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NASB | Genesis 15:16 "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 15:16 "Then in the fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete (finished)." [Josh 24:15] |
Subject: How long is a Biblical Generation ? |
Bible Note: Part Two - Joshua So, if the Israelites were in Egypt for 270 years, how can the genealogy of Joshua be explained (1 Chronicles 7:20-27)? 1. Joshua was a “young man” at the time of the exodus (Exodus 33:11). He was at least 20 years old because he was old enough to fight and lead in battle. Therefore, I will put his date of birth at 250 years (20 years old) of the 270 years. 2. Joseph is the patriarch in this line. We know that his son Ephraim was born in the 7 good years before the drought. Jacob and company arrived in the second year of the drought. Therefore, we will say Ephraim was born about 5 years before the start of the 270 years. This leaves a net of 255 years, which must be divided by 16 generations. A total of 18 generations including Joseph and Joshua. (I know there are a total of 11 generations for Joshua and I will explain below why I am using 18.) 245 years divided by 16 generations equals out to 16 years per generation. 3. Now 16 years for each generation is possible, but it would likely mean that each generation began with a firstborn child. 4. Jacob bought the family birthright, which normally went to the firstborn, from his brother Esau (Genesis 25:33). The birthright then passed to Joseph (1 Chronicles 5:2). Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh was the firstborn, but when Jacob blessed his grandsons, he transferred the birthright to Ephraim, despite Joseph’s objections (Genesis 48). Therefore, the birth-line from Ephraim to Joshua appears to be the birthright line, allowing Joshua to lead Israel into Canaan and be their leader. 5. Circa the 11th year of the Israelites in Egypt, Ephraim had a son, Shuthelah. 6. Circa the 27th year Shuthelah had a son, Bered. 7. Circa the 43rd year Bered had a son, Tahath. Tahath was the 3rd generation of Ephraim’s sons. Circa the 53rd year, Joseph died (Genesis 50:23). 8. Circa the 59th year, Tahath had a son, Eleadah. 9. Circa the 75th year, Eleadah had a son, Tahath. 10. Circa the 91st year, Tahath had a son, Zabad. 11. Circa the 109th year, Zabad had three sons, Shuthelah, Ezer and Elead. They were murdered by the men of Gath and this appears to have put an end to the line of the firstborn. This may partly be the reason that Ephraim mourned their deaths for many dates. Please note that Ephraim is now about 115 years old and these are his 6th great grandchildren! Ephraim, like Jacob, still retained the right to pass along the birthright as he desired. These are the 7 generations that were added to the 11 of Joshua. 12. Circa the 123th year, Ephraim has a son, Beriah (3rd Generation) by a different wife. 13. Circa the 139th year, Beriah has a son, Rephah. Beriah also has an additional son, Resheph and a daughter, Sheerah (4th Generation), who built lower and upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah in Canaan. Sheerah was likely born many years after Rephah, as many as a hundred years or more, when compared to the fact that her father was born when her Grandfather Ephraim was about 131 years old. This would make Sheerah 28 years old or even younger at the time of the Exodus. 14. Circa the 155th year, Rephah has a son, Telah. 15. Circa the 171th year, Telah has a son, Tahan. 16. Circa the 187th year, Tahan has a son, Ladan. 17. Circa the 203th year, Ladan has a son, Ammihud. 18. Circa the 219nd year, Ammihud has a son, Elishama. 19. Circa the 235th year, Elishama has a son, Nun. 20. Circa the 250th year, Nun has a son, Joshua. 21. 270, the Exodus. Holmes |