^12:40Now the length of time the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years.⁹⁹^12:41At the end of the 430 years, on the very day, all the regiments¹⁰⁰ of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt. ^12:42It was a night of vigil for the Lord to bring them out from the land of Egypt,¹⁰¹ and so¹⁰² on this night all Israel is to keep the vigil¹⁰³ to the Lord for generations to come.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

99 Here as well some scholars work with the number 430 to try to reduce the stay in Egypt for the bondage. Some argue that if the number included the time in Canaan, that would reduce the bondage by half. S. R. Driver (Exodus, ) notes that P thought Moses was the fourth generation from Jacob (6:16–27), if those genealogies are not selective. Exodus 6 has Levi—Kohath—Amram—Moses. This would require a period of about 100 years, and that is unusual. There is evidence, however, that the list is selective. In 1 Chr 2:3–20 the text has Bezalel (see Exod 31:2–5) a contemporary of Moses and yet the seventh from Judah. Elishama, a leader of the Ephraimites (Num 10:22), was in the ninth generation from Jacob (1 Chr 7:22–26). Joshua, Moses’ assistant, was the eleventh from Jacob (1 Chr 7:27). So the “four generations” leading up to Moses are not necessarily complete. With regard to Exod 6, K. A. Kitchen has argued that the four names do not indicate successive generations, but tribe (Levi), clan (Kohath), family (Amram), and individual (Moses; K. A. Kitchen, Ancient Orient and Old Testament, 54–55). For a detailed discussion of the length of the sojourn, see E. H. Merrill, A Kingdom of Priests, 75–79.
100 This military term is used elsewhere in Exodus (e.g., 6:26; 7:4; 12:17, 50), but here the Israelites are called “the regiments of the Lord.”
101 There is some ambiguity in לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים הוּא לַיהוָה (lel shimmurim hu’ la’adonay [layhveh]). It is likely that this first clause means that Yahweh was on watch for Israel to bring them out, as the next clause says. He was protecting his people (S. R. Driver, Exodus, ). Then, the night of vigil will be transferred to Israel, who now must keep it “to” him.
102 “and so” has been supplied.
103 Heb “this night is for Yahweh a vigil for all Israelites for their generations.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the Lord’s military divisions went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of vigil in honor of the Lord, because he would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the Lord, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.

NLTNew Living Translation

The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the period of dwelling of the Israelites that they dwelled in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on this exact day, all of Yahweh’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night of vigils belonging to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; it is this night belonging to Yahweh with vigils for all of the Israelites throughout their generations.

KJV 1900King James Version

Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 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. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Public Domain