HOW LONG, ADONAI, HOW LONG?
This is the question asked by the Psalmist in Psalm 13. Read how the psalm opens:
“How long, Adonai?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I keep asking myself
what to do with the sorrow in my heart every day?
How long must my enemy dominate me?”
Several times we may ask ourselves the same question, especially if we are going through some difficult times. Of course, because of the torment, the duration of our suffering will seem even longer to us as we try to weather the storm and seek God’s will in prayer, as the Psalmist did.
A similar question came up the other day in a Bible Study I attended. It wasn’t so much
about our own suffering that gave rise to the inquiry, but rather the historical suffering of the Israelite people while in Egypt. I thought it seemed appropriate to look into this question now – not just because it came up in discussion, but because - as I write this - we are still enduring the seven day Festival of Unleavened Bread, part of the triplet of Spring Festivals, so it is timely. Furthermore, I think in the variety of answers that exist regarding Israel’s suffering, we might find some solace and guidance which will help to buoy us up through any on-going sufferings we may be experiencing in our day to day
lives.
The question put forward, then [just to be precise] was:
“How long did the Israelite people endure their time in Egypt?”
A simple reading of the book of Sh’mot (Exodus) seems to answer the question. We read in Exodus 12:40 these words. “The habitation of the Children of Israel during which they dwelled in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.” Well, that seems simple enough! We might now be tempted to move on to the next question. But nothing is simple in Bible study, I find. So let’s go a little deeper.
To fully comprehend the situation, we need to return to the book of Breisheet
(Genesis). In particular, we shall read about the Covenant which Elohim (God) made with Avram (Avram, later named Abraham). We begin at verse one of Chapter 15, in which Avram sees a vision through which the word of Elohim comes to him.
In the vision Elohim assures Avram that He/God will be a shield [against all enemies and harm]. God tells Avram that “his reward will be great.” Correctly, Avram makes the connection that his reward will involve offspring who will inherit from him. Unfortunately, as we learn, Avram has no children and he fears that his servant, a foreigner, will inherit all his earthly wealth. It is then that Elohim makes 2 promises to Avram: the first is that his offspring will be as hard to enumerate as the stars in the night sky, and the second is that Elohim will see to it that the land where he is standing will go to his offspring. Elohim says: “I am HASHEM (Adonai) who brought you out of Ur kasdim to give you this land to inherit it.” (15:7)
They seal the covenant with a special offering made by Avram to Elohim, and then Avram sleeps, and during that sleep, Elohimreveals more about His promise. He says,“Know with certainty that your offspring shall be aliens in a land not their own – and they will serve them, and they will oppress them – four hundred years. But also the nation that they will serve, I shall judge, and afterwards they will leave with great wealth,. As for you; you shall come to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And the fourth generation shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite shall not yet be full until then.”
The gist then, is that the descendants of Avram will inherit what is the Promised Land / Israel, eventually. First, however, there will be a period of exile in a foreign land which, it seems, will last four hundred years. It is here that some of the controversy begins. Some scholars say that the period of 400 years is strictly the amount of time spent actually in Egypt, but this can not be backed up by any archaeological evidence or dating processes. Others say that the time of exile is broken into two components and must include the 20-21 years that Ya’acov (Jacob) spent in Haranwith Laban’s family, working to ‘pay for’ his wife Rachel. While possible, I think this smacks of trying to ‘manipulate’ numbers to work out post-facto, and so I really can’t accept this explanation. Another interpretation is that the prophecy does not actually begin until the birth of Yitzchak (Isaac) who, because he did not have a permanent home like Avram his father, was considered an alien in his own land.
Sometimes, however, the simplest explanation is likely to be the case. Rashi, a 10th century scholar of the Torah and Tenakh, refers to the Rabbinic tradition which explains the span of 430 years mentioned in Sh’mot/Exodus 12:40 this way: “Although the verse gives the duration of Israel’s stay in Egyptas 430 years, it is clear that the nation could not have been in Egyptthat long... the Covenant between the Parts (Genesis 15:7-21 noted above) took place 430 years before the Exodus… at that time, Elohim foretold to Avramthat his offspring would endure 400 years, during which there would be exile, persecution, and servitude – but not necessarily all of them at the same time. Those 400 years began with the birth of Yitzchak, born thirty years after the above promise was made. Since the prophecy referred to Avram’s offspring, thus the Exodus was perfectly calibrated to conform to the prophecy given to Avram, for Yitzchak was born on the fifteenth of Nissan and exactly four hundred years later, precisely at the deadline of the prescribed time, the Israelites were liberated. The actual sojourn in Egypt[therefore, would have] lasted 210 years.” (Source: The Stone Edition Art Scroll Chumash, commentary notes pg 359)
“How long, Adonai?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I keep asking myself
what to do with the sorrow in my heart every day?
How long must my enemy dominate me?”
Several times we may ask ourselves the same question, especially if we are going through some difficult times. Of course, because of the torment, the duration of our suffering will seem even longer to us as we try to weather the storm and seek God’s will in prayer, as the Psalmist did.
A similar question came up the other day in a Bible Study I attended. It wasn’t so much
about our own suffering that gave rise to the inquiry, but rather the historical suffering of the Israelite people while in Egypt. I thought it seemed appropriate to look into this question now – not just because it came up in discussion, but because - as I write this - we are still enduring the seven day Festival of Unleavened Bread, part of the triplet of Spring Festivals, so it is timely. Furthermore, I think in the variety of answers that exist regarding Israel’s suffering, we might find some solace and guidance which will help to buoy us up through any on-going sufferings we may be experiencing in our day to day
lives.
The question put forward, then [just to be precise] was:
“How long did the Israelite people endure their time in Egypt?”
A simple reading of the book of Sh’mot (Exodus) seems to answer the question. We read in Exodus 12:40 these words. “The habitation of the Children of Israel during which they dwelled in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.” Well, that seems simple enough! We might now be tempted to move on to the next question. But nothing is simple in Bible study, I find. So let’s go a little deeper.
To fully comprehend the situation, we need to return to the book of Breisheet
(Genesis). In particular, we shall read about the Covenant which Elohim (God) made with Avram (Avram, later named Abraham). We begin at verse one of Chapter 15, in which Avram sees a vision through which the word of Elohim comes to him.
In the vision Elohim assures Avram that He/God will be a shield [against all enemies and harm]. God tells Avram that “his reward will be great.” Correctly, Avram makes the connection that his reward will involve offspring who will inherit from him. Unfortunately, as we learn, Avram has no children and he fears that his servant, a foreigner, will inherit all his earthly wealth. It is then that Elohim makes 2 promises to Avram: the first is that his offspring will be as hard to enumerate as the stars in the night sky, and the second is that Elohim will see to it that the land where he is standing will go to his offspring. Elohim says: “I am HASHEM (Adonai) who brought you out of Ur kasdim to give you this land to inherit it.” (15:7)
They seal the covenant with a special offering made by Avram to Elohim, and then Avram sleeps, and during that sleep, Elohimreveals more about His promise. He says,“Know with certainty that your offspring shall be aliens in a land not their own – and they will serve them, and they will oppress them – four hundred years. But also the nation that they will serve, I shall judge, and afterwards they will leave with great wealth,. As for you; you shall come to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And the fourth generation shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite shall not yet be full until then.”
The gist then, is that the descendants of Avram will inherit what is the Promised Land / Israel, eventually. First, however, there will be a period of exile in a foreign land which, it seems, will last four hundred years. It is here that some of the controversy begins. Some scholars say that the period of 400 years is strictly the amount of time spent actually in Egypt, but this can not be backed up by any archaeological evidence or dating processes. Others say that the time of exile is broken into two components and must include the 20-21 years that Ya’acov (Jacob) spent in Haranwith Laban’s family, working to ‘pay for’ his wife Rachel. While possible, I think this smacks of trying to ‘manipulate’ numbers to work out post-facto, and so I really can’t accept this explanation. Another interpretation is that the prophecy does not actually begin until the birth of Yitzchak (Isaac) who, because he did not have a permanent home like Avram his father, was considered an alien in his own land.
Sometimes, however, the simplest explanation is likely to be the case. Rashi, a 10th century scholar of the Torah and Tenakh, refers to the Rabbinic tradition which explains the span of 430 years mentioned in Sh’mot/Exodus 12:40 this way: “Although the verse gives the duration of Israel’s stay in Egyptas 430 years, it is clear that the nation could not have been in Egyptthat long... the Covenant between the Parts (Genesis 15:7-21 noted above) took place 430 years before the Exodus… at that time, Elohim foretold to Avramthat his offspring would endure 400 years, during which there would be exile, persecution, and servitude – but not necessarily all of them at the same time. Those 400 years began with the birth of Yitzchak, born thirty years after the above promise was made. Since the prophecy referred to Avram’s offspring, thus the Exodus was perfectly calibrated to conform to the prophecy given to Avram, for Yitzchak was born on the fifteenth of Nissan and exactly four hundred years later, precisely at the deadline of the prescribed time, the Israelites were liberated. The actual sojourn in Egypt[therefore, would have] lasted 210 years.” (Source: The Stone Edition Art Scroll Chumash, commentary notes pg 359)
A copy of ancient paintings ffound in an Egyptian Tomb which shows the arrival of the Hebrew/Israelite people coming into Egypt..
With respect to the four generations involved in exile in Egypt, we note that Ya’acov ben
Yitzchak (Jacob), who goes with his sons to sojourn in Egypt during the famine, does not spend his whole life there. In fact he was already 130 years of age, so Ya’acov is not part of the count of generations. By the same token, his eleven sons who accompany him, (remember Yosef (Joseph) was already there). and the others in the group of Israelites totalling 70, make the trip along with Ya’acov, but that generation also has grown up outside Egypt and so too, they are not part of the count of generations. However, included in that group of 70 is a young man, possibly a child, named Kohath (Genesis 46:11), the son of Levi, and grandson of Ya’acov. (He would be a contemporary of Yosef’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh.) Kohath will eventually have a son whose name will be Amram. (By some counts, a particular young woman is included in the original 70, namely Yochebedwho, according to tradition, was born “as the tribes entered Egypt” (SEASC, pg 256). She will eventually marry Amram, and they will become the parents of Miriam, Aharon and Moshe). Remembering that during the time in the wilderness, all the generations (up to and including the contemporaries of Moshe and Aharon) will die off, we realize that the next generation (that is, their children) under the leadership of Y’hoshua will be the ones to enter and take possession of the Promised Land, they are the so-called “Fourth Generation”. (Note: Y’hoshua is the only member of the third generation to enter the Promised Land.)
Another ancient student of Torah, known as Rambam, adds another thought to our discussion. He points out that this situation “is a perfect illustration of how prophecies are often understood completely only after they come to pass. Until the Exodus, it was not known if the 400 years were to be dated from the prophecy to Avram, from the birth of Yitzchak, from Ya’acov’s descent into Egypt or from the beginning of the Egyptian servitude.” He goes on to say that a “sizeable number of the tribe of Ephraim, convinced that the 400 years began from the time of the Covenant, attempted a
mass escape thirty years before the Exodus , and many were slaughtered by the
Philistines.” (ibid. pg 359). This is a good lesson teaching the inefficacy of jumping ahead of the Lord’s timing.
What we can know with some certainty is that not all the years spent n Egypt involved slavery and suffering. We read that Ya’acov and his family prospered in the land of Goshen raising sheep – even then an occupation which was frowned upon by non-shepherds. (Note Yosef’s comment regarding his and Ya’acov’s meeting with Pharaoh in Genesis 46:34) We see that Ya’acov was 130 years old when the Israelites entered the land, and that he lived an additional seventeen years (47:28). They settled in Goshen and were prosperous, as it says “they acquired property in it and they were fruitful and multiplied greatly.” (47:27) Further, we know that Yosef lived to the age of 110 years. He was about 17 years of age when he was sold into slavery by his brothers, so that means about 93 years of the time in Egypt(11 of which he spent in prison) have passed when Yosef dies. All that we know after that is that an unknown period of time passes before we begin to see Moshe arise. We know that he is 80 years old when the Exodus takes place. Given that he was born early in the time of oppression, we can therefore assume (if the SEASC commentary is accurate) that the suffering lasted between 80 and 130 years.
But what could have led to the change of atmosphere in which the Israelites lived? One author has attempted to explain it in a way alluded to, but not clarified in Scripture, but by trying to interpret Egyptian archaeology. He writes: “For four doleful centuries, according to Biblical chronology, the Jews remained in Egypt. The Egyptians, who, in the meantime, chased out the Hyksos and placed a new Egyptian dynasty on the throne (c 1570
BCE) transformed the Jews into slaves.
According to the “historian” Josephus, the Jews were forced to dig canals, build walls, embankments, cities and the pyramids (although the pyramids had [apparently] already existed for about 2000 years. [??]) Josephus continues to say that all this occurred as a result of envy, because the Jews were hard workers who grew in number and were prosperous. What is more probable, according to this author, is that during the Egyptian struggle against the Hyksos, the Jews aligned themselves with the wrong side (the Hyksos) and that the slavery was the price they had to pay when the foreign pharaohs were defeated. This is suggested by the story of Yosef, who was favoured and protected by the [Hyksos] pharaoh of the time.” He goes on to state that “They [had] enjoyed a sort of independence under the administration of their 12 princes, cultivating their lands and grazing their animals. Some had even become skilled craftsmen. [as attested to by those conscripted to work on the Mishkan in the wilderness.]
“Unlike other immigrants that had been assimilated into the Egyptian population, the Jews had maintained their beliefs, customs, language and religion.” [Although this is possible, it should be noted here that when they are in the desert, they will show signs of having been greatly influenced by the pagan practices of Egypt.] This [may explain] why they were persecuted by Ramesses II around 1300 BCE. The author goes on to say that “the Jews formed an extraneous community [which] settled in a key region too close to Egypt’s western border. He says that, “the wall ran from the shore of the Mediterranean to LakeTimsah and prevented access to the country from the Sur Desertto the north east. This was the direction from which the Hittites – against whom the pharaoh was at war – would attack. Ramesses feared revolts and betrayal by those citizens of Egypt that had retained their own identity… so it was that the Jews were obliged to make the clay bricks and lay them under the eyes of supervisors, and ‘the more that died’, thought the pharaoh, ‘the better it will be’. But [as the opening words of Exodus tell us] though they were exhausted by the work and maltreatment, the tough Jews did not die in great enough number… ‘the more they were oppressed, the greater their numbers grew’.”
In the end, however, no matter how long the tyranny under which the Israelites lived near the end of their sojourn in Egypt, there is at least one thing which we today can take to heart. That is simply that “when God says that He will do something, especially for His people, it will come to pass.” We may not know how long we will have to wait, but God is a Promise Keeper, He is faithful in all His undertakings. As difficult as this may be, in any situation in which one might find themselves, we are simply reminded to keep faith in Him Who has promised to be the protector of His people, the One who, as Sha’ul says “can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation, He will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Sha’ul, who was no stranger to being tested, has also said that sometimes we are tested by the things of this life to see whether we will remain true and faithful to Adonai, to see if we will stop relying on our own means and learn to trust Him to provide the answers we seek, in due time. So, when we might want to cry out in desperation, “How Long, Adonai, How Long?” we can come to trust that our answer will come “in the fullness of time”!
Most Biblical quotes are from the SEAEC. Others from D. Stern's Complete Jewish Bible.
Painting Credit - Top of Page: “Chosen People Calendar, March 2013 / Marius Sorbala”
Egyptian Works: "The Holy Bible: Places and Stories from the Old and New Testament,
Editors include: Valeria Manferto De Favianis, JG Press2003, pgs 84,85
Comments on this, or any of our teaching pages are always welcome.
Click here and follow the directions.
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Yitzchak (Jacob), who goes with his sons to sojourn in Egypt during the famine, does not spend his whole life there. In fact he was already 130 years of age, so Ya’acov is not part of the count of generations. By the same token, his eleven sons who accompany him, (remember Yosef (Joseph) was already there). and the others in the group of Israelites totalling 70, make the trip along with Ya’acov, but that generation also has grown up outside Egypt and so too, they are not part of the count of generations. However, included in that group of 70 is a young man, possibly a child, named Kohath (Genesis 46:11), the son of Levi, and grandson of Ya’acov. (He would be a contemporary of Yosef’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh.) Kohath will eventually have a son whose name will be Amram. (By some counts, a particular young woman is included in the original 70, namely Yochebedwho, according to tradition, was born “as the tribes entered Egypt” (SEASC, pg 256). She will eventually marry Amram, and they will become the parents of Miriam, Aharon and Moshe). Remembering that during the time in the wilderness, all the generations (up to and including the contemporaries of Moshe and Aharon) will die off, we realize that the next generation (that is, their children) under the leadership of Y’hoshua will be the ones to enter and take possession of the Promised Land, they are the so-called “Fourth Generation”. (Note: Y’hoshua is the only member of the third generation to enter the Promised Land.)
Another ancient student of Torah, known as Rambam, adds another thought to our discussion. He points out that this situation “is a perfect illustration of how prophecies are often understood completely only after they come to pass. Until the Exodus, it was not known if the 400 years were to be dated from the prophecy to Avram, from the birth of Yitzchak, from Ya’acov’s descent into Egypt or from the beginning of the Egyptian servitude.” He goes on to say that a “sizeable number of the tribe of Ephraim, convinced that the 400 years began from the time of the Covenant, attempted a
mass escape thirty years before the Exodus , and many were slaughtered by the
Philistines.” (ibid. pg 359). This is a good lesson teaching the inefficacy of jumping ahead of the Lord’s timing.
What we can know with some certainty is that not all the years spent n Egypt involved slavery and suffering. We read that Ya’acov and his family prospered in the land of Goshen raising sheep – even then an occupation which was frowned upon by non-shepherds. (Note Yosef’s comment regarding his and Ya’acov’s meeting with Pharaoh in Genesis 46:34) We see that Ya’acov was 130 years old when the Israelites entered the land, and that he lived an additional seventeen years (47:28). They settled in Goshen and were prosperous, as it says “they acquired property in it and they were fruitful and multiplied greatly.” (47:27) Further, we know that Yosef lived to the age of 110 years. He was about 17 years of age when he was sold into slavery by his brothers, so that means about 93 years of the time in Egypt(11 of which he spent in prison) have passed when Yosef dies. All that we know after that is that an unknown period of time passes before we begin to see Moshe arise. We know that he is 80 years old when the Exodus takes place. Given that he was born early in the time of oppression, we can therefore assume (if the SEASC commentary is accurate) that the suffering lasted between 80 and 130 years.
But what could have led to the change of atmosphere in which the Israelites lived? One author has attempted to explain it in a way alluded to, but not clarified in Scripture, but by trying to interpret Egyptian archaeology. He writes: “For four doleful centuries, according to Biblical chronology, the Jews remained in Egypt. The Egyptians, who, in the meantime, chased out the Hyksos and placed a new Egyptian dynasty on the throne (c 1570
BCE) transformed the Jews into slaves.
According to the “historian” Josephus, the Jews were forced to dig canals, build walls, embankments, cities and the pyramids (although the pyramids had [apparently] already existed for about 2000 years. [??]) Josephus continues to say that all this occurred as a result of envy, because the Jews were hard workers who grew in number and were prosperous. What is more probable, according to this author, is that during the Egyptian struggle against the Hyksos, the Jews aligned themselves with the wrong side (the Hyksos) and that the slavery was the price they had to pay when the foreign pharaohs were defeated. This is suggested by the story of Yosef, who was favoured and protected by the [Hyksos] pharaoh of the time.” He goes on to state that “They [had] enjoyed a sort of independence under the administration of their 12 princes, cultivating their lands and grazing their animals. Some had even become skilled craftsmen. [as attested to by those conscripted to work on the Mishkan in the wilderness.]
“Unlike other immigrants that had been assimilated into the Egyptian population, the Jews had maintained their beliefs, customs, language and religion.” [Although this is possible, it should be noted here that when they are in the desert, they will show signs of having been greatly influenced by the pagan practices of Egypt.] This [may explain] why they were persecuted by Ramesses II around 1300 BCE. The author goes on to say that “the Jews formed an extraneous community [which] settled in a key region too close to Egypt’s western border. He says that, “the wall ran from the shore of the Mediterranean to LakeTimsah and prevented access to the country from the Sur Desertto the north east. This was the direction from which the Hittites – against whom the pharaoh was at war – would attack. Ramesses feared revolts and betrayal by those citizens of Egypt that had retained their own identity… so it was that the Jews were obliged to make the clay bricks and lay them under the eyes of supervisors, and ‘the more that died’, thought the pharaoh, ‘the better it will be’. But [as the opening words of Exodus tell us] though they were exhausted by the work and maltreatment, the tough Jews did not die in great enough number… ‘the more they were oppressed, the greater their numbers grew’.”
In the end, however, no matter how long the tyranny under which the Israelites lived near the end of their sojourn in Egypt, there is at least one thing which we today can take to heart. That is simply that “when God says that He will do something, especially for His people, it will come to pass.” We may not know how long we will have to wait, but God is a Promise Keeper, He is faithful in all His undertakings. As difficult as this may be, in any situation in which one might find themselves, we are simply reminded to keep faith in Him Who has promised to be the protector of His people, the One who, as Sha’ul says “can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation, He will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Sha’ul, who was no stranger to being tested, has also said that sometimes we are tested by the things of this life to see whether we will remain true and faithful to Adonai, to see if we will stop relying on our own means and learn to trust Him to provide the answers we seek, in due time. So, when we might want to cry out in desperation, “How Long, Adonai, How Long?” we can come to trust that our answer will come “in the fullness of time”!
Most Biblical quotes are from the SEAEC. Others from D. Stern's Complete Jewish Bible.
Painting Credit - Top of Page: “Chosen People Calendar, March 2013 / Marius Sorbala”
Egyptian Works: "The Holy Bible: Places and Stories from the Old and New Testament,
Editors include: Valeria Manferto De Favianis, JG Press2003, pgs 84,85
Comments on this, or any of our teaching pages are always welcome.
Click here and follow the directions.
= = = =========================================================== = = =