Gal 3:17 [Textus Receptus (Elzevir) (1624)]636
Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω, διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς Χριστὸν, ὁ μετὰ ἔτη τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα γεγονὼς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ, εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν.
Gal 3:17 [Codex Sinaiticus (א or 01) (4th century)]
τουτο δε λεγω διαθηκην προκεκυρωμενην ϋπο του θυ ο μετα τετρακοσια και τριακοντα ετη γεγονως νομος ουκ ακυροι εις το καταργησαι την επαγγελιαν
Gal 3:17 [Codex Alexandrinus (Royal MS 1 D VIII) (A02) (5th century)]
Gal 3:17 [Codex Vaticanus Gr. 1209 (B03) (4th century)]
Gal 3:17 [Codex Claromontanus (Grec 107) (D06) (5th century)]
Critical Apparatus :
(1) εις χριστον : Elzevir
(2) OMIT εις χριστον : א
(3) ετη τετρακοσια και τριακοντα : Elzevir
(4) τετρακοσια και τριακοντα ετη : א
A Textual Commentary On Galatians 3:17
(1) In one place, as Gesenius himself points out, the Samaritan agrees with the Septuagint in adding “and in the land of Canaan” (Exod. xii. 40) to the statement, “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.” This also agrees with the statement of Paul (Gal. iii. 17), as Gesenius acknowledges. Most people may consider this to be the true reading of the original. (J. Iverach Munro, The Samaritan Pentateuch And Modern Criticism, p. 30)
(2) The variant reading in Exodus 12:40—where the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Septuagint include “and in the land of Canaan”—has significant implications for biblical chronology. The Masoretic Text states:
MT (Exod. 12:40):
“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.”
Septuagint (LXX) and Samaritan Pentateuch:
“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel which they sojourned in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan was four hundred and thirty years.”
Theological and Chronological Implications:
- Harmonization with Galatians 3:17 – Paul states that the Law was given 430 years after God’s covenant with Abraham, which aligns more naturally with the LXX and Samaritan reading. If the 430 years include the patriarchal period in Canaan, then the actual time in Egypt would be shorter—closer to 215 years, based on genealogical calculations.
- Interpretation of Israel’s Sojourn – The Masoretic reading suggests a full 430 years in Egypt, while the LXX-Samaritan reading supports a broader period of sojourning that includes Canaan.
- Manuscript Evidence – The agreement between the LXX and the Samaritan Pentateuch suggests that this reading may reflect an older textual tradition than the MT. Gesenius, a highly regarded Hebrew scholar, acknowledges that many consider this to be the original reading.