2006-07-31 03:10:53 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Genesis 15:13 reads: "Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years."
Exodus 1: "6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor."
Keep in mind that, at Gen. 15:13, God said the Hebrews would be afflicted by the Egyptians for 400 years. As demonstrated by Exodus 1, this 400-year period began after the death of Joseph and his brothers. For the 30 years prior, the Hebrews were strangers in the land, but they were not "afflicted." Therefore, these Biblical accounts do not conflict.
2006-07-31 03:29:44 · answer #1 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't get caught up in details that don't really matter. The Bible was not written specifically for historical purposes, therefore, while it is useful, it may not be exact. This is an example of how fundamentalist drive themselves crazy. 400 years, give or take a few, is enough to know for historical purposes.
2006-07-31 10:17:16 · answer #2 · answered by Boilerfan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The 400 years is an approximation...I would say 430 would probably be correct.
2006-07-31 10:12:22 · answer #3 · answered by proffalken1975 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd recommend checking historical documents rather than religious scriptures. Time periods in the Bible are often adjusted to significant numbers (7, 40, 3, etc.) to indicate importance.
2006-07-31 10:13:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What verse?
They were in Egypt longer than they were in captivity in Egypt!
2006-07-31 10:36:31 · answer #5 · answered by Grandreal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read them all again---
-400 years....enslaved and oppressed
-430 years.....lived
You have not read correctly.
2006-07-31 10:21:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
trying to get historical facts from the bible is like trying to learn manners from Mein Kamph.
and anyway, don't worry about it. it was thousands of years ago. let it go.
2006-07-31 10:12:17 · answer #7 · answered by Jehovah'sWetness 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What difference does it make...You've faith, right? PEACE!
2006-07-31 10:14:04 · answer #8 · answered by thebigm57 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-07-31 10:14:20 · answer #9 · answered by Trevor A 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋