Inhoud: Probleem, Josef later gebore, Jakob trou vroeër, Bylaag A: Geskiedenis volgens The Annals of the World

Josef was 30 jaar oud toe hy in diens van die farao getree het (Gen 41:46)

Tydens die eerste jaar van droogte in Egipte het Jakob sy seuns gestuur om koring te koop. Simeon is in die tronk gesit totdat die broers vir Benjamin gebring het. Tydens die tweede jaar het Jakob hulle weer gestuur. Hierdie keer het Benjamin saamgegaan sodat Simeon uit die tronk kon kom. Tydens hierdie geleentheid het Josef homself aan sy broers openbaar en Jakob en sy seun het na Egipte getrek. Jakob het aan die farao gesê dat hy 130 jaar oud was (Gen 47:9).

Op daardie stadium was Josef dus 30+7+2 = 39 jaar oud.

Josef was dus gebore toe Jakob 130-39 = 91 jaar oud was.

‘n Maand nadat Jakob by Laban in Haran aangekom het, het hy gevra of hy met Ragel kon trou (Gen 29:14-18). Hy moes egter sewe jaar vir haar werk en in Gen 29:21 sê Jakob: “Gee my nou my vrou. Die tyd is verby. Ek wil nou met haar trou.”

Laban bedrieg egter vir Jakob en laat hom met Lea trou. ‘n Week later trou hy egter met Ragel (Gen 29:27-28), maar hy was verbind om nog sewe jaar vir Laban te werk.

In Gen 30:25 vra Jakob vir Laban om hom toe te laat om te trek. Dit was net nadat Josef gebore is en ‘n mens neem aan dit was na 7+7=14 jaar wat hy vir Ragel en Lea gewerk het.

As Jakob 91 jaar oud was toe Josef gebore is, was hy dus 91-14=77 jaar oud toe hy die eerste keer vir Ragel ontmoet het.

Probleem

Daar is egter ‘n probleem: Volgens die model hierbo is Josef sewe jaar nadat hy met Ragel getrou het gebore. Indien ‘n mens aanneem dat Gen 29:31 tot Gen 30:24 die korrekte kronologie gee beteken dit dat Josef gebore is nadat Lea sewe kinders van haar eie gehad het (ses seuns en ‘n dogter) en nadat haar slavin, Silpa, ook twee seuns gehad het.

Omdat Lea op ‘n stadium gesukkel het om swanger te raak en Ragel se slavin swanger geword het, het Lea toe ook besluit om haar slavin vir Jakob gegee. Mens kry nie die idee dat Lea en Silpa gelyktydig kinders gehad het nie, maar dat Lea eers weer ná Silpa haar twee kinders gehad het, swanger geword het. Dus is sewe jaar hopeloos te min vir nege kinders om gebore te word.

Dit laat ‘n mens met twee opsies:

Opsie 1: Josef later gebore

Nadat Jakob sy 14 jaar afgewerk het vir sy twee vroue het hy Laban gevra dat hy wou trek. Laban het hom egter oorreed om nog ses jaar te werk. Ons weet dat dit ses jaar was omdat Jakob dit vir Laban sê nadat Laban hom agterna gesit het toe hy weggetrek het: Gen 31: (38)Dis nou twintig jaar dat ek by u was. … (41)Dis nou twintig jaar dat ek in u huis is: veertien jaar het ek vir u gewerk vir u twee dogters en ses vir kleinvee uit u trop, en u het my betaling kort-kort verander.

‘n Mens neem aan dat Jakob se eerste versoek om te trek ná die 14 jaar was wat hy vir Lea en Ragel gewerk het. Dit beteken Josef is gebore toe Jakob 14 jaar vir Laban gewerk het. Indien ‘n mens egter aanneem dat Josef nie na 14 jaar gebore is nie, maar ná byvoorbeeld 17 jaar, dan het Lea 7+3=10 jaar gehad vir haar sewe (of nege) kinders om gebore te word.

Dit sny dinge egter baie fyn. Sou ‘n ekstra drie jaar genoeg wees vir Lea en Silpa se kinders om gebore te word?

Verder moet ‘n mens ook genoeg tyd gee tussen wanneer Jakob toestemming gevra het om te trek en toe hy uiteindelik getrek het. Ons lees dat Laban vir Jakob verkul het en dat dit Jakob gedwing het om ander planne te maak om sy kuddes op te bou (Gen 30:35-43). Net voor Jakob getrek het, het sy verhouding met Laban ook versuur (Gen 31:1-9). Selfs sy vrouens het so gevoel (Gen 31:14-16). Dit kon nie binne slegs ‘n jaar of twee gebeur het nie.

Hierdie opsie beteken ook dat Jakob jonger as 77 was hy in Haran aangekom het.

Opsie 2: Jakob trou vroeër met Lea en Ragel

James Ussher het aangeneem dat Jakob reeds in die eerste jaar in Haran met Lea en Ragel getrou het, en steeds 14 jaar vir Laban gewerk het vir hulle (sewe jaar per dogter). Ruben, Lea se eerste seun, is ‘n jaar later gebore, dus toe Jakob 78 jaar oud was. Kyk bylaag A hieronder.

Volgens die Bybel lyk dit egter of Jakob eers na sewe jaar met Lea en toe ‘n week later met Ragel getrou het:

Gen 29: (20)Jakob het toe sewe jaar gewerk vir Ragel, en dit was vir hom soos ‘n paar dae, want hy het haar liefgehad. (21)Daarna het hy vir Laban gesê: “Gee my nou my vrou. Die tyd is verby. Ek wil nou met haar trou.” … (27)Wag net hierdie week, dan gee ek die jongste ook vir jou as jy nog sewe jaar by my sal werk.”

Hierdie opsie blyk teenstrydig met Genesis 29:16-28.

Bylaag A: Tydlyn volgens The Annals of the World

Die volgende tydlyn word gegee volgens Larry and Marion Pierce, The Annals of the World. Kyk ook HIER en HIER.

2245c AM, 2955 JP, 1759 BC

113. On his journey he saw a vision of a ladder. In this vision God confirmed to him all the blessings formerly given to his father. God assured him of his grace and favour for the future. In remembrance of this experience, Jacob set up a pillar. He changed the name of the place from Luz to Bethel and made a vow to God there. When he came to Haran he stayed with Laban for a month. He fell in love with Rachel, his daughter, and agreed to serve Laban seven years for her. {Gen 27:1 29:20 Hos 12:12} Jacob was seventy-seven years old this year.

114. When Esau knew Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away into Mesopotamia to find a wife there, and that Jacob did not like the daughters of Canaan, he tried to pacify his father’s mind. Isaac was offended with him for marrying his first wife from Canaan. Therefore, he took a second wife, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. {Gen 28:6-9}

115. Esau had now been a married man for thirty-seven years and was seventy-seven years old. Jacob, who was as old as he, had all this while lived as a bachelor. Remembering his father’s command, he asked Rachel to be given to him for his wife because he had served the allotted time for her. {Gen 29:21} [L33] He was now of an age suitable for marriage, as Tremellius explained it. Tho. Lidyate understood this to have happened after the first month he was with Laban. However, Laban intended from the beginning to make full use of Jacob’s industry and his managerial skills before he would give his daughter to Jacob. This no doubt was mentioned when Jacob first arrived, since this was the main purpose for his COMING. {See note on 2259 AM. <<122>>}

116. However, by Laban’s fraud, Leah, the older daughter, was put into Jacob’s bed on the marriage night instead of Rachel. Nevertheless, at the end of the marriage week, {Jud 14:12,17} Rachel was also espoused to him, on the condition that Jacob would serve seven more years for her. [E97] Laban gave his maid-servant Zilpah to Leah for a handmaid, and to Rachel he gave Bilhah.

117. When Leah was not so favoured by Jacob as Rachel was, God made Rachel barren and Leah was made a mother of four children in four successive years. {Gen 29:21- 30:24}

2246 AM, 2956 JP, 1758 BC

118. Leah bore Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. {Gen 29:32} Reuben later lost his birthright for his incest committed with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. {Gen 35:22; 49:3-4; 1Ch5:1}

2247 AM, 2957 JP, 1757 BC

119. Simeon was born.

2248 AM, 2958 JP, 1756 BC

120. Levi was born. {Gen 29:34}

2249c AM, 2959 JP, 1755 BC

121. Judah was born, from whom the Jews took their name. {Gen 29:35}

2259c AM, 2969 JP, 1745 BC

122. God blessed Rachel and she bore Joseph to Jacob at the end of his fourteen years of service. Jacob asked permission from Laban to return to his own country. But he remained there six more years on another condition made between him and his father-in-law Laban for a certain part of his flock. {Gen 30:22,25,31 Gen 31:41} Jacob was ninety-one years old when Joseph was born and consequently, seventy-seven years old when he first began to serve Laban. This may be deduced, for Jacob was a hundred and thirty years old when he first stood before Pharaoh at the time when the seven years of plenty were past and two years of the famine were over. {Gen 45:6 Gen 47:9} Joseph was then thirty-nine years old. He was thirty years old when he first came before Pharaoh, just before the seven years of plenty. {Gen 41:32,46}

2261a AM, 2970 JP, 1744 BC

123. Mephres reigned in Egypt for twelve years and nine months. {*Manetho, 1:101} {*Josephus, Apion, 1. 1. c. 15. (95) 1:201}

2265c AM, 2975 JP, 1739 BC

124. As the jealousy and malice grew between Laban and his sons against Jacob, God warned him to return to his own country. Jacob told his wives of this. When Laban was shearing his sheep at the latter end of the spring, {see note on 2974c AM. <<438>>} Jacob secretly fled from Laban, after twenty years of service. He took all his goods, wives and family, and crossed over the Euphrates River. {Gen 31:1,3,19,21,38,41} It is said that Jacob had twelve sons born to him in Mesopotamia. {Gen 35:22-26} Benjamin is not to be counted among them, because he was born later in the land of Canaan near Bethlehem. {Gen 35:18-19} In a similar manner, the twelve apostles are counted to make up that number, even though Judas was dead. {Joh 20:24; 1Co 15:1} Concerning this matter, see Augustine in his 117th question on Genesis.

125. Three days later, Laban (for he was three days’ journey from the place where Jacob kept his sheep) heard that his son-in-law was gone, so he pursued him with some of his friends and kindred. After travelling seven days, he caught up with him at Mount Gilead, the mountain which was named from this meeting. After many arguments, they were finally reconciled. As a testimony and monument to their covenant and agreement, Jacob erected a pillar from a heap of stones. [L14] Laban, the Syrian, called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob, the Hebrew, called it Galeed, meaning the heap of a testimony, or witness between the two. {Gen 31:22-48}

126. After Jacob left Laban in peace, he was frightened by the news of his brother Esau’s coming with a band of men. He divided his company into two groups and called on God. He sent messengers ahead of him with presents for his brother Esau. After wrestling with the angel, he was given the name of Israel by God. Jacob matured spiritually by depending more on the help of God than on man. {Gen 32:1-32 Hos 12:3-4}

127. Esau entertained his brother courteously. After much entreaty he accepted Jacob’s presents, and offered to escort him on his way. When Jacob refused, Esau left. Then Jacob went on to Succoth. He called the place Succoth because he built a house there, and folds for his sheep. After passing over the Jordan River, he came into Canaan and pitched his tent in Shechem, a city of the Shechemites. He bought a parcel of ground from the sons of Hamor the Shechemite for a hundred pieces of silver. There he built an altar, which he called by the name of El-Elohe-Israel or The mighty God, the God of Israel. {Gen 33:1-20} It was in this same place that Abraham had built his first altar before {Gen 12:6-7} and where Jacob’s well was, near Mount Gerizim. When the woman of Samaria spoke to our Saviour, she said that her fathers ed in this mountain. {Joh 4:5,6,12,20} This mountain was located in the country of the Shechemites. {Jud 9:7}

2273d AM, 2983 JP, 1731 BC

128. Mephramuthosis reigned in Egypt for twenty-five years and ten months. {*Manetho, 1:101} {*Josephus, Apion, l.1. c. 15. (95) 1:201}

2276c AM, 2986 JP, 1728 BC

129. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he told his father of his brothers’ wickedness and was told by God that he would one day be the head of all his father’s family. For this his brothers hated him so much that they plotted his death. At length they agreed to sell him as a slave into a far country. When they drew him from the pit that they had cast him into, they sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelite and Midianite merchants. Both of these peoples were descended from their grandfather, Abraham.