How long in Egypt?

‎The prophecy is (Gen. 15:16), “In the fourth generation they shall come hither again.” And the fact is that Moses was the fourth from Levi who represented the first generation after Abraham. (Thus: 1.—Levi. 2.—Kohath. 3.—Amram. 4.—Moses.) In the fourth generation after Abraham, Israel was delivered. Here is a key to the meaning of that part of the same prophecy which says, “they shall afflict them 400 years.” The four hundred years are the measure of the time occupied by the four generations after Abraham. Consequently, “J.M.” errs in making them begin with the death of Joseph. They begin with the delivery of the prophecy to Abraham. They are an indication of the length of time that would elapse before the seed of Abraham would begin to exist as a free and independent nation. This time is described as a time during which they were to be “strangers in a land that is not theirs,” and relatively in a state of affliction. This reads as if it were applicable to Egypt only: but we must interpret it in harmony with the facts. They were not in Egypt 400 years. Part of the 400 years they were in Canaan, and they were strangers in Canaan as well as in Egypt. They sojourned “in the land of promise as in a strange country.”—(Heb. 11:9.) Abraham himself said he was a stranger and a sojourner with the children of Heth.—(Gen. 23:4.) The judgment of “that nation whom they should serve” is an episode after the 400 years should expire—how long after is not stated, but it proved to be 30 years after. With those facts in view, the statement of Moses, in Ex. 12:40, is capable of being understood without difficulty, thus: “Now the sojourning (that is, from the time of the promise to the exodus) of the children of Israel who dwelt (260 years) in Egypt was 430 years.”

. Vol. 13: The Christadelphian: Volume 13. 2001 (electronic ed.) (555–556). Birmingham: Christadelphian Magazine & Publishing Association.