Lexical Definition

‎מִצְרַיִם‎ Mitsrayim (mits-rah'-yim) Egypt ^N:N--L
dual of ‎מָצוֹר‎

Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.

• § Egyptians = "double straits"
• Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt

n pr loc
1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows
adj
2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt

Extended Information

• Egyptians = "double straits"

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מִצְרַ֫יִם‎₆₈₁ proper name, of a territory and people, feminine^{Exod 10:7}, masculine^{Exod 12:33}, masculine plural^{Gen 41:55} etc. (see below

2.), Egypt, Egyptians (Phoenician ‎מצרם‎; Assyrian Mªƒªr(u), Muƒru, Miƒir, Dl^{Par 308} Schr^{COT Glossary KGF 246 ff.}, Tel Amarna Miƒrî, Wkl^{TA 39 *} Bez^{BM 152, and} Mašrî Wkl^l.c.; Arabic Cairo, Egypt (Spiro): Minean Miƒru Hom^{A and A. (1892), 125}; see Eb^{ÄgM 71 ff.}; ᵐ5 Αιγυπτος; — derivatives and form dubious; ‎יִַ֯ם‎ usually regarded as dual term. (Upper and Lower Egypt? compare Di^{Gen 10:6}), but as locative ending EMey^{Geschichte. I, § 42} Ba^{NB p. 319 R. 5}; Jen^{ZA iv (1889), 268 ff.} thinks ‎מִצְרַיִם‎ absolute formed by analogy of ‎מַיִם‎, ‎שָׁמַיִם‎ from Miƒrî (compare Tel Amarna); see further Wkl^{infra, near the end}); — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Gen 13:1 +; ‎מִצְרָ֑יִם‎ Gen 37:36 +; ‎מִצְרַיְמָה‎ Gen 12:10 + 12 t., ‎מִצְרָ֑יְמָה‎ Gen 12:11 + 14 t.; —

1. a. of land, Egypt Gen 13:1 + 500 t., +, in all periods, including ‎׳‎‎אֶרֶץ מ‎ Gen 13:10 + approximately 220 t. (of course feminine, Gen 47:6; Gen 47:13); ‎׳‎‎אַדְמַת מ‎ the soil of Egypt Gen 47:20; Gen 47:26 ‎׳‎‎מֵימֵי מ‎ Exod 7:19; Exod 8:2* ‎׳‎‎נְהַר מ‎ Gen 15:18 ‎׳‎‎יְאֹר מ‎ Amos 8:8; Amos 9:5 ‎׳‎‎יְאֹרֵי מ‎ Isa 7:18 (compare ‎מָצוֺר‎); ‎׳‎‎שִׁיחוֺר מ‎ 1Chr 13:5 ‎לְשׁוֺן‎ ‎׳‎‎יָםמֿ‎ Isa 11:15 ‎׳‎‎נַחַל מ‎ Josh 15:4 + 6 t. (see these various words); land as productive Gen 45:20; Gen 49:23, compare ‎׳‎‎שֵׁשׁ בְּרִקְמָה מִמּ‎ Ezek 27:7, ‎׳‎‎אֵטוּן מ‎ Prov 7:16 often || ‎בּוּשׁ‎, especially in prophets and poetry Isa 20:3; Isa 20:4; Isa 20:5; Isa 45:14; Ezek 30:4; Ezek 30:9 +; || ‎אַשּׁוּר‎ Hos 11:11; Hos 12:1*; Isa 7:18; Jer 2:18 +; including Upper Egypt (‎פַּתְרוֺם‎), as well as Lower, Jer 44:1, compare Ezek 29:10; Ezek 30:6 apparently distinguished from Upper Egypt Isa 11:11, and possibly also Jer 44:15 (compare Gf Gie Buhl SS Che^{Hpt Isaiah}); but ‎פתרוס‎ etc. in these verses somewhat dubious (compare B. Du Gie).
b. combinations are: (1)‎׳‎‎מ‎ as limit of motion: ‎יָדַד מצרימ(הׅ‎ Gen 43:15; Josh 24:4 + approximately 12 t.; ‎׳‎‎בּוֺא מ‎ 1Sam 12:8 + approximately 26 t., ‎׳‎‎בוא בְמ‎ Isa 19:23, ‎׳‎‎בוא לְמ‎ Jer 44:28 ‎׳‎‎שׁוּב מ‎ Hos 8:3 + 9 t., ‎׳‎‎שׁוּב אֶלמֿ‎ Hos 11:5, ‎שׁוּב‎ ‎׳‎‎לְאַרְצוֺ מ‎ Jer 37:7 ‎׳‎‎בָּרַח מ‎ 1Kgs 11:40 ‎׳‎‎שָׁלַח מ‎ Jer 26:22, so ( + ‎אֶלֿ‎) vJer 26:22. In Jer 42:16b read ‎׳‎‎בְּמ‎ with Gie. (2) ‎׳‎‎מ‎ as point of departure (‎הֶעֱלָה‎) ‎׳‎‎עָלָה מִןֿ(ארץ) מ‎ Gen 13:1 + approximately 43 t.; ‎יָצָא‎ (‎הוֺצִיא‎) ‎׳‎‎מִןֿ(ארץ) מ‎ Exod 12:39 + approximately 96 t.; ‎׳‎‎פָּדָה מִמּ‎ 2Sam 7:23 (but strike out Gei^{Urschr. 288} We Dr Kit Bu) = 1Chr 17:21 ‎׳‎‎בּוֺא מִמּ‎ 2Chr 12:3; 2Chr 20:10 ‎׳‎‎שׁוּב מִמּ‎ Jer 44:28; 2Chr 10:2 ‎׳‎‎אָתָה מִמּ‎ Ps 68:32* ‎׳‎‎קָרָא מִמּ‎ Hos 11:1. 2. of people: a. in table of nations, personified as second son of Ham Gen 10:6 = 1Chr 1:8, compare Gen 10:13 = 1Chr 1:11.
b. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians Gen 41:56 + approximately 134 t., including use = Egyptian Kingdom, empire, i.e. land and people as political power; so with verb feminine singular ‎׳‎‎אָֽבְדָה מ‎ Exod 10:7, compare Hos 9:6; Joel 4:19* and (pronoun feminine singular) Ezek 30:18 with verb masculine singular Exod 12:33; Exod 14:25; Isa 19:16; Isa 19:23; Isa 19:25; Jer 46:8 often with verb masculine plural Gen 41:55; Isa 19:21; Isa 19:23 + 22 t.; ‎׳‎‎בִּנֵי מ‎ Ezek 16:26 ‎׳‎‎בְּתוּלַת בַּת מ‎ Jer 46:11, compare vJer 46:19 vJer 46:24. — In 1Kgs 10:28 = 2Chr 1:16; 2Chr 1:17; 2Kgs 7:6 Wkl^{Alttest. Unters. 171 f.} thinks of Assyrian Muƒri in North Syria. (On ‎מִצְרַיִם‎ as often = Muƒri in North Arabia see Wkl^{Altor. Unters. i. 24 ff., ii. 195, iii. 289; iv. 337 f; MVG 1898, 1.4}).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Egypt • Ancient nation; Israelites enslaved there; plagues and Exodus

Egypt, a powerful nation where the Israelites were enslaved until God delivered them in the Exodus.

• A location first mentioned at Gen.12.10;
• referred to as Egypt or Egyptian מִצְרַיִם, or Egypt מָצוֹר, or Egypt (KJV, NIV= "rebellion") מְרִי, or Rahab רַהַב, or Egyptian or Egypt or Egyptian women or "they" (KJV= Egyptians) מִצְרִי, or Ham חָם, or Egypt Αἴγυπτος, or Egyptian Αἰγύπτιος.
  

Egypt was a prominent ancient civilization in northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River. In the Bible, Egypt is first mentioned as the place Abraham journeyed during a famine in Canaan (Genesis 12:10). Later, Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt but rose to power as a trusted official of Pharaoh. During a famine, Israel (or 'Jacob') and his family settled in Egypt with Joseph.

After generations passed, the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians (Exodus 1:8-14). God called Moses to deliver His people from bondage. After Pharaoh refused to free the Israelites, God sent ten plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 7-12). Finally, Pharaoh relented and the Israelites left in the Exodus. At the Red Sea, God miraculously allowed the Israelites to cross on dry ground but destroyed the pursuing Egyptian army (Exodus 14).

Egypt is often used in the Bible as a symbol of bondage and oppression. The prophets warned against trusting in Egypt's power instead of God (Isaiah 30:1-3, 31:1). Yet Egypt was also a place of refuge, as when Mary, Joseph and Jesus fled there to escape Herod (Matthew 2:13-15).

All entries for Egypt or Rahab or Ham: מִצְרַיִם ☩ מָצוֹר ☩ מְרִי ☩ חָם ☩ Αἴγυπτος ☩ רַהַב ☩ מִצְרִי ☩ Αἰγύπτιος