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Chosen no: R-5177 a, from: 1913 Year. |
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Abraham's Age On Entering Canaan
WE ARE in receipt of a number of letters,
calling attention to what seems to the writers an error in the Chronology given
in STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. II, relative to the date of Abraham's birth,
his entrance into Canaan, etc. For the sake of
these, as well as others who may have the same difficulty, we here enlarge upon
what is stated in Vol. II, pages 44-47.
Gen. 11:32says
that at his death Terah's age was two hundred and five years. Acts
7:4says that then Abraham removed into Canaan.
And Gen. 12:4 states that Abraham was
seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran. Hence Terah's age at Abraham's birth must
have been one hundred and thirty years.
But is not this out of harmony with Gen. 11:26, which says, "And Terah lived seventy
years and begat Abram, Nahor and Haran"?
We answer, No. The point of confusion is in the fact that Haran, the eldest, is
mentioned last, while Abram, the youngest, is mentioned first --possibly
because of his greater prominence in the narrative, or possibly, as a little
stumbling-block to hinder us from seeing the facts except as guided by the
Lord, in His due time.
That Haran
was the eldest of the sons of Terah is quite evident from the recorded facts.
His son Lot was old enough to be the companion
of his uncle Abraham. Lot and Abraham were
probably nearly of the same age, as each had his own flocks and herds and
herdsmen. When Sodom was destroyed Lot had two daughters of marriageable age and others
already married. This was before Isaac was born, Abraham being then ninety-nine
years old.--Gen. 17:24; 18:1,16;
19:8,14.
Again, notice the likelihood of Haran's
being much the oldest of Terah's sons, and Nahor the second, thus: Nahor
married one of his brother Haran's
daughters, Milcah (see Gen. 24:15), whose grand-daughter, Rebecca, became the wife of Abraham's son, Isaac.--Gen.
24:67.
Our reckoning as given in the STUDIES is,
therefore, sustained by all the known facts, as well as by the exact statements
of Scripture.
W.T. R-5177a : page 42 - 1913r