Topical Bible: Egypt: Boundaries of

◄ Egypt: Boundaries of ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Egypt, a significant nation in biblical history, is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures. Its geographical boundaries have played a crucial role in its interactions with the Israelites and other neighboring peoples. The Bible provides various references to Egypt's boundaries, which can be understood in the context of the ancient Near East.

Geographical Context

Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east. The Nile River, the lifeblood of Egypt, flows northward through the country, creating a fertile valley amidst the surrounding desert. This river was central to Egypt's agricultural prosperity and its ability to sustain a large population.

Biblical References

1. Genesis 15:18 · In the covenant God made with Abram, He promised, "To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates." The "river of Egypt" is often understood to refer to the Wadi El-Arish, a seasonal riverbed that marked the northeastern boundary of Egypt.

2. Exodus 23:31 · God delineates the boundaries of the Promised Land to the Israelites, saying, "I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates." Here, the Red Sea marks the eastern boundary adjacent to Egypt.

3. Numbers 34:5 · In describing the borders of the land allotted to the Israelites, the text states, "The border will turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, where it will end at the Sea." The "Brook of Egypt" is another reference to the Wadi El-Arish, indicating the boundary between Egypt and Canaan.

4. 1 Kings 8:65 · During the dedication of the temple, Solomon held a feast "from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt." This again highlights the Wadi El-Arish as a significant boundary marker.

5. Ezekiel 29:10 · The prophet Ezekiel speaks of God's judgment on Egypt, saying, "I am against you and your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush." Migdol, a fortress town, is often associated with the northeastern boundary of Egypt.

Historical and Cultural Significance

Egypt's boundaries were not only geographical but also cultural and political. The nation was a dominant power in the ancient world, often interacting with Israel through trade, warfare, and diplomacy. The boundaries of Egypt, as described in the Bible, reflect its role as both a place of refuge and a land of oppression for the Israelites.

Throughout biblical history, Egypt's boundaries served as a point of contact and conflict with the Israelites. The land of Egypt was a place of sojourn for the patriarchs, a house of bondage during the time of Moses, and a place of refuge during times of famine and political turmoil. The delineation of Egypt's boundaries in the Bible underscores its significance in the unfolding narrative of God's people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 29:10
Behold, therefore I am against you, and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even to the border of Ethiopia.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Egypt
... of twenty-one years ended at last in a treaty of peace in which the two combatants
agreed to respect from henceforth the existing boundaries of Egypt and Kadesh ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

How the Soldiers, Both in Judea and Egypt, Proclaimed Vespasian ...
... when the sea dashes itself, and its waves are broken against those boundaries, the
navigation ... sent to Tiberius Alexander, who was then governor of Egypt and of ...
/.../chapter 10 how the soldiers.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 2. <. ...
CHAPTER I"THE POLITICAL CONSTITUTION OF EGYPT. The ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... thrust thirty leagues into the land"this, the Delta of Egypt, has gradually ... Arabian
hills, from Gebel Mokattam to Gebel Geneffeh, were its boundaries on the ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... it is true, have rivalled Babylon in magnificence and power: Egypt could boast ... and
fields, finding at length their limit at the territorial boundaries of two ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... was concluded on the same conditions as the old one, and the boundaries of the ... her
authority in those provinces which the Khati had failed to take from Egypt. ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

Joachas, his Son, Having Then Obtained the Kingdom, Held it for ...
... For the king of Egypt now giving way, and the boundaries of their empire being fixed
between them, it had been agreed that the Jews should belong to Babylon. ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter liii joachas his son.htm

Language of the New Testament. 1 in the Character of the Original ...
... and conforming themselves to Grecian civilization"made constant use of it, and the
knowledge of it was very widely diffused beyond the boundaries of Egypt. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiv language of the.htm

On the Arrival of the Egyptians.
... Whom I now seem to hear the Father saying, Out of Egypt have I ... to a particular people,
nor to this or that city, circumscribed by narrow boundaries, though its ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xxxiv on the arrival.htm

Jews and Gentiles in "The Land"
... exclusion of all other countries, although they marked within its boundaries an
ascending ... the second, "all that they who came up from Egypt took possession of ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 2 jews and gentiles.htm