God’s Word Translation
Exodus 12:40
40The Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years.
Exodus 12:40 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
- New International Version (NIV)Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.
Context of Exodus 12:40
38Many other people also went with them, along with large numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle. 39With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked round, flat bread. The dough hadn’t risen because they’d been thrown out of Egypt and had no time to prepare food for the trip. The Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years. 41After exactly 430 years all the Lord’s people left Egypt in organized family groups. 42That night the Lord kept watch to take them out of Egypt. (All Israelites in future generations must keep watch on this night, since it is dedicated to the Lord.)
Read all of Exodus 12Exodus 12:40 word by word
וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now the sojourningמוֹשָׁבmôshâb môshâb · seatH4186
- of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- who dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- hundredשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- and thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
Cross-references for Exodus 12:40
- Galatians 3:17This is what I mean: The laws ⌞given to Moses⌟ 430 years after God had already put his promise ⌞to Abraham⌟ into effect didn’t cancel the promise ⌞to Abraham⌟.
- Acts 13:17The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made them a strong nation while they lived as foreigners in Egypt. He used his powerful arm to bring them out of Egypt,
- Hebrews 11:9Faith led Abraham to live as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God.
- Genesis 12:1The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you.
- Genesis 15:13God said to Abram, “You can know for sure that your descendants will live in a land that is not their own, where they will be slaves, and they will be oppressed for 400 years.
- Acts 7:6God told Abraham that his descendants would be foreigners living in another country and that the people there would make them slaves and mistreat them for 400 years.
- Galatians 3:16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture doesn’t say, “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one. That descendant is Christ.
Commentaries on Exodus 12:40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, etc. - The statement in this verse is allowed on all hands to be extremely difficult, and therefore the passage stands in especial need of illustration. "That the descendants of Israel did not dwell 430 years in Egypt," says Dr. Kennicott, "may be easily proved, and has often been demonstrated. Some therefore imagine that by Egypt here both it and Canaan are to be understood. But this greater latitude of place…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 40Who dwelt - Read, which they sojourned. The obvious intention of Moses is to state the duration of the sojourn in Egypt.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-42Verses 37-42 The children of Israel set forward without delay. A mixed multitude went with them. Some, perhaps, willing to leave their country, laid waste by plagues; others, out of curiosity; perhaps a few out of love to them and their religion. But there were always those among the Israelites who were not Israelites. Thus there are still hypocrites in the church. This great event was 430 years from the promise made to Abraham: see Ga 3:17. So long the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 40According to the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, the 430 years span from the promise to Abraham until the exodus from Egypt (Genesis 12; 15). Compare Galatians 3:17; see also Exodus Book Introduction, The Date of the Exodus.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4040. the sojourning of the children of Israel ... four hundred and thirty years--The Septuagint renders it thus: "The sojourning of the children and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt." These additions are important, for the period of sojourn in Egypt did not exceed two hundred fifteen years; but if we reckon from the time that Abraham entered Canaan and the promise was made in which the sojourn of his…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 12:40
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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