וַיִּֽהְי֖וּ יְמֵ֣י יִצְחָ֑ק מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֖ה וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃
Isaac was a hundred and eighty years oldוַיִּגְוַ֨ע יִצְחָ֤ק וַיָּ֙מׇת֙ וַיֵּאָ֣סֶף אֶל־עַמָּ֔יו זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֣ע יָמִ֑ים וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ עֵשָׂ֥ו וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בָּנָֽיו׃ {פ}
when he breathed his last and died. He was gathered to his kin in ripe old age; and he was buried by his sons Esau and Jacob. Genesis 35:28-29 (Revised JPS, 2023)
Torah is not written in strict chronology. While Genesis 35 mentions Isaac's death, it is quite clear from the ages of the characters involved that this death did not occur until well into his grandson Joseph's life. Try to follow along:
- Genesis 25:26 - Isaac is 60 when Jacob and Esau are born.
- Genesis 47:9 - Jacob is 130 when he stands before Pharaoh.
- Genesis 41:46 - Joseph is 30 when he begins to serve Pharaoh.
- Genesis 41:47 - 7 years of Abundance pass
- Genesis 45:6 - 2 years of Famine pass
- -- This makes Joseph 39 years old (30 + 7 year of Abundance + 2 years of Famine) when Jacob arrives in Egypt
- -- Jacob was 130 when Joseph was 39. Therefore Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born
- -- Isaac was therefore 151 when Joseph was born (60 + 91)
- Genesis 35:28 - Isaac died at age 180
- -- Joseph went into slavery at age 17, which would make Isaac 168 at the time (151 + 17)
- -- Isaac died at age 180 when Joseph was 29 years old, so he lived 12 years past Joseph's absence.
The math works out, and it demonstrates clearly that the Genesis 35 account of Isaac's death is not meant to be understood as part of the chronological narrative, but rather as an outside-of-time note.