Genesis 15:13
“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;”
KJV
Read in Genesis 15Meaning
God tells Abram that his descendants will live as strangers in another land and endure servitude and oppression for four hundred years.
Read carefully
The four hundred years summarize a long period of alien residence and oppression; they should not be forced into a simplistic chronology without comparison with related texts.
Reflection
The passage invites trust in God's faithfulness while keeping promise, waiting, and fulfillment in their proper narrative order.