁹

Crux of the position – Ramban suggests that the 430 years began with the Covenant which occurred when Avraham was 80, midway between the ages mentioned in the surrounding chapters. This leaves 220 years for the actual sojourn in Egypt. To reconcile the discrepancy between 400 and 430, Ramban suggests that the original plan included 400 years of wandering but an additional 30 were added later due to the sins of the nation.

220 years in Egypt – The Torah does not give us Avraham's age at the time of the Covenant of Pieces, and thus Ramban estimates it at ~80, or midway between Avraham's recorded ages of 75 and 85-86 in the neighboring chapters.⁸⁰ According to this, 210 of the 430 years preceded the descent to Egypt,⁸¹ leaving 220 years for the stay in Egypt.⁸²

430 year period – "וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Shemot 12:40) – Ramban offers two possible understandings of this verse in two different works:

• In his Commentary on the Torah, Ramban suggests that the verse is an elliptical construction and should be read as if the word "עַד" precedes the 430 years. Thus, he interprets the 430 as referring to the aforementioned period specified to Avraham at the Covenant of the Pieces,⁸³ rather than to the time spent in Egypt.⁸⁴
• In his Critique of the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot, Ramban posits that the verse is speaking generally about the majority of the 430 years, which was in fact spent in Egypt.⁸⁵ Ramban also adds that the 430 year period began with Avraham's first exile from Canaan. Assuming that Ramban is referring to Avraham's descent to Egypt,⁸⁶ the 430 years would then be bookended by two exiles to Egypt.

400 year period – "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Bereshit 15:13) – Ramban is forced to make several assumptions in attempting to read this verse according to his approach:

• Ramban explains that the verse is a מקרא מסורס and "אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" is a dangling modifier which refers back to "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם", rather than to the immediately preceding words of "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם"‎.⁸⁷
• Ramban maintains that the 400 years incorporate the years of Avraham himself from the time of the Covenant,⁸⁸ in spite of the fact that the verse specifies "זַרְעֲךָ"‎.⁸⁹
• Ramban must argue that "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" includes Canaan.⁹⁰

430 in Shemot vs. 400 in Bereshit – Ramban presents two possible ways of reconciling the two numbers:

• The verses in Bereshit should be understood as saying that following the 400 years, there will be an additional period of thirty years until the Amorites are fully deserving of punishment and the Israelites will return to the land.
• The verse in Bereshit describes the original plan which called for only 400 years of wandering and oppression. Ultimately, however, their exile was prolonged by thirty years as a penalty for bad behavior,⁹¹ and thus Shemot speaks of 430 years.⁹²

"וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (Bereshit 15:16) and Biblical genealogies – Ramban Bereshit 15:16 explains that the fourth generation refers to the Amorites.⁹³ In his commentary to Bereshit 46:15 he dismisses the difficulty arising from the advanced age at which children are born to Levi and/or Yocheved, noting that Tanakh is replete with miracles⁹⁴ and that nature was different at that time.⁹⁵

Covenant at Age 85

The Covenant of the Pieces (ברית בין הבתרים) occurred when Avraham was 85 years old.

Sources:RalbagMilot Bereshit 15:13Sippur Bereshit 15:13Shemot 2:1Shemot 12:40About Ralbag.⁹⁶

Crux of the position – According to Ralbag, the 430 years began with the Covenant of the Pieces which took place when Avraham was 85 years old, the age recorded in the very next chapter. The 400 years begin from the birth of Yaakov. In order to reconcile this number with the 430 which began 75 years earlier, Ralbag must suggest that Hashem decided to shorten this original decree by 45 years, leaving 225 years for the Egyptian exile.

225 years in Egypt – Ralbag assumes that Avraham was 85 at the time of the Covenant of Pieces,⁹⁷ as this is his age in the following chapter.⁹⁸ According to this, 205 of the 430 years preceded the descent to Egypt,⁹⁹ leaving 225 years for the stay in Egypt.

430 year period – "וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Shemot 12:40) – Ralbag interprets like Ramban¹⁰⁰ that the verse is an elliptical construction and should be read as if the word "עַד" precedes the 430 years. Thus, the 430 years refer to the period specified to Avraham at the Covenant of the Pieces, rather than to the time actually spent in Egypt.

400 year period – "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Bereshit 15:13) – Ralbag makes three assumptions in explaining this verse:

• Ralbag says that "זַרְעֲךָ" refers to Yaakov and the 400 years are counted from his birth, as Yaakov spent much of his life wandering and was the first to dwell in Egypt on a permanent basis.¹⁰¹
• Ralbag suggests that this verse is also slightly elliptical, and is saying that the bondage will last until the end of the 400 year period which began with the birth of Yaakov.¹⁰²
• Ralbag says that ultimately Hashem shortened the 400 year decree by 45 years.¹⁰³ This allows him to reconcile it with the 430 count which began 75 years earlier.¹⁰⁴

430 in Shemot vs. 400 in Bereshit – Ralbag does not explain why the 400 years begins only with the birth of Yaakov, while the 430 years starts already at the Covenant of the Pieces.¹⁰⁵

"וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (Bereshit 15:16) and Biblical genealogies – Ralbag Shemot 2:1 suggests that Yocheved was born at the very end of Levi's life, which according to him was 87 years after the descent to Egypt¹⁰⁶ and 138 years before the Exodus. This would make Yocheved only 58 when she gave birth to Moshe.

430 Years From Yitzchak's Birth

The 430 years are counted from the birth of Yitzchak, when Avraham was 100 years old.

Sources: Jubilees16:1348:1About Jubilees,¹⁰⁷ R. ChananelIn R. Bachya Shemot 12:40About R. Chananel b. Chushiel,¹⁰⁸ an option mentioned by both RambanShemot 12:40About Ramban and RalbagMilot Bereshit 15:13About Ralbag, AbarbanelBereshit 15:12-15Shemot 12:21-41About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, Keli YekarShemot 12:40About R. Shelomo Ephraim Luntschitz.

Crux of the position – This approach counts the 430 years from the birth of Yitzchak, according to which the actual stay in Egypt was 240 years. Abarbanel explains that the 400 years is either a round number or, like Ramban above, that 30 years were later added due to the nation's sins.

240 years in Egypt – As Yitzchak was born 190 years before the descent to Egypt,¹⁰⁹ 240 years remain for the actual stay in Egypt.

430 year period – "וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Shemot 12:40) – Abarbanel reads this verse as if there was an extra word "עִם" preceding "אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם", meaning that the 430 years is a total for the entire Patriarchal period and not just the time in Egypt.

400 year period – "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" (Bereshit 15:13) – Abarbanel explains that the 400 figure is the sum total for all of the events described in the verse (including "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם"), and does not refer exclusively to the slavery itself ("וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם")‎.¹¹⁰

430 in Shemot vs. 400 in Bereshit – Abarbanel adopts Ramban's theory that the original 400 year decree was extended to 430 years because of the Children of Israel's sins. For the ramifications of this theory, see the links in the discussion of the Ramban above.¹¹¹ Abarbanel also suggests that the 400 years may simply be a round number.¹¹²

Duration of the slavery – According to Jubilees 46, the oppression began after the deaths of Yosef and all of his brothers, and thus lasted 147 years. Abarbanel opts for a lower figure of 86 years for the most severe stage of the oppression (וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם)‎.¹¹³

¹ The analysis below will first categorize the approaches by how they attempt to resolve the primary contradiction between the total of 400-430 years and the small number of generations until Moshe. [The methods used are: adding generations, subtracting years from the Egypt portion, or postulating that the plan changed.] It will then discuss how they reconcile the secondary discrepancy between the 400 and 430 figures themselves.

² After first discussing the 210 year position found in Chazal, Rashba writes: "כל שכן לכשתלך אחר פשוטי הכתובים שהיתה עמידתם במצרים ת״ל שנה, כמו שכתוב ומושב בני ישראל אשר ישבו במצרים שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה". See also Scholion of Megillat Taanit regarding 25 Sivan and Bavli Sanhedrin 91a where Geviha b. Pesisa claims backpay for a full 430 years of slavery. In contrast, the parallel account in Bereshit Rabbah 61:7 speaks of 210 years. For more see Reparations and Despoiling Egypt.

³ Shadal also cites Isaak Markus Jost as maintaining this position. However, there is a fundamental difference between them regarding how to understand Shemot 6 – see below.

⁴ Two similar options are mentioned by the RambamIggeret Teiman Ch. 3About Rambam, in the context of his discussion of the impossibility of predicting when the ultimate redemption will happen. Rambam notes that while the Israelites were in Egypt there were also conflicting predictions as to when the Exodus was supposed to occur and as to how to interpret the prophecy of Bereshit 15:13. According to the Rambam's reconstruction, two of the theories proposed at that time were that the 400 years should be counted either from the descent to Egypt or from the start of the slavery (which the Rambam places at 70 years after the descent). Since for the Rambam these possibilities were contemplated only while the Israelites were still in Egypt (and were proven false when the Exodus took place 400 years after the birth of Yitzchak), they could not have accounted for the later verses in Shemot 12:40-41 which mention the figure of 430 years.

⁵ Cf. Rashbam Shemot 6:18 who posits that the genealogies mention only characters who appear in stories in the Torah, and see also Rashba in the first part of his responsum: "יש לנו להשיב ולומר שלא כל התולדות אשר היו להם זכר הכתוב רק מקצת מהם או מקצת מן הנזכרים, ואף על פי שהיו להם או למקצתם בנים אחרים רבים מאלה, אלא שלא זכר כאן רק אותם שהיה הצורך מביא לזכרם, מפני שאלה היו ראשי בית אבות למשפחותיהם והאחרים בלבד יקראו על שמם".

⁶ While Shadal (and the Hoil Moshe) understand the numbers of the years recorded for Levi, Kehat, and Amram as the literal lengths of their lives, Jost (cited by Shadal) attempts to explain these numbers as the duration of the periods their families remained as a tribal unit before subdividing. This allows him to add all of these numbers together and arrive at a sum close to 430. Jost's reading, however, is a difficult if not impossible rendering of the verses.

⁷ See Shemot 2:1, 6:20, and Bemidbar 26:59.

⁸ The Hoil Moshe acknowledges the difficulty in his interpretation. The problem lies not so much in rendering "בַּת" as a descendant – see אב for similar cases, but rather in the "אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי בְּמִצְרָיִם" which appears to indicate that Yocheved was an actual child of Levi himself, born to him after his descent to Egypt.

⁹ As per the readings of the LXX, Peshitta, and Neofiti Shemot 6:20, and Demetrius (see discussion below for his reconstruction of Moshe's genealogy). [Cf. the similar case in Yirmeyahu 32:12, and see Radak there.] This position is also found in Karaite commentaries – see the comments of Yefet b. Eli and an additional Karaite interpreter published by M. Zucker, על תרגום רס"ג לתורה (New York, 1959): 489,493. The Karaites are explicitly motivated by a desire to show that the laws of the Torah are immutable and that Amram did not violate the later recorded prohibition of marrying an aunt. For elaboration, see Avot and Mitzvot.

¹⁰ See below for the alternative that 30 years were added because of the Israelites' sins. An additional theoretical possibility might be that the Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years, but were only oppressed for 400 years, but this would need to maintain that the oppression began thirteen years after Yaakov's death (i.e. thirty years after he and his family descended to Egypt) and while Yosef was still alive.

¹¹ The verse uses the vaguers "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" rather than specifying Egypt.

¹² While Shadal and the Hoil Moshe want to prove from here that there were additional unmentioned generations, others might argue that there were only additional unmentioned descendants but not extra generations. Cf. Rashbam Shemot 6:18 and Rashba (New Responsa #367) cited in the note above.

¹³ Besides the Levite family in Shemot 6 which includes Moshe and Aharon, Korach, Mishael and Eltzafan, see also Chur (Divrei HaYamim I 2:3-20), Nachshon (Rut 4:18-20), Datan and Aviram (Bemidbar 26:6-9), Zelaphchad (Bemidbar 26:28-33, 27:1), and Akhan (Yehoshua 7:18). However, see Yehoshua's genealogy (Divrei HaYamim 7:20-27) where nine generations are listed.

¹⁴ See his commentaries on Shemot 6:18, Bemidbar 1:20, 16:1, 26:6.

¹⁵ Cf. Yehoshua 7:14 where the population is organized by tribe, family, household, and individuals. The Hoil Moshe also cites the example of Mordechai's lineage in Esther 2:8, and the comments of the Talmud Bavli Megillah 12b.

¹⁶ For more on the Hoil Moshe's historical reconstruction, see Melekh Chadash and Egyptian Chronology.

¹⁷ Cf. Seder Olam Rabbah below which counts the 400 years from Yitzchak, but the four generations from those who descended to Egypt. Rabbi Yehuda's approach attempts to avoid this inconsistency.

¹⁸ Rabbi Yehuda's statement leaves ambiguous the questions of whether they repented, by how many years repentance could have shortened the 400 years, and from when the 400 was being counted. The simplest reading (which would correlate with the Pesikta and Tanchuma) is that the Israelites' prayers and repentance shortened the possible 400 years of slavery in Egypt to 210 years or four generations. However, it is also possible that Rabbi Yehuda thinks that the Israelites did not repent and thus spent a full 400 years in Egypt. See Religious Identity in Egypt for a discussion of the Israelites' conduct in Egypt. Or, alternatively, he may hold that the 400 years were counted from the birth of Yitzchak (like the preceding section of the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael) and since they did not repent they spent 210 years in Egypt (while had they repented it would have been even less than this).

¹⁹ See Midrash Aggadah (Buber)Shemot 4:24About Midrash Aggadah (Buber) which depicts Moshe as wondering if it is time for the redemption when 400 years had not yet passed (see Mystery at the Malon). In the Midrash, Hashem responds that Yosef had already prophesied that the duration of the exile would be shortened by the 190 years of the numerical value of the word "פקוד". [Note, though, that in almost all textual witnesses of Bereshit 50:24, the word is written without a "ו".]

²⁰ This is why the earlier sources (Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Pesikta, and Tanchuma) utilize the motif only in connection with the 400 years.

²¹ Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer gets to 215 by first taking the 400 from the birth of Yitzchak and subtracting the 190 years from his birth until the descent to Egypt. This leaves 210 years in Egypt (like Seder Olam Rabbah below). He then adds to this the five years in which Menashe and Ephraim were already alive before the rest of Yaakov's family came to Egypt. See below for the possible influence of the position of Demetrius-Josephus on Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer.

²² Indeed, see the note above that from Rabbi Yehuda's words in the Mekhilta, it is not even clear that Hashem did abbreviate the period.

²³ See also Rashi Shir HaShirimShir HaShirim 2:10-11About Rashi who synthesizes the approach of the Mekhilta with that of Seder Olam Rabbah below. Rashi explains that Hashem didn't simply reduce the 400 year period, but rather changed its starting point by reinterpreting the verse to begin from the birth of Yitzchak (as per Seder Olam Rabbah).

²⁴ Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Bo 12.

²⁵ Pesikta DeRav Kahana 11.

²⁶ Tanchuma Shemot 5

²⁷ To some extent, the verse of Bereshit 15:13 poses less of a problem than the verses in Shemot 12:40-41, as it is vaguer – which land is not specified, the 400 is perhaps only a round number and not a precise figure, and the verse contains more possibilities for what the number is describing. [This is why the Rabbinic tradition about the emendation of the translators of the Torah into Greek appears only with regard to the verses in Shemot.] On the other hand, see below that the contrast to Bereshit 15:15-16 would appear to eliminate the option that 15:13 speaks of Avraham himself or of the land of Canaan.

²⁸ The categorization below is organized by how the approaches interpreted the 430 figure. However, some of the positions may have first established the starting point for the 400 number, and then worked backwards to explain the 430. See J. Heinemann, "210 Years of Egyptian Exile," JJS 22 (1971): 19-30 who attempts to reconstruct the historical development of the various Midrashic motifs.

²⁹ This position first established the birth of Yitzchak as the starting point for the 400 number and then worked backwards to find an event which could have happened thirty years earlier in order to explain the 430 figure.

³⁰ See, however, his commentary to Bereshit 41:1 where (following R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon) he explains like Seder Olam Rabbah.

³¹ See also SefornoShemot 12:40About R. Ovadyah Seforno who combines this option with the position of Seder Olam Rabbah below, and see RadakBereshit 15:13About Radak.

³² These additional 220 years include: 30 years of Avraham (before Yitzchak was born) + 60 years of Yitzchak (before Yaakov was born) + 130 years of Yaakov (before he went down to Egypt).

³³ It is rather calculated by subtracting the 190 years between the birth of Yitzchak and the descent to Egypt from the 400 year total found in Bereshit 15:13. Thus, see below that any position which counts the 400 years from something other than the birth of Yitzchak will come out with a different number of years in Egypt.

³⁴ See similarly Bereshit Rabbah63:3About Bereshit Rabbah, and cf. Samaritan Pentateuch which reads "בני ישראל ואבותם" in the verse itself (Codex Alexandrinus of the LXX reads similarly, as noted already by Shadal).

³⁵ Cf. the Samaritan Pentateuch on Shemot 12:40 which reads "בארץ כנען ובארץ מצרים" and the LXX which translates similarly (just in reverse order), and Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Bo 14 and numerous other rabbinic sources which attribute this emendation to the seventy elders who translated the Torah into Greek. For more on the textual versions, see Shemot 12.

³⁶ Ancient Near Eastern documents from the Biblical period do, in fact, describe the political and military dependence of Canaanite kings on Egyptian rulers.

³⁷ Cf. Ramban in his Critique of the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvotRoot 1About Ramban.

³⁸ In order to do this, R. Avraham b. HaRambam needs to assume that the words "עד סוף" are understood, and the verse reads as if it said "ומושב בני ישראל אשר ישבו במצרים עד סוף שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה". It thereby becomes parallel to the immediately following verse: "וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיְהִי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יָצְאוּ כָּל צִבְאוֹת ה' מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם". Cf. R. Shemuel b. Chofni GaonBereshit 41:1Bereshit 46:8About R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon and R. Yonah ibn JanachSefer HaRikmah Sha'ar 28About Ibn Janach cited below as well as RambanShemot 12:40About Ramban's comparisons to Devarim 2:14 and Daniel 12:12.

³⁹ See Seder Olam Rabbah below which explains similarly. Alternatively, see R. Yosef Kara, Ramban, and Shadal who suggest that "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם" is a parenthetical comment, and that "אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" modifies only "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם". R. Yosef Kara adduces support for this from the cantillations which divide the verse through the placement of an אתנחתא on "אֹתָם" (rather than on "לָהֶם"), thus separating the "אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" from "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם".

⁴⁰ Cf. Rashi Bereshit 15:13. A difficulty with this interpretation is that the words "יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" in Bereshit 15:16 refer to the land of Canaan and would thus seem to imply that the phrase "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" denotes lands other Canaan. Additionally, "וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם" in Bereshit 15:15 appears to imply that years from Avraham's lifetime are not included in the 400.

⁴¹ A text from Qumran, 4Q252, also gives Avraham's age as 70 and has him residing for five years in Haran. It is likely that 4Q252 is also motivated by the same consideration of trying to find a starting point for the 430 year count.

⁴² R. Saadia's point of departure seems to have been the 400 figure. Once he established that the 400 years began with the birth of Yitzchak when Avraham was 100, he needed to work backwards to find an event that could be dated to when Avraham was 70 in order to satisfactorily explain the 430 verse.

⁴³ See the fragment of R. Saadia's commentary on Bereshit 15:16 (published in Arabic but not translated).

⁴⁴ R. Saadia reduces this further and estimates a total of 80 years of bondage, but the text of his commentary is fragmentary, and it is hard to reconstruct his thought process.

⁴⁵ This position most likely developed from an attempt to match the 430 figure with a Biblically recorded event. The explanation of the 400 is likely secondary.

⁴⁶ Eusebius' citation of Demetrius does not explicitly address the number 430. It does, however, note that there were 215 years from the time Avraham came to Canaan until Yaakov and his family went down to Egypt. Additionally, it constructs a detailed chronology of the generations of Levites who lived in Egypt which similarly tallies 215 years (17 years of Levi in Egypt before Kehat was born + 40 years of Kehat before Amram was born + 78 years of Amram before Moshe was born + 80 years of Moshe until the Exodus). In doing so (presumably in order to reach the magic number of 430), Demetrius has Kehat born in Egypt (which contradicts the simple reading of Bereshit 46:11).

⁴⁷ From Antiquities 8:3:1 it is also clear that Josephus thinks the entire 430 years were not spent in Egypt, except that here he implies that there were only 428 years between Avraham arriving in Canaan and the Exodus. In contrast, in Antiquities 1:10:3 and 2:9:1, Josephus seems to suggest that a full four hundred years was spent in Egypt itself. R. D"Z HoffmannShemot 12:40About R. D"Z Hoffmann also suggests that the 430 years could be counted from the time Avraham arrived in the land of Canaan, but he does not elaborate further.

⁴⁸ The breakdown of the 215 years spent in Canaan is: 25 years of Avraham (before Yitzchak was born) + 60 years of Yitzchak (before Yaakov was born) + 130 years of Yaakov (before he went down to Egypt).

⁴⁹ See below for the possible influence of the LXX on this even division. Cf. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer47About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer which first counts 400 years from the birth of Yitzchak. Then, after subtracting the 190 years from his birth until the descent to Egypt to obtain 210 years in Egypt, it adds the five earlier years of Menashe and Ephraim's lives to arrive at a total of 215 years. It is unclear whether Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer was influenced by the earlier 215 year tradition. See About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and see above for further analysis of his motivation.

⁵⁰ It was thus natural for them to divide the 430 year period into two equal halves (cf. the Samaritan midrash Memar Marqah). Another possible option would have been to view the 430 years as framed by Avraham's brief exile to Egypt when he was 75 (or soon after he arrived in Canaan) and the later much lengthier exile to Egypt of his descendants. This is not what Demetrius and Josephus had in mind, as they make no mention of Avraham's descent to Egypt, but this is a possible reading of Ramban in his Critique of the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvotRoot 1About Ramban ("מעת גלות אברהם מארץ כנען בפעם הראשונה").

⁵¹ Cf. the text of the Samaritan Pentateuch "ומושב בני ישראל ואבותם". Alternatively, they could have interpreted like R. Saadia above.

⁵² The 400 years cannot be a precise number dating from the birth of Yitzchak, as according to this view, he was born only 25 years after the 430 count began.

⁵³ See R. Saadia above and R. Yosef Kara below for two options in understanding the construction of the verse.

⁵⁴ Demetrius (in contrast to the Biblical text) has Kehat being born in Egypt when Levi was 60 years old, 17 years after the Israelites arrived. Kehat then fathered Amram at 40, and Amram fathered Moshe at 78. Thus, according to Demetrius, the fourth generation born after the descent to Egypt (Kehat, Amram, Moshe, Moshe's sons) returns to the land of Israel.

⁵⁵ Following the LXX – see discussion in the note above.

⁵⁶ It is likely that this position first established the birth of Yitzchak as the starting point for the 400 number and then dated the Covenant to thirty years earlier in order to account for the 430 figure.

⁵⁷ Pseudo-Philo does not explicitly mention the number 430, but he says that the Israelites were in Egypt for 210 years and that God spoke to Avraham 220 years before they came to Egypt.

⁵⁸ These additional 220 years include: 30 years of Avraham (before Yitzchak was born) + 60 years of Yitzchak (before Yaakov was born) + 130 years of Yaakov (before he went down to Egypt).

⁵⁹ It is rather calculated by subtracting the 190 years between the birth of Yitzchak and the descent to Egypt from the 400 year total found in Bereshit 15:13. [A later tradition in Bereshit Rabbah91:2About Bereshit Rabbah finds a hint to the 210 years in the numerical value (גימטריא) of the word "רְדוּ".]

⁶⁰ There are also two much more radical options:

a) Targum Pseudo-JonathanShemot 12:40-41About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan separates the 30 from the 400, and thereby explains the 30 as referring to Sabbatical cycles (7 × 30 = 210) and the 400 as the years from the birth of Yitzchak.

b) Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer47About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer recasts the 430 as a doubling of the 215 year period in Egypt for which God counted both the days and the nights in order to hasten the redemption. To enable this explanation, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer needs to include the 5 years of Menashe and Ephraim's lives which immediately precede the 210 years (in which all of the Israelites were in Egypt).

⁶¹ See similarly the Samaritan Pentateuch, Codex Alexandrinus of the LXX, Bereshit Rabbah, and R. Saadia cited above.

⁶² Cf. the Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, and R. Saadia noted above.

⁶³ However, in his commentary on Bereshit 46:8 he appears to explain like the first possibility

⁶⁴ Cf. R. Avraham b. HaRambam and the use of the word "מִקֵּץ" in Shemot 12:41 cited above, as well as RambanShemot 12:40About Ramban's comparisons to Devarim 2:14 and Daniel 12:12 cited below.

⁶⁵ Cf. Ramban in his Critique of the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvotRoot 1About Ramban.

⁶⁶ See also R. Yudan in Bereshit Rabbah44About Bereshit Rabbah and R. Saadia cited above who explain similarly. Alternatively, see R. Yosef Kara, Ramban, and Shadal who suggest that "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם" is a parenthetical comment, and that "אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" modifies only "גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם". R. Yosef Kara adduces support for this from the cantillations which divide the verse through the placement of an אתנחתא on "אֹתָם" (rather than on "לָהֶם"), thus separating the "אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה" from "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם".

⁶⁷ Cf. Rashi Bereshit 15:13. A difficulty with this interpretation is that the words "יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" in Bereshit 15:16 refer to the land of Canaan and would thus seem to imply that the phrase "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" denotes lands other Canaan. Additionally, "וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם" in Bereshit 15:15 appears to imply that years from Avraham's lifetime are not included in the 400.

⁶⁸ See Covenant of the Pieces for further discussion.

⁶⁹ One difficulty with this theory is that the text gives no hint that it is going backwards in time. Additionally, the language of "וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו" at the beginning of the Covenant of the Pieces appears to indicate that this story continues from where the preceding narrative left off. Were it an opening of a separate story, one would have expected the standard opening formula of ויאמר ה' אל אברהם to identify the participants in the conversation. Not all Rabbinic sources adopt the chronology of Seder Olam Rabbah – see Tanchuma Buber Chayyei Sarah 6 that he was 48, and see Bereshit Rabbah46:2About Bereshit Rabbah that he was 85. See Covenant of the Pieces, and for more on the general issue, see Chronology.

⁷⁰ See Chizkuni Bereshit 15:7 that this possibility would appear to be contradicted by the words "הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת"‎ (15:7,18). However, R. Yaacov Medan in an article in מוסף השבת, מקור ראשון, פרשת לך לך תש"ע attempts to develop this option. According to him the words "הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת" and "הֵנָּה"‎ (15:16) refer to the land Avraham is viewing (Cf. Devarim 34:4).

⁷¹ See Ran in his commentary to Bereshit 12:5 that Avraham went back to pack up his "lift."

⁷² Seder Olam Rabbah 1 takes this option. See also the opinions in Bavli Avodah Zarah 9a and Tosafot s.v. "וגמירי" (see also Tosafot Shabbat 10b s.v. "ושל") that Avraham was 52 when he came to Israel, and Tanchuma Buber Chayyei Sarah 6 that he was 48 at the time of the Covenant. RalbagMilot Bereshit 15:13About Ralbag argues against Seder Olam Rabbah and rejects the possibility that Avraham would have left the land of Israel without adequate reason (cf. Ramban Bereshit 12:10). For further discussion, see Avraham's Aliyah and Covenant of the Pieces.

⁷³ Regarding the words "וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי", Rashi Bereshit 15:16 and most exegetes explain that the fourth generation returned to Israel. Rashbam, on the other hand, says that the verse refers to the fourth generation of Amorites.

⁷⁴ See also Bavli Sotah 12a, Bava Batra 120b,123a, Bereshit Rabbah 94 and 70 Souls.

⁷⁵ See Ibn Ezra Bereshit 46:27 and Ralbag Shemot 2:1 who note this difficulty (for more, see 70 Souls). Seder Olam Rabbah itself was probably unfazed by this; as it also claims that Yocheved's life spanned the full 210 years that the Israelites were in Egypt.

⁷⁶ Levi was 43 when he came down to Egypt, and Moshe was born 130 years later. Thus, the younger Yocheved was when she gives birth to Moshe, the older Levi needs to be when Yocheved was born. This is already noted by Ramban Bereshit 46:15 (in his response to Ibn Ezra), and he also cites other examples of births at an old age. See also Ralbag Shemot 2:1 who suggests that Yocheved was born at the very end of Levi's life.

⁷⁷ According to Seder Olam Rabbah, Miryam was six or seven when Moshe was born. See also Midwives. Seder Olam connects the birth of Miryam to the beginning of the bondage by linking the name מרים and מירור (bitterness). It may also be motivated by the assumption that the marriage of Amram and Yocheved in Shemot 2:1 happened after the start of the slavery in Chapter 1. See also R. Tanchuma in Shir HaShirim Rabbah (on SHS 2:11) and Rashi Shir HaShirim 2:11 who adopt the 86 year figure as the length of the hardest part of the bondage.

⁷⁸ Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Bo 12.

⁷⁹ After first describing Seder Olam Rabbah's position and discussing one possible way of reconciling the 430 and 400 figures, Ramban proceeds to offer three alternatives for the beginning of the 430 year count. He rejects the first of these (counting the 430 years from the birth of Yitzchak, cf. Jubilees below) and suggests the third (counting the 430 years from the Covenant which was made when Avraham was 87) primarily as a way of finding common ground with the Rabbinic figure of 210 years. We will focus here on his middle and preferred option (counting the 430 years from the Covenant which was made when Avraham was 80). [All of Ramban's possibilities start by defining the starting point for the 430, with the 400 being secondary.]

⁸⁰ Ramban (in contrast to Seder Olam Rabbah) thus gains that the Avraham stories remain in chronological order – see Chronology and Ramban for more on Ramban's general chronological approach.

⁸¹ The additional 210 years consist of: ~20 years of Avraham (before Yitzchak was born) + 60 years of Yitzchak (before Yaakov was born) + 130 years of Yaakov (before he went down to Egypt).

⁸² Ramban also attempts to integrate the Rabbinic tradition of 210 years in Egypt with his own approach (see Ramban for other examples of this), by suggesting a variation according to which Avraham was 87 at the time of the Covenant of Pieces. This would reduce the number of years prior to the descent to 203, leaving 227 of the 430 years for the stay in Egypt. As Yaakov was still alive for the first 17 of these 227 years, Ramban proposes that the 210 year tradition could refer to the years the Israelites spent in Egypt after Yaakov's death. However, this approach would require one to posit an achronology (which Ramban wants to avoid), as Avraham is only 86 in the story which follows the Covenant.

⁸³ See below that according to one possibility in Ramban, the verses in Bereshit also refer to a period of 430 years (400 + an additional 30 years until the Amorites are deserving of punishment).

⁸⁴ Ramban cites two examples from Devarim 2:14 and Daniel 12:12 to bolster his contention. Cf. R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, R. Yonah ibn Janach and R. Avraham b. HaRambam noted above.

⁸⁵ Ramban brings other Biblical instances of descriptions which refer only to the majority and not to the entirety. See also R. Yosef Bekhor Shor cited above.

⁸⁶ See Ramban Bereshit 12:10 where he details the parallels between Avraham's exile and his descendants exile to Egypt. Alternatively, Ramban is referring to the position of Seder Olam Rabbah that the clock started running from when Avraham left the land of Israel at age 70 following the Covenant of the Pieces.

⁸⁷ In his Commentary on Bereshit 15:13, Ramban brings other Biblical examples of such constructions. Cf. R. Yosef Kara cited above.

⁸⁸ See below that Ramban thinks that the 400 and 430 numbers are counted from the same point.

⁸⁹ This is a major disadvantage for Ramban's position as compared to Seder Olam Rabbah. Additionally, "וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם" in Bereshit 15:15 appears to imply that years from Avraham's lifetime are not included in the 400 (but see Ramban Bereshit 15:15 who says that this verse is merely saying that Avraham will die before the slavery).

⁹⁰ Cf. Rashi Bereshit 15:13. A difficulty with this interpretation is that the words "יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" in Bereshit 15:16 refer to the land of Canaan and would thus seem to imply that the phrase "בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" denotes lands other Canaan.

⁹¹ Ramban adds that it would have been extended even more if not for the power of their prayers in Egypt. See Ramban Shemot 2:25 and see _ for why Hashem redeemed the nation.

⁹² Ramban's suggestion has far reaching implications. See Religious Identity in Egypt for a discussion of the Israelites' conduct in Egypt, Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage for Ramban's theory on the cause of the slavery, and Change of Heart for whether Hashem changes His decrees for the worse. Ramban's position seems to contradict the Tanchuma cited above. Ramban appears to be cognizant of the radical nature of his suggestion, and he attempts to bring a parallel from the unexpected change of plans in the desert which resulted in an additional forty year delay.

⁹³ See also Rashbam.

⁹⁴ See Miracles for more on Ramban's position.

⁹⁵ Ramban cites a similar example from the genealogy of David.

⁹⁶ Ralbag discusses an alternative option that the 430 years are counted from the birth of Yitzchak and that 240 years were spent in Egypt (cf. Jubilees below). According to both of Ralbag's options for accounting for the 430, the 400 year decree began with the birth of Yaakov, but its duration was shortened (by either 30 or 45 years, resulting in either 240 or 225 years in Egypt). Ralbag also considers in passing the possibility that the full 400 years from Yaakov's birth were completed, according to which the Israelites would have spent 270 years in Egypt, however it is unclear how he would reconcile this with the 430 figure.

⁹⁷ This matches the opinion found in Bereshit Rabbah46:2About Bereshit Rabbah. Cf. Genesis Apocryphon (1Q20) XXII:27 which also places the events of Bereshit 15 ten years after Avraham left from Haran.

⁹⁸ Ralbag links Avraham's despair of fathering a child in the first part of Bereshit 15 with Sarah giving him Hagar in Bereshit 16. Ralbag rejects Seder Olam Rabbah's proposal that the story is achronological, and he argues that had Avraham come to the land of Israel before he was 75, he would not have left it to return to Haran (cf. Ramban Bereshit 12:10).

⁹⁹ The additional 205 years consist of: ~15 years of Avraham (before Yitzchak was born) + 60 years of Yitzchak (before Yaakov was born) + 130 years of Yaakov (before he went down to Egypt).

¹⁰⁰ See also R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, R. Yonah ibn Janach, and R. Avraham b. HaRambam noted above.

¹⁰¹ It is not clear, though, why the count would start from Yaakov's birth rather than from his wanderings.

¹⁰² See above that Ralbag and many other commentators read the verse in Shemot 12:40 similarly. Ralbag also suggests that Shofetim 3:30 should be interpreted in similar fashion. There too, he is motivated by chronological difficulties – see Ralbag Shofetim 11:31 (and 3:11, 5:31, 8:28) and Chronology of Shofetim.

¹⁰³ See Ralbag Bereshit 15:16, Shemot 2:23-25, 3:8 and the positions of the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael and Tanchuma discussed above. For discussion of the philosphical issue, see Change of Heart.

¹⁰⁴ Alternatively, Ralbag could have claimed that the 400 years ended only with the conquest of the land of Israel (as the verse in Bereshit 15:16 speaks of "יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה") which was completed only about 45 years after the Exodus (see Yehoshua 14:10, but see Ralbag Yehoshua 14:6).

¹⁰⁵ If one were to distinguish, a good argument could be made to do so in the opposite direction.

¹⁰⁶ Ralbag says that Levi was 50 when they came to Egypt, while other commentators assume that he was 43 (see Ramban Bereshit 46:15). This is consistent with his unique interpretation in his commentary to Bereshit 29:20 of when Yaakov's sons were born. See Chronology of Bereshit 29-30.

¹⁰⁷ Jubilees does not explicitly mention the 430 years. However, it dates the birth of Yitzchak to year 1980 from Creation and the Exodus to the 2410/2411th year, with a differential of 430 years between the events. Jubilees 44 places the descent to Egypt in the year 2172, and thus there were 238-240 years in Egypt. It should be noted, though, that there are some textual transmission issues which impact these dates.

¹⁰⁸ R. Chananel's position is unclear, as after first saying that the 430 years are counted from Yitzchak's birth (which would imply that 240 years were spent in Egypt), he proceeds to explain that they were in Egypt for only 210 years. Additionally, it is unclear how R. Chananel reconciles the 430 and 400 figures.

¹⁰⁹ Yitzchak was 60 years old when Yaakov was born, and Yaakov was 130 years old when he went down to Egypt.

¹¹⁰ See Seder Olam Rabbah and R. Saadia above who interpret similarly.

¹¹¹ The Keli Yekar gives a variation of this explanation. According to him, the additional 30 years were because some of the Israelites regarded Egypt as a "מושב" (a permanent dwelling, as per the language used in Shemot 12:40), instead of as being only "גרים" (the language of Bereshit 15:13).

¹¹² Cf. Hoil Moshe. This may also be how Jubilees understood – see Jubilees 14:13.

¹¹³ See Seder Olam Rabbah and other sources cited above.