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

• A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6
• son of: Ham (חָם)
• brother of: Canaan (כְּנַעַן), Cush (כּוּשׁ) and Put (פּוּט)
• father of: Ludim (לוּדִי), Anamim (עֲנָמִים), Lehabim (לְהָבִים), Naphtuhim (נַפְתֻּחִים), Pathrusim (פַּתְרֻסִי), Casluhim (כַּסְלֻחִים) and Caphtorim (כַּפְתֹּרִי)
• Egyptians = "double straits"
• adj

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

Book	Refs
Genesis	10:6 · 10:13 · 12:10 · 12:11 · 13:1 · 13:10 · 15:18 · 37:36 · 41:55 · 41:56 · 43:15 · 45:20 · 47:6 · 47:13 · 47:20 · 47:26 · 49:23
Exodus	7:19 · 8:2* · 10:7 · 12:33 · 12:39 · 14:25
Joshua	15:4 · 24:4
1 Samuel	12:8
2 Samuel	7:23
1 Kings	10:28 · 11:40
2 Kings	7:6
1 Chronicles	1:8 · 1:11 · 13:5 · 17:21
2 Chronicles	1:16 · 1:17 · 10:2 · 12:3 · 20:10
Psalms	68:32*
Proverbs	7:16
Isaiah	7:18 · 11:11 · 11:15 · 19:16 · 19:21 · 19:23 · 19:25 · 20:3 · 20:4 · 20:5 · 45:14
Jeremiah	2:18 · 26:22 · 37:7 · 42:16 · 44:1 · 44:15 · 44:28 · 46:8 · 46:11 · 46:19 · 46:24
Ezekiel	16:26 · 27:7 · 29:10 · 30:4 · 30:6 · 30:9 · 30:18
Hosea	8:3 · 9:6 · 11:1 · 11:5 · 11:11 · 12:1*
Joel	4:19*
Amos	8:8 · 9:5

Profile

Male • Son of Ham • Descendant of Ham, ancestor of African peoples

Man living at the time of the Patriarchs

Egypt (Mizraim) was a descendant of Ham and the ancestor of various African peoples, such as the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites, and Caphtorites. (Gen.10.6,13; 1Ch.1.8,11)

• A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;
• only referred to as Egypt מִצְרַיִם;
• son of Ham חָם;
• a brother of Canaan כְּנַעַן, Cush כּוּשׁ and Put פּוּט;
• father of Ludim לוּדִי, Anamim עֲנָמִים, Lehabim לְהָבִים, Naphtuhim נַפְתֻּחִים, Pathrusim פַּתְרֻסִי, Casluhim כַּסְלֻחִים and Caphtorim כַּפְתֹּרִי.

Egypt, also known as Mizraim in Hebrew, is mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1 as one of the descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. Ham's sons, including Egypt, are generally associated with the peoples of Africa.

In the Genesis account, Egypt is listed alongside his brothers Cush, Put, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8). These names correspond to regions and peoples in Africa and the Middle East.

The descendants of Egypt are further elaborated in Genesis 10:13-14 and 1 Chronicles 1:11-12. The text lists the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites, and Caphtorites as the peoples descending from Egypt. These names likely represent various tribes or regions within the larger territory of Egypt and its surrounding areas.

The Pathrusites, for example, are believed to be associated with the region of Pathros in Upper Egypt, while the Caphtorites are often connected with the island of Crete or the Aegean region.

It is worth noting that the name "Egypt" (Mizraim) is a dual form in Hebrew, possibly referring to the two main regions of Egypt: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. This dual form may also suggest the idea of Egypt as a powerful and prominent nation.

In the biblical narrative, Egypt plays a significant role as the place where the Israelites were enslaved for hundreds of years before the Exodus. The land of Egypt is also mentioned in connection with various biblical figures, such as Abraham, Joseph, and Moses.

The inclusion of Egypt in the Table of Nations serves to trace the origins and spread of the world's populations from the perspective of the ancient Israelites. It also highlights the diversity of nations and peoples that emerged from Noah's descendants after the Flood.

All entries for Egypt: מִצְרַיִם

Related Profiles:

• Ham (father)
• Canaan (sibling)
• Cush (sibling)
• Put (sibling)
• Ludim (child)
• Anamim (child)
• Lehabim (child)
• Naphtuhim (child)
• Pathrusim (child)
• Casluhim (child)
• Caphtorim (child)