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. 11:32 says that at his death Terah's age was two hundred and five years. Acts 7:4 says 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.