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Ramban on Exodus 12:40/רמב"ן על שמות י״ב:מ׳

אוּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק עַד עַכְשָׁו הָיוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, שֶׁמִּשָּׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה זֶרַע לְאַבְרָהָם נִתְקַיֵּם בּוֹ "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם" (בראשית טו יג), וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה הָיָה מִשֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְּזֵרַת בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, וּכְשֶׁתִּמְנֶה אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק תִּמְצָא מִבִּיאָתָן לְמִצְרַיִם עַד יְצִיאָתָן מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים. זֶה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות י"ב:מ'). וְהוּא דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (במכילתא כאן). אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְתֻקָּן בְּפֵרוּשׁוֹ כָּל צָרְכּוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּתוּב (בראשית יב יד) "וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן", וּמַעֲמַד בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים הָיָה אַחַר כָּךְ יָמִים רַבִּים.
אֲבָל נִצְטָרֵךְ לְתָרֵץ הָעִנְיָן כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנוּ בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם (פרק א), אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ הָיָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּדְבַּר עִמּוֹ בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים בֶּן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות י"ב:מ"א) "וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה יָצְאוּ כָּל צִבְאוֹת ה' מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם", חָזַר לְחָרָן וְעָשָׂה שָׁם חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יב ד) "וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן". וְיִהְיֶה עִנְיַן הַכָּתוּב לוֹמַר כִּי בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא חָזַר וְרָאָה עוֹד בְּבֵית אָבִיו הָיָה בֶּן שִׁבְעִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה:
וְדַעְתִּי בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט כִּי ה' אָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם, יָדוֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי טֶרֶם תִּתִּי לְךָ הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם יָמִים רַבִּים אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְלֹא חָשַׁשׁ לְהוֹדִיעַ הַשְּׁלֹשִׁים, כִּי אָמַר לוֹ עוֹד "וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה" (שם טו טז), לְהוֹדִיעוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּבוּ מִיָּד בְּסוֹף אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת עַד הַדּוֹר הָרְבִיעִי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׁלֵם עֲוֹן הָאֱמוֹרִי, יִרְמֹז לִשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה הַלָּלוּ, כִּי עָמְדָם בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה לֹא מִפְּנֵי עֲוֹן הָאֱמוֹרִי שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁלַם:
וְיִהְיֶה שִׁעוּר הַכָּתוּב וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם עַד שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ שָׁם לִמְלֹאת לָהֶם כֵּן בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם הוֹדִיעָנוּ הַכָּתוּב כִּי עַתָּה בְּצֵאתָם נִשְׁלְמָה הַגָּלוּת הַנִּגְזֶרֶת עֲלֵיהֶם וְהוֹצִיאָם מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת, לֹא שֶׁיּוֹצִיאֵם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְיִהְיוּ עוֹד גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם. וּבַעֲבוּר שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה וְהוֹדִיעַ בּוֹ, לֹא הֻצְרַךְ בּוֹ לְהַאֲרִיךְ, כִּי לֹא בָּא הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה רַק לְהוֹדִיעַ הַשְּׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה שֶׁנּוֹסְפוּ עֲלֵיהֶם. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר דֶּרֶךְ קְצָרָה שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה הַנֶּאֱמָרִים לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבִיהֶם וִידוּעִים לָהֶם, וְעוֹד שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה, וְחָזַר וְאָמַר וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה לְגָלוּתָם יָצְאוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְחֵרוּת עוֹלָם:
וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ (דברים ב יד) "וְהַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָלַכְנוּ מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ עַד אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ אֶת נַחַל זֶרֶד שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה", לְהַשְׁלִים הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, כִּי לֹא הָלְכוּ מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ עַד נַחַל זֶרֶד שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה, אֲבָל יָשְׁבוּ בְּקָדֵשׁ שָׁנִים רַבּוֹת, וְאח"כ הָלְכוּ מִשָּׁם וְחָזְרוּ לְאָחוֹר דֶּרֶךְ יַם סוּף, וּבִשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמֹנֶה עָבְרוּ נַחַל זֶרֶד. וְהִנֵּה שִׁעוּר הַכָּתוּב וְהַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָלַכְנוּ מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ עַד אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ אֶת נַחַל זֶרֶד עַד שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנָה. וְכָמוֹהוּ, "אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה וְיַגִּיעַ לְיָמִים אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה" (דניאל יב יב), שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְקִצָּם, לֹא לָהֶם עַצְמָם:

1NOW THE TIME THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DWELT IN EGYPT WAS FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS. “From the birth of Isaac till now there were four hundred years. [We must reckon from that event, for only] from the time that Abraham had a child [from Sarah] could the prophecy, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs,²⁹⁹. be fulfilled. And there had been thirty years since that decree made at the ‘covenant between the parts’³⁰⁰, Verse 18. until the birth of Isaac. And when you will reckon the four hundred years from the birth of Isaac, you will find that from the time they came into Egypt, until the time they left, it was two hundred and ten years.” Thus the language of Rashi, and it is also the opinion of our Rabbis.³⁰¹. This means [that the four-hundred year period will begin] from the time seed will be seen by you.”The explanation, however, is not correct in every detail. It is written, And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran,³⁰² and the event of the “covenant between the parts”³⁰⁰, Verse 18. took place a long time after that.³⁰³ We must therefore explain the case satisfactorily in accordance with what we have been taught in the Seder Olam:³⁰⁴ “Our father Abraham was seventy years old when G-d spoke to him at the ‘covenant between the parts,’ as it is said, And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years … that all the hosts of the Eternal went out from the land of Egypt.³⁰⁵ Then he returned to Haran and stayed there five years, as it is said, And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”³⁰² The sense of the verse then is to state that when Abraham finally left Haran, his native land, never to return again to his father’s house, he was seventy-five years old.³⁰⁶In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, it is my opinion that G-d said to Abraham, “Know of a surety that before I give you this land, thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs for a long time — four hundred years.” He did not care to mention the additional thirty years³⁰⁷ to him [i.e., Abraham], because He told him further on, And in the fourth generation they shall come back hither,³⁰⁸ thereby informing him that they will not come back immediately at the end of four hundred years until the fourth generation when the sin of the Amorite will be full.³⁰⁸ Thus He alluded to these thirty years, for the Israelites’ staying in the desert for forty years was not on account of the sin of the Amorite not yet being full, [since the four hundred and thirty years were completed at the time of the exodus; their stay in the desert was on account of their own misdeeds].Accordingly, the purport of the verse [before us] is as follows: Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was until four hundred and thirty years, since they lived there in order to fulfill the period of time set [for Abraham’s seed] to live in a land that is not theirs. Thus Scripture informed us that now when they went forth from Egypt, the exile decreed upon them was completed. He brought them forth from servitude to [complete] freedom, and it was not that He took them out from Egypt and they were yet to be strangers in a land not their own. Now because He has already mentioned this matter and informed us thereof [in the section of the “covenant between the parts”], there was no need to prolong it [here], for this verse [here] is intended only to inform us of the thirty years that were added to [the four hundred years mentioned specifically to Abraham]. This is why He says it briefly, i.e., that in Egypt were completed the four hundred years mentioned to their father Abraham and known to them, and an additional thirty years. Then He reverts and says, And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years³⁰⁹ of their exile, they went out from the land of Egypt to perpetual freedom.A similar case is the verse, And the days in which we came from Kadesh — barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered were thirty and eight years.³¹⁰ This is to complete the reckoning. The journey from Kadesh–barnea to the brook Zered did not take thirty-eight years. Instead, they abode in Kadesh many years,³¹¹, 1:46. and then they journeyed from there and turned back by the way to the Red Sea,³¹², 2:1. and in the thirty-eighth year they went over the brook Zered. The purport of the verse is thus: and the days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered were until thirty and eight years had passed. Similarly: Happy is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days³¹³ means [happy is he who waits and reaches] the end of those days, not the days themselves.