Old Testament Textual Commentary on Exodus 1:5

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The Hebrew Text and Masoretic Tradition

Exodus 1:5 in the Masoretic Text (MT) reads:

וַיְהִי֩ כׇל־נֶ֨פֶשׁ יֹצְאֵ֜י יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֗ב שִׁבְעִ֣ים נָ֑פֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הָיָ֥ה בְמִצְרָֽיִם׃

Transliteration: wayhî kol-nep̄eš yōṣəʾê yereḵ yaʿăqōḇ šibʿîm nāp̄eš, wəyôsēp̄ hāyāh bəmiṣrayim

Literal translation: “And all the souls who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.”

The MT clearly and unequivocally gives the number as שִׁבְעִים (šibʿîm) — seventy. This is consistent with Genesis 46:27, where the MT again says: “All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.”

The Septuagint (LXX) Reading

The LXX reads ἑβδομηκοντα πέντε — seventy-five in both Exodus 1:5 and Genesis 46:27. This expansion is not a translation mistake, but a deliberate textual variant, stemming from how the LXX counted descendants. Specifically, in Genesis 46, the LXX includes five additional names not found in the MT:

“But there were sons born to Manasseh, whom his Syrian concubine bore to him, namely, Machir. And Machir became father to Galaad. But the sons of Ephraim, Manasseh’s brother, were Sutalaam and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam were Edem.”

This addition brings the total count of persons connected to Jacob to seventy-five, explaining why the LXX and also Stephen in Acts 7:14 (who likely quoted from the LXX) say, “And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.”

Syriac and Dead Sea Scrolls Evidence

The Syriac Peshitta generally agrees with the MT in Exodus 1:5, rendering the number as seventy. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) offer textual data relevant primarily to Genesis 46, especially 4QExod, which contains parts of Exodus but is fragmentary at this verse. Available DSS fragments do not contradict the Masoretic “seventy” reading in Exodus 1:5, and none are extant with the number “seventy-five” at this point.

Evaluating the Variant

From a textual-critical standpoint, grounded in the conservative and historical-grammatical method, the Masoretic reading of “seventy” must be retained. The MT’s number stems from a genealogical listing that includes Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh), making seventy (Genesis 46:27). The LXX’s larger figure includes additional grandchildren not found in the MT genealogies.

The LXX expansion likely arose from a harmonizing intent: incorporating additional generations known to the Jewish diaspora in Egypt, or from variant textual traditions already in circulation before the standardization of the proto-Masoretic Text. However, these LXX additions, although they may reflect a legitimate genealogical memory, do not originate from the original Hebrew source text, but rather represent an interpretive augmentation.

The Use of “Seventy-Five” in Acts 7:14

Stephen, in Acts 7:14, says:

“And Joseph sent and called to him Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.”

This agrees with the LXX and not the MT. However, this does not imply a contradiction in Scripture. Stephen was speaking to Hellenistic Jews in the Sanhedrin who would have been familiar with the LXX version. His usage reflects a culturally and linguistically appropriate citation, not an endorsement of a superior textual tradition.

It is important to emphasize that Acts 7:14 records Stephen’s words, not a restatement of the Genesis narrative. This is a case where different textual traditions—LXX vs. MT—are cited for different rhetorical and pastoral purposes without error or contradiction in the inerrant text.

Conclusion on Exodus 1:5

The textual evidence from the Masoretic Text, the early Hebrew manuscript tradition, and the internal logic of Genesis 46 point decisively to “seventy” as the correct reading. The LXX’s seventy-five arises from an interpretive expansion, not a variant in the original inspired Hebrew. Therefore, Exodus 1:5 as preserved in the MT remains authoritative and should be preferred in all textual reconstructions and exegetical decisions.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).