Post by Lee on Jan 12, 2014 16:01:19 GMT
Having thus settled himself, “he sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days”. How long he continued there may be learned from the following considerations.
In his speech before the Sanhedrim, Stephen says: “When Abraham’s father was dead, he removed him into this land wherein ye dwell”; that is, he returned from Philistia to “Hebron in the land of Canaan”. Now Terah, Abraham’s father, was seventy years old when Abraham was born; so that when Isaac was born at Beer-sheba, Terah was a hundred and seventy. But Terah lived two hundred and five years, and then died at Haran; and it was after his death that Abraham removed to Hebron, where Sarah died, aged one hundred and twenty-seven. Now she died two years after Terah; so that it was in this two years that Abraham left Philistia. But Stephen says it was when Terah died he moved to Canaan, which makes the “many days” he sojourned in the Philistine’s land thirty-five years from the birth of Isaac. This simple statement of facts removes a difficulty which has puzzled chronologists exceedingly. Moses says Terah died in Haran aged two hundred and five; and Stephen is made to say that Abraham removed from Haran to Canaan when Terah died, thereby making Sarah a resident of the country only two years!
This is the fault of the English version, which renders χἀχει̂πεν, “from thence” instead of afterwards, as it ought to be.* “Abraham”, said Stephen, “dwelt in Haran; and afterwards”—How long after?—“When his father was dead, he removed him”—Where from? From Beer-sheba of the Philistines. Where to? To Hebron “in this land wherein ye dwell”. Thus Moses and Stephen agree.
Thomas, D. J. (1990). Elpis Israel: An exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed.) (256). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.
In his speech before the Sanhedrim, Stephen says: “When Abraham’s father was dead, he removed him into this land wherein ye dwell”; that is, he returned from Philistia to “Hebron in the land of Canaan”. Now Terah, Abraham’s father, was seventy years old when Abraham was born; so that when Isaac was born at Beer-sheba, Terah was a hundred and seventy. But Terah lived two hundred and five years, and then died at Haran; and it was after his death that Abraham removed to Hebron, where Sarah died, aged one hundred and twenty-seven. Now she died two years after Terah; so that it was in this two years that Abraham left Philistia. But Stephen says it was when Terah died he moved to Canaan, which makes the “many days” he sojourned in the Philistine’s land thirty-five years from the birth of Isaac. This simple statement of facts removes a difficulty which has puzzled chronologists exceedingly. Moses says Terah died in Haran aged two hundred and five; and Stephen is made to say that Abraham removed from Haran to Canaan when Terah died, thereby making Sarah a resident of the country only two years!
This is the fault of the English version, which renders χἀχει̂πεν, “from thence” instead of afterwards, as it ought to be.* “Abraham”, said Stephen, “dwelt in Haran; and afterwards”—How long after?—“When his father was dead, he removed him”—Where from? From Beer-sheba of the Philistines. Where to? To Hebron “in this land wherein ye dwell”. Thus Moses and Stephen agree.
Thomas, D. J. (1990). Elpis Israel: An exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed.) (256). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.