Exodus 12:40

Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, [was] four hundred and thirty years.

Now the sojourning {H4186} of the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478}, who dwelt {H3427} in Egypt {H4714}, was four {H702} hundred {H3967}{H8141} and thirty {H7970} years {H8141}.

The time the people of Isra'el lived in Egypt was 430 years.

Now the duration of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt was 430 years.

Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

Commentary

Exodus 12:40 marks a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative, serving as a precise historical anchor for the Israelites' time in Egypt before their miraculous deliverance. This verse confirms the exact duration of their stay, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's ancient promises.

Context

This statement immediately follows the detailed instructions for the Passover observance and precedes the actual departure of the Israelites from Egypt. It serves as a definitive historical marker, confirming the duration of Israel's presence in Egypt, a period that began when Jacob's family settled there during Joseph's time. Crucially, this timeframe fulfills a prophecy given to Abraham centuries earlier in Genesis 15:13, where God foretold his descendants would be sojourners and afflicted for 400 years.

Key Themes

  • God's Faithfulness and Promise Keeping: The precise mention of 430 years underscores God's meticulous adherence to His covenant promises to Abraham. Even through generations of slavery and hardship, God remembered His people and His word, bringing it to pass exactly when He purposed.
  • Divine Timing: The Exodus occurred "to the very day" (as stated in Exodus 12:41), highlighting God's perfect and sovereign timing in delivering His people exactly when He purposed, down to the precise moment.
  • The Nature of Sojourning: The term "sojourning" emphasizes that Israel's dwelling in Egypt was temporary, a prelude to their inheritance of the Promised Land. They were not meant to be permanent residents but a people on a journey towards their true home.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "sojourning" (מֹושָׁב, moshav) refers to a dwelling or habitation, but in this context, it carries the nuance of a temporary residence, fitting for a people who were not yet in their permanent, promised homeland. The 430 years are generally understood by scholars and confirmed by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:17 to encompass the entire period from Abraham's call (or the establishment of the covenant with him) to the Exodus, not just the time spent *in* Egypt. This broader interpretation includes the time Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned in Canaan before the descent into Egypt.

Practical Application

This verse offers profound encouragement regarding God's character and His interaction with humanity. It reminds us that:

  • God's promises are true and His timing is perfect, even if fulfillment takes generations or seems delayed from our perspective. We can trust Him with our own long-term hopes and prayers, knowing He works on His own divine timetable.
  • It reinforces the biblical idea that believers are often "sojourners" or "strangers" in this world, awaiting a greater, eternal home (see Hebrews 11:13). Our present circumstances, no matter how challenging or long-lasting, are ultimately temporary in light of God's overarching plan for redemption and a new creation.
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Cross-References

  • Genesis 15:13 (6 votes)

    And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

  • Acts 7:6 (5 votes)

    And God spake 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.

  • Acts 13:17 (3 votes)

    The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

  • Hebrews 11:9 (2 votes)

    By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

  • Galatians 3:16 (2 votes)

    Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

  • Galatians 3:17 (2 votes)

    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 disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

  • Genesis 12:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: