Exodus 12:40 says:
“Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years.”
This verse has led to a widely accepted belief that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years. Movies like The Ten Commandments and many Bible teachers repeat this claim:
“We have waited 400 years in bondage…”
But does the Biblical timeline support this?
A Problem With the Math
Let’s examine the genealogical timeline:
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Moses was 80 years old at the time of the Exodus.
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His father, Amram, lived 137 years.
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His grandfather, Kohath, lived 133 years.
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Kohath was one of the 66 people who went with Jacob into Egypt.
If we assume the maximum possible stretch:
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Kohath was a newborn entering Egypt.
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Amram was born the year Kohath died.
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Moses was born the year Amram died.
133 (Kohath) + 137 (Amram) + 80 (Moses) = 350 years max.
But this is already less than 430 years, and that assumes impossibly tight generational overlaps. More realistically, the time in Egypt would be significantly less.
How Many People Went into Egypt? 66, 70, or 75?
The apparent numbers in Scripture are:
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Genesis 46:26 (Masoretic Text):
"All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons."
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Genesis 46:27 (Masoretic Text):
"With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all."
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Acts 7:14 (New Testament – Stephen speaking):
"Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls [75]."
So we have:
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66: Direct descendants who came with Jacob
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70: When you include Joseph, his two sons (Manasseh and Ephraim), and Jacob himself
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75: According to Acts 7:14
Why the Difference?
The difference arises due to textual traditions:
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The Masoretic Text (MT) — Used by most modern English Bibles — lists 70.
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The Septuagint (LXX) — A Greek translation of the Old Testament from 250 BC — lists 75.
The Septuagint adds:
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Joseph's sons +9 more descendants of Joseph (grandchildren), making it 75 total.
Stephen, in Acts 7:14, was quoting the Septuagint, the Greek Bible most Jews used in the 1st century.
So which is correct?
Both are correct depending on what you’re counting:
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66 = Descendants who traveled with Jacob to Egypt (not counting Joseph's family already there)
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70 = Total of Jacob’s family in Egypt (includes Joseph, his two sons, and Jacob himself)
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75 = Same as above but using the Septuagint, which includes Joseph’s grandchildren too
Paul’s Timeline: The Key to Understanding
Galatians 3:16–17 provides a critical clue:
“...The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God…”
Paul is referring to the time from Abraham’s promise to the giving of the Law—a span of 430 years, not just the time spent in Egypt.
Timeline from Abraham to Egypt:
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Abraham enters Canaan at age 75 – the promise is given
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Isaac born when Abraham is 100 → 25 years later
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Jacob born when Isaac is 60 → 60 more years
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Israel enters Egypt when Jacob is 130 → 130 more years
Total: 25 + 60 + 130 = 215 years in Canaan
Therefore:
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430 total years (promise to Law)
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215 years in Canaan
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→ 215 years in Egypt
This matches archaeological findings and is also supported by other sources.
Ancient Witnesses Agree
Several early texts and translations agree with Paul:
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Greek Septuagint:
“...while they sojourned in Egypt and in Canaan...” (Exodus 12:40)
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Samaritan Pentateuch:
“...in the land of Canaan and in Egypt…”
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Flavius Josephus:
“They left Egypt 430 years after Abraham entered Canaan, but only 215 years after Jacob entered Egypt.”
These sources—written centuries before the Masoretic Text (used by most modern Bible versions)—clearly indicate the 430 years includes both Canaan and Egypt.
So Why Do Modern Bibles Say 430 Years in Egypt?
Modern translations like the NIV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV are based on the Masoretic Text, particularly the Leningrad Codex (copied in the 11th century AD). By that time, the phrase “and in Canaan” had been lost.
Older witnesses like:
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The Septuagint (3rd century BC)
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The Samaritan Pentateuch
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Josephus
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The Apostle Paul
...all used or referenced older Hebrew manuscripts that included both Canaan and Egypt.
Even the Masoretic text itself cannot mathematically support 430 years in Egypt, based on the genealogies of Moses, Amram, and Kohath.
What About the 400 Years of Slavery?
Genesis 15:13 says:
“Your descendants will be strangers in a land not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years.”
But it does not say they’ll be slaves in Egypt for 400 years. The passage refers to Abraham’s seed being afflicted in a land not their own—including both Canaan and Egypt.
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Isaac, Abraham’s seed, was mistreated in Canaan by Ishmael (Genesis 21:9; Galatians 4:29).
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Jacob and his sons were mistreated in Egypt under Pharaoh.
The 400 years of affliction began with Isaac’s weaning and persecution (possibly around age 5) and ended at the Exodus.
How Long Were They Actually Slaves?
If the Israelites were in Egypt for 215 years, and:
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Joseph was in power for 71 years (age 39 at their arrival → died at 110)
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Moses was born 80 years before the Exodus
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→ 215 - 71 (Joseph’s rule) - 80 (Moses’ life) = 64 years
This leaves a 64-year window between Joseph’s death and Moses’ birth when slavery could have begun.
If we estimate the midpoint, slavery began ~32 years after Joseph’s death:
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32 (before Moses) + 80 (Moses' life) = 112 years of slavery.
Slavery Timeline Summary:
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Minimum: 80 years (Moses' life)
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Maximum: 144 years
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Most likely: ~112 years
Why It Matters
This historical and Biblical clarification aligns:
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With Paul’s writings
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With early Hebrew manuscripts
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With Josephus
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With archaeological data
The Israelites were:
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In Canaan for 215 years
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In Egypt for 215 years
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Enslaved for ~112 years (not 400!)
Understanding this corrects common misconceptions, aligns Biblical chronology with archaeology, and sheds light on the accuracy of ancient Scripture over modern assumptions.
Conclusion
The Israelites were not in Egypt for 430 years, nor were they slaves for 400 years.
They lived:
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215 years in Canaan
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215 years in Egypt
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Were enslaved for ~112 years
This truth is supported by Scripture, early manuscripts, Jewish historians, and reasoned chronology. It’s time we returned to the original Biblical account—not traditions built on mistranslations.