Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PHARAOH

Egyp. pr-ʿ÷ (lit., “Great House”), originally designating the royal palace of the king of Egypt. By the 18th Dynasty (ca. 1560-1320 b.c.) “pharaoh” designated not only the royal residence, but royal authority, personified in the king himself, much like “White House” might refer to the U.S. President’s residence or the President (e.g., “The White House said . . .”).

The title occurs in the OT as a generic locution for the “king of Egypt.” Episodes involving (unnamed) pharaohs include Abraham’s sojourn to Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20); Joseph’s rise to power and Israel’s sojourn to Egypt (Gen. 39–50); Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Exod. 1–15); and Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kgs. 3:1). Specifically named are pharaohs Shishak (1 Kgs. 11:40; 14:25-26), So (2 Kgs. 17:4), Neco (23:29-30), Tirhakah (19:9 = Isa. 37:9), and Hophra (Jer. 44:30).

In the NT the term “pharaoh” occurs in references to Israel’s sojourn and deliverance (Acts 7:10, 13, 21; Rom. 9:17; Heb. 11:24).

Bibliography. A. F. Rainey, ed., Egypt, Israel, Sinai: Archaeological and Historical Relationships in the Biblical Period (Tel Aviv, 1987).

Jeffrey C. Geoghegan

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PHARAOH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)