Acts 7:5

And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them four hundred years. And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shalt they come forth, and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

None inheritance in it ... "The gift was not to Abraham personally, but to him as the founder and representative of the nation."[6] The only part of Palestine that Abraham ever owned was the cave of Machpelah which he purchased for a grave.

Four hundred years ... This is one of the pseudocons! Exodus 12:40,41 gives the time as 430 years; but "The four hundred years is a round number as in Genesis 15:13."[7] Also, there were two ways of counting the "sojourning," these being (1) from the call of Abraham to the Exodus which was 430 years, and (2) from the birth of Isaac to the Exodus which was 400 years.[8] The bicentennial of the United States may be counted either from the Declaration of Independence, or from the ratification of the constitution. It is ridiculous to make anything out of such so-called discrepancies as these.

Perhaps Stephen intended that his hearers should notice that even the covenant of circumcision was given long before Moses or the law.

(i)

[6] John W. Haley, Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible (Nashville: B. C. Goodpasture, 1951), p. 318.

[7] A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 216.

[8] B. W. Johnson, Notes on the New Testament (Delight, Arkansas: Gospel Light Publishing Company, n.d.), p. 441.