Biblical Profile: Egypt

Egypt

Egypt was already a great and ancient civilization when Joseph rose to power (Gen 39–41) and Jacob’s family traveled there for food (chs 42–46; cp. 12:10-20). Its unique location and geography gave it security from invaders (with the harborless Mediterranean Sea to the north, the rugged Sinai peninsula to the east, and a great desert to the west) and made it an attractive refuge for foreigners during times of drought.

Egypt has been called “the gift of the Nile,” and no other river has been so vital to the history of the nation through which it flows. To the Egyptians it was simply “the River.” The Nile is more than just the longest river in the world. Without its water, civilization would have been impossible in Egypt—the Nile is Egypt’s lifeblood, and the Egyptians worshiped it for the life and fertility that it provided. The river’s annual floods constantly brought new and fertile soil for crops, and its waters provided food from its abundance of fish and waterfowl as well as fresh water for drinking and cleaning. It also functioned as the main means of travel, trade, and communication. During times of drought, when the surrounding nations were in danger of famine, the Nile gave Egypt a reliable supply of fresh water. The Nile defined every aspect of life in Egypt and made Egypt what it was.

Egypt figured significantly in biblical events. Abraham lived there in a time of famine (Gen 12:10-20). Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt and rose to a position equivalent to that of prime minister (Gen 37–41). Joseph’s family then came to reside in the eastern delta region of Goshen during another time of famine (Gen 42–50). Their descendants were later enslaved (Exod 1), and God’s rescue of his people in the exodus from Egypt would become the central defining story of the Jewish people (Exod 2–15).

Later, during Israel’s monarchy, Egypt was continually involved in the struggle for international power (e.g., 1 Kgs 14:25-28). After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, a group of Jews moved to Egypt to escape Babylon’s influence (Jer 43:6-7).

At the opening of the New Testament, Egypt once again served as a refuge, this time for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus as they fled the assassination attempts of Herod the Great (Matt 2:13-23).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 12:10-20; 37:1–50:26; Exod 1:1–15:21; 1 Kgs 14:25-28; Isa 19:1-25; Jer 43; 46:7-8; Ezek 29:1-21; Amos 8:8; 9:5; Zech 10:11; Matt 2:13-23