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In an answer on Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange addressing the duration of Israel's enslavement in Egypt, user conceptualinertia writes,

Gal[atians] 3:16-17 [a reference to a passage in the Christian New Testament] is line with the Oral Tradition (that Orthodox Jews believe provides authoritative interpretation of the Old Testament). Abraham is told that his children will sojourn in "a land that is is not their own" for 400 years (Genesis 15:13). Egypt is not specified and neither is it clear that the suffering and enslavement would last the full 400 years (in the cantorial notes there is full stop, which functions like a semi-colon) before the words "400 years"). The Jewish tradition understands the 400 years to begin with the birth of Isaac who was always a sojourner, moving from place to place and never governing land.

Which sources in the Jewish Oral Tradition discuss relation between 400 years and the duration of the Egyptian exile?

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The primary source for these calculations is Midrash Seder Olam Rabba, chapter 3. Unfortunately the translation on Sefaria is wrong:

It was said to our forefather Abraham at the Covenant Between the Pieces (Gen. 15:13): "You shall certainly know that your seed will be strangers in a foreign land for 400 years." Who is the seed? That is Isaac, of whom it is said (Gen. 21:12): "Because Isaac will be called seed for you." About Isaac it says (Gen. 25:26): "Isaac was 60 years of age when they were born." Our forefather Jacob said to Pharaoh (Gen. 47:9): "The days of the years of my wandering are 130 years". This makes together 190 years, this leaves 210 years, a sign for the lifetime of Job who was born at that time as it is said (Job 42:16): "Job lived thereafter 140 years" and it is said (Job 42:10): "The Eternal added double to all that Job had". It turns out that Job was born when Israel descended to Egypt and he died when they left.

Or maybe that Israel was in Egypt the full 400 years? But Kehat was among those who entered Egypt (Gen. 46:11) and it is written (Ex. 6:18): "the years of the life of Kehat were 133 years," (Ex. 6:20) "the years of the life of Amram 137 years." Together with 80 years of Moses this makes 350 years. What does Scripture teach us in the verse (Gen. 15:13) "they will enslave them and mistreat them for 400 years" that all the time they spent in a land that was not theirs adds up to 400 years; "they will enslave them" (these are the years of slavery) "and mistreat them" (these are the years of deprivation) and all of them together add up to 400 years.

The commentary provides futher details as to how these numbers are reconciled between different texts. It can also be added to the answer.

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  • Thank you! Are there other translations of this text available?
    – kj7rrv
    Commented Sep 25 at 17:55
  • @kj7rrv I do not know. You could easily try Google translate from the text in Sefaria to check it out.
    – Y DJ
    Commented Sep 25 at 18:08
  • Thank you! I'll do that.
    – kj7rrv
    Commented Sep 25 at 18:12

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