Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Steve Miller" <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net>]

Exo 12:40 And the dwelling of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt,
was four hundred and thirty years.

41 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.

 

Questions:

1.      What is the antecedent of "asher" in Exo 12:40? 



a.      Is it "dwelling" as in: 
And the dwelling of the children of Israel, which [dwelling] they [the
children of Israel] dwelt in Egypt, was 430 years?
b.      Or is the antecedent "the children of Israel" as in:
And the dwelling of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was 430
years?

2.      What is the point of the "asher" phrase? If the intent was to say
that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt 430 years, why not just say "And
the dwelling in Egypt of the children of Israel was 430 years?
3.      Does the Hebrew of v40 state unequivocally that Israel dwelt in
Egypt for 430 years? The Stone Tanach translates the "asher" phrase as
"during which they dwelt in Egypt", but I don't know of a precedent for
adding "during". Could the "asher" phrase be translated "who then dwelt in
Egypt"?
4.      Is it possible for the term "children of Israel" to include Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob? Is there another place in the Bible where it so refers?
5.      I know that the main Jewish interpretation is that the 430 years
includes the sojourning of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so that the actual
time in Egypt was only 210 or 215 years.  Is there another ancient Jewish
interpretation that says that Israel spent 430 years just in Egypt?

 

Thank you for your time.

 

 

Sincerely,

-Steve Miller

Detroit

www.voiceInWilderness.info
A man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.
(Luke 12:15)