And God spoke on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
That.
Genesis 15:13,16 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; …
four.
Exodus 12:40,41 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years…
Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land
This prophecy refers to the Israelites' future sojourn in Egypt. The term "foreigners" indicates their status as non-citizens, which is significant in the ancient Near Eastern context where land and lineage were crucial for identity and rights. The "strange land" is Egypt, where the Israelites lived as aliens, as seen in Genesis 47:4. This foreshadows the Exodus narrative and highlights the theme of God's people living in a world that is not their ultimate home.
and that they would be enslaved
This part of the prophecy foretells the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt, as described in Exodus 1:8-14. The historical context of Egyptian slavery involved harsh labor and oppression, which is a central theme in the narrative of Israel's deliverance. This period of enslavement serves as a type of the bondage of sin, from which Christ delivers believers.
and mistreated
The mistreatment of the Israelites in Egypt included not only forced labor but also attempts to suppress their population, as seen in Exodus 1:15-22. This reflects the broader biblical theme of the suffering of God's people and God's eventual intervention on their behalf. It also prefigures the persecution faced by the early church and believers throughout history.
four hundred years
The "four hundred years" is a rounded figure that corresponds to the period of Israel's sojourn and oppression in Egypt. This timeframe is also mentioned in Genesis 15:13 and is reconciled with the 430 years mentioned in Exodus 12:40-41, which includes the time from Abraham's covenant to the Exodus. This period signifies a complete cycle of testing and preparation for the fulfillment of God's promises, culminating in the Exodus, which is a type of Christ's redemptive work.
“God spoke as follows: ‘Your descendants will be foreigners in a land not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.’ ” (Acts 7:6)
• “Him” is Abraham, first called by God in Genesis 12:1–3 and later assured in Genesis 15:13–14 that the unfolding plan would include a long sojourn and affliction.
• Stephen, retelling Israel’s history, highlights God’s initiative—He is the One who reveals, directs, and guarantees every step (Genesis 17:1–8).
• The promise points beyond Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes (Genesis 12:7; 22:17).
• This lineage is not merely biological; it is covenantal—God binds Himself to the offspring (Exodus 3:15–16).
• Even when circumstances grow dark, the family line remains the channel of blessing (Romans 9:7–8).
• “Foreigners” underscores displacement; Egypt was never meant to be their home (Genesis 46:1–4).
• Joseph’s rise prepared the refuge, yet by Exodus 1:8 “a new king… did not know Joseph,” turning hospitality into hardship.
• Living as outsiders trains God’s people to rely on Him alone (Deuteronomy 10:19; Hebrews 11:9).
• Exodus 1:11–14 recounts forced labor: “They made their lives bitter with arduous labor”.
• Oppression fulfills God’s forewarning but also sets the stage for His mighty deliverance (Exodus 3:7–8; Psalm 105:23–25).
• Affliction does not negate the covenant; it showcases God’s power to redeem (Romans 8:18).
• Genesis 15:13 gives the same figure; Galatians 3:17 shows the period ends with the giving of the Law.
• The number is literal yet rounded, matching the 430 years in Exodus 12:40–41 that count from Jacob’s arrival to the Exodus.
• God rules the calendar; the duration is fixed by His wisdom, proving His sovereignty over history (Acts 17:26).
Acts 7:6 reminds us that God foreknew Israel’s exile, foretold its hardship, limited its length, and pledged deliverance. Abraham’s descendants would suffer, yet every moment unfolded under the watchful hand of the covenant-keeping God who turns bondage into blessing and strangers into heirs.
(6) And that they should bring them into bondage . . .--Here again there is another apparent discrepancy of detail. Taking the common computation, the interval between the covenant with Abraham and that with Moses was 430 years (Galatians 3:17), of which only 215 are reckoned as spent in Egypt. The Israelites were indeed sojourners in a strange land for the whole 430 years, but the history shows that they were not in bondage nor evil entreated till the Pharaoh arose who knew not Joseph. The chronological difficulty, however, lies in reconciling St. Paul's statement in Galatians 3:17 with the language of Genesis 15:13, which gives 400 years as the sojourning in Egypt, and Exodus 12:40, which gives 430, and with which St. Stephen is in substantial agreement. St. Paul appears to have followed the LXX. reading of Exodus 12:40, which inserts "in the land of Cannan," and in some MSS. "they and their fathers," and with this the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees. Josephus varies, in some passages (Ant. ii. 15, ? 2), giving 215 years; in others (Ant. ii. 9, ? 1; Wars, v. 9, ? 4), 400. All that can be said is, as before, that chronological accuracy did not affect the argument in either case. It was enough for St. Stephen, as for St. Paul, to accept this or that system of dates, as they had been taught, without inquiring into the grounds on which it rested. Such inquiries were foreign to the Jewish character generally, and above all to that character when possessed by the sense of new and divine realities. Round numbers were enough for them to mark the successive stages of God's dealings with His people.Verse 6. - In a strange land; a land belonging to some one else (Hebrews 11:9, γῆ ἀλλοτρία, as here); a land in which he had none inheritance, not yet become the possession of his seed; for as the writer to the Hebrews says, he dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob; not applicable, therefore, in the first instance to Egypt at all. And this sojourning as strangers and pilgrims lasted altogether four hundred and thirty years, vie. two hundred and fifteen years in Canaan, and two hundred and fifteen in Egypt; which agrees exactly with St. Paul's reckoning in round numbers of four hundred years from the giving of the promise to Abraham to the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai (Galatians 3:17). The "four hundred years" must not be taken in connection with the bondage" and the ill treatment which characterized the last half of the period, but as spoken of the whole period during which they had not possession of the promised land. Bring them into bondage. So the LXX.; but the Hebrew, as rendered in the A.V., has "and they shall serve them." But some (see Gesenius, 'Thes.') render the Hebrew as the LXX. Do. Four hundred years. This is a round number, as in Genesis 15:13. The exact time, as given in Exodus 12:40, 41, was four hundred and thirty years.