Duration of the Egyptian Exile/3

The Duration of the Egyptian Exile

Points of Dispute

These are some of the central points of dispute (נקודות המחלוקת) between the various exegetes:

• Shemot 6 and other Biblical genealogies
  • Complete list of generations – most commentators.
  • Missing generations – Shadal, Hoil Moshe.
• Yocheved's age when she gave birth to Moshe
  • 130 – Seder Olam Rabbah.
  • 73 or anything in between 36 and 130 – Ramban.
  • 58 – Ralbag.
  • Possibly younger – Demetrius, Shadal, Hoil Moshe.
• 400 years
  • All in Egypt – Shadal, Hoil Moshe.
  • Total of Canaan and Egypt – Seder Olam et al, R. Saadia et al, most commentators.
  • Only the original plan – Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Pesikta DeRav Kahana, Tanchuma.
• 430 years
  • All in Egypt – Shadal, Hoil Moshe.
  • Total of Canaan and Egypt – Seder Olam et al, R. Saadia et al, most commentators.
  • Only the original plan – Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer.
• 400 vs. 430
  • 400 is a round number – Abarbanel, Hoil Moshe.
  • 400 doesn't include extra years of fourth generation – Ramban.
  • 400 begins with birth of Yitzchak and 430 starts with Covenant – Seder Olam Rabbah et al.
  • 400 begins with birth of Yitzchak and 430 starts with departure from Ur – R. Saadia et al.
  • 430 includes a 30 year penalty for bad behavior – Ramban, Abarbanel.
• Chronological order of Bereshit stories
  • Achronology and Covenant happened earlier – Seder Olam Rabbah et al.
  • Chronological order – R. Saadia, Ibn Ezra, Ramban, Ralbag.
• Years in Egypt
  • 430 – Rashba, Shadal, Hoil Moshe.
  • 240 – Jubilees, Abarbanel.
  • 225 – Ralbag.
  • 220 – Ramban.
  • 215 – Demetrius, Josephus.
  • 210 – Seder Olam Rabbah et al., R. Saadia et al.
• "וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי"
  • Literal generation – most commentators.
  • Lifespan – Hoil Moshe.
  • Generations of Amorites – Rashbam, Ramban.