Galatians (5)
The 430 Year Period
(Bible Study - March 2003)
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 (Gal. 3:17).
Much has been written on the chronology of the 430 year period and attempts have been made by different authors to harmonise all the details which are given, but some things remain unclear. Here suggestions are offered for the reader’s further consideration. Points which have been gleaned from various authors have been included.
A common mistake is to take this period as being from the giving of the promises to Abraham through to the Exodus. A careful reading of the verse will show that this is not so. The limits of the 430 years are set from the ratification of the covenant to the giving of the Law in Sinai.
Exodus 12:40
Now the sojourning of
the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty
years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years,
even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went
out from the land of Egypt.
Whilst it would appear Exodus 12 limits the 430 years to Israel’s sojourn in Egypt, this may not be so. The clause “who dwelt in Egypt” could have been added to identify the children of Israel with the land of their slavery, which was the most important period of their sojourning. The suggestion is given weight by two different words being used for “sojourning” and “dwelt.” This view is also borne out by the LXX (the Septuagint Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament translated c. 200 B.C.) which reads: “And the sojourning of the children of Israel, while they sojourned in Egypt and the land of Chanaan, was four hundred and thirty years.” Thus the period covered by this verse could begin with the sojourning of Abraham in Canaan, include the period of slavery in Egypt and terminate on the day of the Exodus. The two periods of 430 years are not contradictory; they have different starting and finishing points.
Genesis 15:13,14,16
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; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and
afterward shall they come out with great substance. But in the fourth
generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites
is not yet full.
Several different periods are indicated in this verse and, whilst they may be evident in the KJV, they are clearer in the LXX which reads: And it was said to Abraham, Thou shalt surely know that thy seed shall be a sojourner in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them, and afflict them, and humble them four hundred years.
The seed of Abraham was to be a sojourner in a strange land, they were to be enslaved and they were to be afflicted and humbled 400 years. Their captors were then to be judged by God and afterwards Israel would come out with great substance. It would be the fourth generation which would see freedom.
Taking the last point first, the four generations are stated in Exodus 6:16-20, where, starting with Levi (from the time when the twelve sons went into Egypt), we note that Kohath, Amram and Moses bring us to the fourth generation. It should then be noted that the four generations represent only a portion of the 400 years since the children of Israel were to be strangers before their slavery and affliction. Furthermore, the actual Exodus was to be after God’s judgements upon Egypt. Thus the four generations are only a part of the 400 years, and the 400 years a part of the 430 years mentioned in the previous verses.
I Kings 6:1
And it came to pass in
the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come
out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel,
in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the
house of the LORD.
There is some doubt amongst scholars whether this verse is correct as it stands. The LXX omits And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, commencing simply, “In the fourth year of Solomon.” The first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, does not mention the period and a noted writer Origen (c. 200 A.D.) when quoting this verse, also omits the clause. Nevertheless, it is an important date from which computations can be made to fix the accession of Solomon to around B.C.1000. Working backwards from the date of Cyrus’ accession to the throne of Babylon, through the 70 years’ captivity and the kings of Judah to the fourth year of Solomon, the chronology is established and confirmed by the “Canon of Ptolemy” and the chronology of Egypt.
Dr. Thomas accepts the text as it is and demonstrates its accuracy. He points out that whilst the children of Israel were in the wilderness they were still in the land of Egypt and he quotes Ezekiel 20:36 as proof of this: Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. This means that the 480 years is to be reckoned from the entry into the land of Canaan to Samuel the prophet and a further 84 years from there to the fourth year of Solomon. Whether the text bears this interpretation is a matter for discussion, but Dr. Thomas, arriving at a total of 604 years, shows this period to be identical to that given by Paul in Acts 13:17-22.
Acts 13:17-22
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. And about the time of forty years suffered he
their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in
the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that
he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years,
until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave
unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space
of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David
to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found
David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all
my will.
If we take the period of the Judges from the 480 years previously mentioned, we are left with a period of 30 years for the conquest of the land. To this 30 years we add the 40 years spent in the wilderness, the 450 years of the Judges to Samuel, 40 years from Samuel to the death of Saul, and 44 years from Saul’s death to the fourth of Solomon. This gives a total of 604 years; thus Dr. Thomas harmonises this reference with I Kings 6:1.
The above suggestions are offered for the reader’s further consideration with the knowledge that a complete answer may never be found until all is revealed in the future.
Cyril Tennant