Exodus 12:40 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The sojourning of the children of Israel, &c.— That the children or descendants of Israel did not sojourn or dwell four hundred and thirty years in Egypt, may be easily and has been frequently demonstrated, says Dr. Kennicott: some therefore would fancy, that, by Egypt, are to be understood here, both Egypt and Canaan: but this greater latitude of place will not do the business, since the children of Israel, including Israel their father, did not sojourn four hundred and thirty years in both countries, before their departure out of Egypt: others, therefore, sensible of a deficiency still remaining, would not only have Egypt to signify Egypt and Canaan; but would have the children of Israel to signify Israel's children, and Israel their father, and Isaac the father of Israel, and part of the life of Abraham the father of Isaac. Thus, indeed, we arrive at the exact sum: and, by this method, we might arrive at any thing except truth; which, we may presume, was never thus conveyed by an inspired writer. The Samaritan text appears to give us the true reading; for there, the verse runs thus: now the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan, and in the land of Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. This same sum is given by St. Paul, Galatians 3:17 who reckons from the promise made to Abraham, when God commanded him to go into Canaan, to the giving of the law, which soon followed the Exodus of the Israelites: and this apostolical chronology is exactly concordant with the Samaritan Pentateuch: for, from Abraham's entering Canaan to the birth of Isaac, was twenty-five years, Isaac was sixty years old at the birth of Jacob, and Jacob was a hundred and thirty at his going down into Egypt; which three numbers make two hundred and fifteen years: and then, Jacob and his children having continued in Egypt two hundred and fifteen years more, the whole sum of four hundred and thirty is regularly completed. Thus Josephus says expressly, b. 2 Chronicles 15 that the departure out of Egypt was four hundred and thirty years after Abraham came into Canaan, and two hundred and fifteen years after Jacob's descent into Egypt. Thus also the Greek version (Alex. & Ald. Edit.) reads, but the sojourning of the children of Israel, which they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, they and their fathers, was four hundred and thirty years: And thus, St. Augustin, in his forty-seventh question on Exodus. See State of printed Hebrew text, p. 396. Mr. Locke explains this passage agreeably to the interpretation given in the Samaritan text; and the learned reader will find Dr. Kennicott's Criticism, at large, in Houbigant's Prolegomena, p. 68.