Exodus 12:40 (UASV): “And the time of dwelling of the sons of Israel, who had dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.”

This verse has long been a focal point of textual discussion due to the presence of notable variants between the Masoretic Text (MT), the Septuagint (LXX), and the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP). The passage touches directly on the chronology of Israel’s sojourn and has implications for understanding the Abrahamic covenant, the time of Israel’s enslavement, and the fulfillment of God’s promise recorded in Genesis 15:13–16. A close examination of the textual evidence—both internal (linguistic and grammatical features of the Hebrew text) and external (variant readings among ancient witnesses)—provides clarity on how the original reading is to be understood.

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The Masoretic Text Reading

The MT reads:

וּמוֹשֶׁב בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה

“And the time of dwelling of the sons of Israel, who had dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.”

Here, the verb יָשְׁבוּ (“they dwelt”) is plural, which naturally agrees with the plural subject, “the sons of Israel.” The phrase אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם (“who had dwelt in Egypt”) qualifies the sons of Israel, not the “dwelling” (מוֹשֶׁב). This syntactical arrangement clarifies that it was Israel, as a people, who dwelt in Egypt.

According to the strict MT reading, the total length of Israel’s sojourn “in Egypt” was 430 years. This interpretation, however, creates a chronological difficulty when compared with other biblical data. The genealogy of Moses (Exodus 6:16–20) does not allow for four centuries of uninterrupted generations in Egypt. Further, Paul in Galatians 3:17 explicitly places the 430 years from the promise to Abraham until the giving of the Law, not from Jacob’s descent into Egypt until the Exodus.

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The Septuagint Reading

The Septuagint (Exodus 12:40 LXX) reads:

ἡ δὲ κατοίκησις τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ, ἣν κατῴκησαν ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἐν γῇ Χαναάν, ἔτη τετρακόσια τριάκοντα.

“And the dwelling of the sons of Israel, which they dwelt in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, was four hundred and thirty years.”

This addition of καὶ ἐν γῇ Χαναάν (“and in the land of Canaan”) is highly significant. It lengthens the scope of the period to include the patriarchal sojourning in Canaan, beginning with Abraham’s entry (c. 1943 B.C.E., Genesis 12:4–5) until the Exodus in 1446 B.C.E. The chronological span of 430 years is thus not limited to Israel’s stay in Egypt but encompasses both the patriarchal wanderings in Canaan and the sojourn in Egypt.

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The Samaritan Pentateuch Reading

The Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) aligns closely with the LXX:

“Now the sojourning of the sons of Israel, and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.”

The SP also explicitly includes Canaan along with Egypt, though it differs slightly in phrasing by mentioning “their fathers,” which strengthens the link back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This confirms that the Samaritan community, independent of the Alexandrian Jewish translators of the LXX, likewise preserved a reading that included Canaan.

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Josephus’ Testimony

Josephus (Antiquities 2.15.2 §318) records:

“They left Egypt in the month Xanthicus, on the fifteenth day of the lunar month; four hundred and thirty years after our forefather Abraham came into Canaan, but two hundred and fifteen years only after Jacob removed into Egypt.”

Josephus’ testimony corroborates the LXX and SP reading. He reckons the 430 years not as the length of Israel’s stay in Egypt alone, but from Abraham’s entrance into Canaan (c. 1943 B.C.E.) until the Exodus (1446 B.C.E.), thereby splitting the chronology into roughly 215 years in Canaan and 215 years in Egypt.

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New Testament Confirmation

Paul’s statement in Galatians 3:17 provides decisive support for the LXX/SP reading:

“Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul, so as to nullify the promise.”

Here, the 430 years begin with the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12, 15, 17) and extend to the giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 19). This matches precisely the reckoning preserved in the LXX, SP, and Josephus. Paul’s inspired interpretation demonstrates that the period was not limited to Egypt but included the patriarchal period in Canaan.

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Internal Evidence and Scribal Considerations

The MT reading, without the phrase “and in Canaan,” is shorter. Textual criticism generally recognizes the principle of lectio brevior potior (“the shorter reading is preferable”), since scribes were more prone to expand than to omit. However, in this case, the shorter MT reading does not harmonize with the larger biblical chronology, whereas the longer LXX/SP reading does.

It is also plausible that the omission of “and in Canaan” in the MT arose through haplography (accidental omission) or by interpretive smoothing to resolve the apparent tension of Israel’s stay in Egypt. Later scribes, particularly the Masoretes, were exacting in their transmission but worked with a stabilized Hebrew text that may have already lost the phrase. The agreement of two independent witnesses (LXX and SP), plus Josephus and Paul, strongly argues for the originality of the longer reading.

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The Chronological Reconstruction

From the available evidence, the correct understanding is that the 430 years cover the period beginning with Abraham’s entrance into Canaan (1943 B.C.E.) until Israel’s Exodus from Egypt (1446 B.C.E.). This span divides into approximately two equal halves:

1. From Abraham’s entrance into Canaan (1943 B.C.E.) to Jacob’s descent into Egypt (1728 B.C.E.) – 215 years.

2. From Jacob’s descent into Egypt (1728 B.C.E.) to the Exodus (1446 B.C.E.) – 215 years.

Thus, Israel’s actual sojourn in Egypt was 215 years, not 430. This aligns with genealogical data and harmonizes the biblical narrative with both internal and external evidence.

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Conclusion on the Original Text of Exodus 12:40

The weight of textual evidence—LXX, SP, Josephus, and Paul—demonstrates that the original reading of Exodus 12:40 included both Canaan and Egypt. The MT, while reliable in the vast majority of cases, here preserves a shortened form that obscures the intended meaning.

The best reconstruction of the original text is therefore:

“And the dwelling of the sons of Israel, which they dwelt in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.”

This reading not only resolves chronological tensions but also affirms the faithfulness of God’s covenant promise, as seen in the precise fulfillment of the 430-year span.

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