(ד) וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יהוה וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵחָרָֽן׃
(4) Abram went forth as the LORD had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
(יג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃
(13) And He said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years;
(א) כי גר יהיה זרעך. מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק עַד שֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְֹרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה כֵּיצַד? יִצְחָק בֶּן שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה כְּשֶׁנּוֹלַד יַעֲקֹב, וְיַעֲקֹב כְּשֶׁיָּרַד לְמִצְרַיִם אָמַר יְמֵי שְׁנֵי מְגוּרַי שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה, הֲרֵי ק"צ, וּבְמִצְרַיִם הָיוּ מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר כְּמִנְיַן רְד"וּ, הֲרֵי אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. וְאִם תֹּאמַר בְּמִצְרַיִם הָיוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, הֲרֵי קְהָת מִיּוֹרְדֵי מִצְרַיִם הָיָה, צֵא וַחֲשֹׁב שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל קְהָת וְשֶׁל עַמְרָם וּשְׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל משֶׁה שֶׁהָיָה כְּשֶׁיֶָּצְאוּ יִשְֹרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, אֵין אַתָּה מוֹצֵא אֶלָּא שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים, וְאַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְהוֹצִיא מֵהֶן כָּל הַשָּׁנִים שֶׁחַי קְהָת אַחַר לֵדַת עַמְרָם וְשֶׁחַי עַמְרָם אַחַר לֵדַת משֶׁה: (ב) בארץ לא להם. לֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, אֶלָּא לֹא לָהֶם – וּמִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק וַיָּגָר אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ' (בר' כ"א), וּבְיִצְחָק גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹאת (שם כ"ו), וְיַעֲקֹב גָּר בְּאֶרֶץ חָם (תה' ק"ה), לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ (בר' מ"ז):
(1) כי גר יהיה זרעך THAT THY SEED SHALL BE A STRANGER — From the birth of Isaac until Israel left Egypt was a period of 400 years. How so? Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born, and Jacob when he went down to Egypt himself stated, (Genesis 47:9) “The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years”, making together 190 years. In Egypt they were 210 years — corresponding to the numerical value of the word רדו (see Rashi in Genesis 42:2) — making altogether 400 years. If, however, you say that they were in Egypt 400 years — well, Kohath was one of those who went down to Egypt with Jacob; go and add up the years of Kohath (130), those of Amram (137), and the 80 years that Moses was old when Israel left Egypt, and you only have about 350, and you really have to deduct all the years that Kohath lived after Amram was born, and those that Amram lived after the birth of Moses (Megillah 9a). (2) בארץ לא להם IN A LAND THAT IS NOT THEIRS — It does not say here in the land of Egypt but in a land that is not theirs; for soon after Isaac was born it states, (Genesis 21:34) “And Abraham sojourned (ויגר) [in the land of the Philistines]”; in regard to Isaac it is said, (Genesis 26:3) “Sojourn (גור) in this land (Canaan)”, and of Jacob Scripture states, (Psalms 105:23) “Jacob sojourned (גר) in the land of Ham”, whilst of his sons it is said, (Genesis 47:4) “To sojourn (לגור) in the land (of Egypt) have we come”.
(ה) וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם בֶּן־מְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה בְּהִוָּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֥ק בְּנֽוֹ׃
(5) Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
(מ) וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃
(40) The length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years;
(א) אשר ישבו במצרים. אַחַר שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם: (ב) שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה. בֵּין הַכֹּל, מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק עַד עַכְשָׁו, הָיוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, מִשֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע לְאַבְרָהָם נִתְקַיֵּם כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה הָיוּ מִשֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְזֵרַת בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק; וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְבַדָּהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי קְהָת מִן הַבָּאִים עִם יַעֲקֹב הָיָה, צֵא וַחֲשֹׁב כָּל שְׁנוֹתָיו וְכָל שְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם בְּנוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, לֹא תִמְצָאֵם כָּל כָּךְ, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ הַרְבֵּה שָׁנִים הָיוּ לִקְהָת עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָרַד לְמִצְרַיִם, וְהַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁנוֹת עַמְרָם נִבְלָעִים בִּשְׁנוֹת קְהָת, וְהַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה נִבְלָעִים בִּשְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם, הֲרֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִמְצָא אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת לְבִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, וְהֻזְקַקְתָּה לוֹמַר עַל כָּרְחֲךָ, שֶׁאַף שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת נִקְרְאוּ גֵּרוּת וַאֲפִלּוּ בְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר גָּר שָׁם אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק" (בראשית ל"ה), וְאוֹמֵר "אֶת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ בָהּ" (שמות ו'), לְפִיכָךְ אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ" מִשֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע, וּכְשֶׁתִּמְנֶה ת' שָׁנָה מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, תִּמְצָא מִבִּיאָתָן לְמִצְרַיִם עַד יְצִיאָתָן ר"י, וְזֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁשִּׁנּוּ לְתַלְמַי הַמֶּלֶךְ (מגילה ט'):
(1) אשר ישבו במצרים WHO ABODE IN EGYPT after the other settlements (i. e. including those also) which they had made as strangers in a land that was not theirs (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:40). (2) שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS — Altogether from the birth of Isaac until now were 400 years, and we must reckon from that event, for only from the time when Abraham had offspring from Sarah could the prophecy (Genesis 15:13) “Thy offspring shall be a stranger” be fulfilled; and there had been 30 years since that decree made at “the convenant between the parts” until the birth of Isaac. It is impossible to say that this means that they were 430 years in the land of Egypt alone, for Kohath was one of those who came into Egypt with Jacob (Genesis 46:11); go and reckon all his years and all the years of Amram his son and the whole eighty years of Moses, the latter’s son, until the Exodus and you will not find that they total to so many; and you must admit that Kohath had already lived many years before he went down to Egypt, and that many of Amram’s years are included in the years of his father Kohath, and that many of the 80 years of Moses are included in the years of his father Amram, so that you see that you will not find 400 years from the time of Israel’s coming into Egypt until the Exodus. You are compelled to admit, even though unwillingly, that the other settlements which the patriarchs made in lands other than Egypt come also under the name of “sojourning as a stranger” (גרות), including also that at Hebron, even though it was in Canaan itself, because it is said, (Genesis 35:27) “[Hebron] where Abraham and Isaac sojourned”, and it says, (Exodus 6:4) “[the land Canaan], the land of their sojournings wherein they sojourned”. Consequently you must necessarily say that the prophecy, “thy offspring shall be strangers… [four hundred years]” began only from the time when he had offspring. And only if you reckon the 400 years from the birth of Isaac will you find that from the time they came into Egypt until the time they left it, was 210 years (as alluded to in Genesis 15:13). This was one of the passages which they altered for king Ptolemy (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:40; Megillah 9a).
(לא) וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃
(31) Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan; but when they had come as far as Haran, they settled there.
(ל) וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד׃
(30) Now Sarai was barren, she had no child.
(כח) וְיִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים מִטַּל֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְרֹ֥ב דָּגָ֖ן וְתִירֹֽשׁ׃
(28) “May God give you Of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, Abundance of new grain and wine.
(א) ויתן לך. וְיַחֲזֹר וְיִתֵּן (בראשית רבה).
(1) ויתן לך AND GOD WILL GIVE THEE —And He will give (Genesis Rabbah 66:3).
I am interpreting the Midrash on the blessing in this Pasuk differently than the usual. The implied question of the Midrash is why does the Pasuk begin with the conjunctive "and". As a blessing, it should begin: "God will give you", not, AND God will give you. The words of the Midrash to explain this conjunctive are "yitain v'ychzor v'yitain", usually interpreted as God will give AND give more. i.e. it is about abundance.
I suggest this is about the physics / ontology / chronology of receiving. If you want to start the flow, the rhythm of the blessing of give and take, we- humans - must first give. The Bracha is, that God will respond and give in return. So "yitain v'yachzor v'yitain" means when we begin a process by giving - we will get the response of receiving. As if the Pasuk is saying: when we initiate and give - using our free will, God will respond "And God will give (back)".
Issue and Notes
If the 430 years include 30 years from Bris Bein Ha'Bisarim (BBhB) to the Exodus, and 400 years is from the birth of Yitzchok, and Avraham was 100 years old when Yitzchok was born, then BBhB occured when Avraham was 70. God's command of Lech Lecha occurs when Avraham is 75. So although BBhB appears in Torah after the event of Lech Lecha, it must have occurred 5 years before, when Avraham was 70. By virtue of God saying in the Bris that He will give Avraham all "this land", it implies Avraham was in Canaan at the time. Thus, we need to conclude that Avraham traveled to Canaan "on his own" 5 years before Lech Lecha, God encounters him there and creates the covenant BBhB then Avraham returns home to Charan, and the command of Lech Lecha occurs 5 years later, when Avraham is 75.
Is it odd that Avraham found himself in Canaan before the command of Lech Lecha? Avraham's father, Terach, moved the family from Ur with the intent of settling in Canaan. It was obviously a destination. Terach and family never make it to Canaan, and settle in Charan (Turkey). Maybe Avraham journeys to Canaan on his own without family.
It is interesting to think of Avraham as having God's covenant and promise of land, and obviously too, a promise of children notwithstanding that the Torah has already told us that Sari was an "akarah", even before Lech Lecha. Lech Lecha only puts the plan in motion.
Chronologically, Avraham is chosen in BBhB at age 70, not in the command of Lech Lecha at age 75. Might Avraham's being chosen, somehow be tied to his voluntary interest in going to Canaan and being there before God's first appearance to him.
If we follow the process of "yitain v'yachzor v'yitain" which I describe above, we can employ the concept that God chooses Avraham as a covenantal partner to inherit the land, because Avraham takes the initiative to go to that land. Avraham seeks out the "special", so God then seeks Avraham, and 5 years later asks Avraham to return to the covenantal land to begin the journey to be Israel.
(Why Avraham chooses to go from Charan to Canaan needs to be discussed. Maybe he feels drawn for some reason. Maybe its to fulfil the intent of his father, who leaves Ur to resettle in Canaan, but ends his, and his family's journey in Charan. Maybe its because its a trade route, which may be why Terach wanted to go there previously).
It is interesting that in BBhB God refers to God's self as 'the One who took Avram from Ur Kasdim'. If we start the story (chronologically) from Lech Lecha, the point of departure should be Charan. However, if we understand that BBhB may have occurred before Lech Lecha, God would refer to God's self as having taken Avram (and Terach) from Ur Kasdim.