Jacob in Haran for 40 years - Part 1 of 2 – Comment left on EBF Biblical Evidence for the end in 2033 video:

"Hi Chris, Sorry to return again to Mr. Camping’s foundational calendar teaching in Adam When?, but I remain stuck on one point (among several). In particular, his conclusion that Jacob remained 40 years in Haran rather than the traditional 20 which was essential to the chronological “key” he believed unlocked the Biblical calendar.

My question is whether Genesis 33 describes Jacob’s children at the meeting with Esau in a way that conflicts with this longer timeline.

Genesis repeatedly uses terms that naturally describe young children rather than adult sons:

1) The Hebrew word for “children” (יְלָדִים, yeladim) normally refers to young children, not adult sons (בָּנִים, banim).

Genesis 33:5 — “the women and the children … the children which God hath graciously given thy servant.”

Jacob uses yeladim for the entire group presented to Esau.

2) Jacob says the children are “tender” (רַכִּים, raqim = delicate/fragile).

Genesis 33:13 — “My lord knoweth that the children are tender …”

He explains the caravan must move slowly because of them — a description that naturally fits many small children rather than grown men.

3) Leah’s older sons are included among these “children.”

Genesis 33:1–2 — “he divided the children unto Leah … Leah and her children after …”

Leah’s group includes Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, etc., yet they are still presented collectively as dependent “children” traveling with their mothers.

Overall, Genesis 33 portrays Jacob traveling with a young family — yeladim (young children), described as raqim (tender), moving slowly, and grouped with their mothers. This fits naturally if Jacob’s sons were still minors, but seems difficult to reconcile with a 40-year stay in Haran, which would place Reuben and his brothers well into adulthood by the time of the Esau meeting.

How would you explain this apparent tension with the reliability of Mr. Camping’s chronological framework?"

EBF reply:

This first response will be long so I'll keep this mainly focused on the words children and tender.

The Hebrew word translated as "children" is Strong's #3206. Without the vowel points it is identical to Strong's #3205 which is the word for begat, begotten, born, etc.

But even with #3205 we find it is used of teens like Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-16). Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac was born. Ishmael and his mother Hagar were kicked out at Sarah's request when Ishmael mocked at Isaac's weaning ceremony. A child normally would be weaned at 2 or 3 years of age – which would make Ishmael 16 or 17 when this language was used of him:

Genesis 21:15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the CHILD (#3206) under one of the shrubs.

One might conclude based on the word “child” and even the language of casting the child under a shrub, that this was a very little boy. But again, we know that Ishmael was born to Abraham when he was 86 and we also know that Ishmael was age 13 when Abraham circumcised him (Genesis 17:24,25) at age 99.

Often times this kind of awkward language (casting the child under the shrub) is used by God in order to paint spiritual pictures.

We have another use of this same word concerning Joseph when Joseph was 17 years old and sold as a slave by his brothers:

Genesis 37:30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

Again, the word "child" is the same word as used in Genesis chapter 33.

In Genesis 4, Lamech proclaimed he had slain a "young man" to my hurt. Both English words (young man) are a translation of #3206.

Another use in the book of Ruth certainly proves that this word is not limited to little children:

Ruth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two SONS (#3206) and her husband.

The word "sons" is the same word we've been following. And since we know that the two sons of Naomi were married men at the time of their death – there is no question that they were not little children.

One last passage to confirm to us that we need to be open to the idea that references to children in the Bible can be older or even adult children is found in 1 Kings (read verses 8-14 for full account wherein #3206 is used 3 times):

1 Kings 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the YOUNG MEN (#3206) that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

Secondly, the word "tender" (#7390) also does not necessarily indicate little children are in view:

Deuteronomy 28:54 So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, ...

Notice it speaks of a "the man that is tender". Not a child.

You can also read in 1 Chronicles 29:1 that David calls his son Solomon "yet tender" at the time Solomon is being confirmed as king. We do not know Solomon's exact age at the time he began to reign but there is no indication that he was a boy king like Josiah or Joash.