One of the most prominent topics in the Scriptures is the subject of slavery. This is not because slavery itself is important, but because liberation from slavery is most significant. In the biblical story, we are taught about freedom, based on what slavery is and what it represents. The children of Israel understood freedom through slavery. There are those who say, especially those who have been deprived of their liberty, that one cannot know what liberty is at all unless he has been deprived of it first.
All concepts in this existence are based on duality. As early as Genesis 1 with the concepts of heaven and earth, light and darkness, day and night… Adam himself was conditioned to understand reality based on duality when he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. To this day, no matter who you are or what background you come from, we understand reality through polar opposites. We can say that something is bad because we compare it to the concept of what is good, we can think that someone is cruel because we know what compassion is, we appreciate something as beautiful because we can conceive the concept of what is horrible.
The name for ancient Egypt in Hebrew is “mitzrayim” (מִצְרַיִם) a word that can be translated as “straits” or “narrow places” (i.e., -מ, “from,” and צַר, “narrow”), suggesting that “Egypt” represents a place of constriction, tribulation, oppression, slavery, and despair.
The Hebrew word for salvation, on the other hand, is “yeshuah” (יְשׁוּעָה), a word that means deliverance from restriction, that is, freedom and peace.
Mitzraim (מִצְרַיִם) was one of the sons of Ham (Gen 10:6), and is the Hebrew word for Egypt. However, this word has a deeper meaning that reveals the biblical understanding of what slavery means, as well as freedom. Breaking down the Hebrew word, we see that the “im” at the end of Mitzraim indicates the plural form of the word. In the singular, it would be matzor (מָצוֹר). Interestingly, Egypt is referred to in this way in certain places, such as Isaiah 37:25:
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“I dug wells and drank water. I dried up all the streams of Egypt (matzor- מָצוֹר) with the soles of my feet.”
A matzor in Hebrew is a siege when an army surrounds a town or city before attacking it - usually to prevent supplies from coming in. Matzor, comes from the root tzar (צָר) which means narrow. The pressure that an army applies to a besieged people has to do with this idea. Tzar is also related to the suffering that can be experienced. Tzorer is the word generally translated as enemy, but it also comes from this root and would be better translated as “one who causes tzar”, one who causes pain or suffering.
One of the Hebrew words for rock is tzur (צוּר). This word is used a lot in the Psalms when David says “Yehovah is my rock.” The word tzur, once again, comes from the same root as all of these words. In this case, the idea of pressure or the concept of something narrow has to do with the conditions in which this stone was formed under the ground. Tzur in Hebrew has to do with a specific stone, although this detail is lost in translation. In English, it is called flint, which is one of the hardest stones in existence, used to make tools and weapons in the stone age.
With all this, we have enough material to meditate on the concept of where the children of Israel were when they suffered during the period of slavery in Mitzraim, Egypt. Suffering is not necessarily physical, but mental. In this world, the strongest chains and limitations are in our mind. Emotions like worry or anxiety make us feel as if we are in a narrow place. In appearance, we have already left Egypt and were freed from physical slavery, but how many of us can say that we are free in our mind?
This is the truth that Yeshua preached, when he taught:“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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The word “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי) means one who has “crossed over” (עָבַר) to the other side, as our father Abraham did when he left the world of Mesopotamia (Gen. 14:13). Since we discussed the father (Cham), let's talk about the son - Mitzrayim מצרים - the Hebrew name for Egypt. In the last post we ran into difficulties reconciling the Hebrew word cham with the Egyptian kmt. However, with Mitzrayim, there are less difficulties, since this word is only found in Semitic languages - the ancient Egyptians didn't use it themselves.
Etymological Analysis of Mitzrayim
Here's the entry for the etymology of Mitzrayim in the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament:
The Hebrew name for Egypt, misrayim, corresponds to Ugar. msrm, Phoen. msrym, Egyptian Aram. msryn, Syr. mesrem, Akk. Musur/Musru/Misri, Old Persian Mudraya, Arab. Misr; the word is not, however, attested in Old Egyptian. The Egyptians themselves called their land ... t3.wy, the "two lands" (referring to Upper and Lower Egypt) ... If misrayim constitutes a genuine dual form, and if it is connected with Akk. misru, "border, region", and Arab. misr, "border, land, capital city," it might be a translation of t3.wy, although this explanation is extremely uncertain. The singular form masor also occurs in the OT (Mic. 7:12; 2 . K 192:24 par Isa. 37:25; Isa. 19:6) and the gentilic form misri is richly attested.
Some key points to consider:
- There is a Hebrew cognate to the Akkadian misru -metzer מצר, which also means "boundary". According to Klein, the word only appears in post-biblical Hebrew (e.g. Bava Batra 61b, 62b) and is a secondary form of the biblical word metzar מצר. That word is said to mean either "distress" or "a narrow place" ("strait" in modern Hebrew). It is familiar from the phrase בין המצרים bein hametzarim - which is used to describe the three weeks preceeding Tisha B'Av. The origin of the phrase is Eicha 1:3 -כָּל-רֹדְפֶיהָ הִשִּׂיגוּהָ, בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים
- The JPS translates this as "all her pursuers overtook her in the narrow places", but adds their common note to "in the narrow places": "Meaning of Hebrew uncertain". The Daat Mikra says that "narrow places" is probably the plain meaning of the verse, but says there are those that explain it as meaning "distress", so the verse would mean "all her pursuers overtook her when she was in distress." Interestingly, they also quote the Rashbam as saying the word here means "border" - in the borders of the Kingdom of Yehuda, and that whenever the Jews would flee to the border, their neighbors would hand them over to their enemies.
- The Arabic misr meaning "capital city" explains how Cairo is referred to as Masr in modern Egyptian Arabic. Stahl, in his Arabic etymological dictionary, writes that this title originally applied to Fustat.
- The Daat Mikra generally writes that Matzor מצור is simply a poetic form of Mitzrayim, and not a singular form (however in their commentary to Bereshit 10:6, when the word Mitzrayim first appears in the Tanach, they write that it might be a double form, indicating the two kingdoms.) In a footnote to Melachim II 19:25, they note that Matzor might preserve an earlier form of the name, and that the suffix "-im" in Mitzrayim might be locative, like Yerushalayim.
- Steinberg, while clearly aware of the division of Egypt into the Upper and Lower Kingdoms (he mentions it in his entry), writes that the plural nature of Mitzrayim is due to the Nile river splitting the country into east and west (or as this book writes, "the two banks of the Nile").
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This could help answer the question raised in this book, who after acknowledging the theory that Mitzrayim is a dual form, writes:
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However, prophetic texts from Jeremiah [44:1] and Isaiah [11:11] differentiate between מצרים [Mitzrayim] and פרתס [Partos] as Lower and Upper Egypt, indicating that מצרים [Mitzrayim], if it is to be located as a geographic reference, at least in these prophetic texts refers to Lower Egypt or the Nile delta.
This site writes that:
Northern or Lower Egypt is called Mazor, .. while Southern or Upper Egypt is Pathros, the Egyptian Pa-to-Res, or "the land of the south" (Isa. 11:11).
One unexpected derivative of Mitzrayim - actually the Arabic Misr - is the song Misirlou. Even if you don't recognize the name (it means "Egyptian girl"), there's a good chance you know the song. Listen to this brief NPR story, and you'll hear how the song spread all over the world, including to the niggunim of rabbis and to klezmer bands.
Biblical Significance of Egypt (Mizraim)
Egypt, known as "Mizraim" in Hebrew, is a significant nation in biblical history, located in the northeastern corner of Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the east, and the deserts of Libya and Sudan to the west and south, respectively. The Nile River, the longest river in the world, runs through Egypt, providing fertile land in an otherwise arid region. This geographical feature made Egypt a powerful and prosperous civilization in ancient times.
Egypt holds a prominent place in the biblical narrative, appearing in both the Old and New Testaments. It is often depicted as a place of both refuge and oppression for the Israelites.
Map of Ancient Egypt and surrounding regions.
Key Biblical Events Involving Egypt
- Patriarchal Period: Egypt first appears in the biblical narrative during the time of Abraham. In Genesis 12:10, due to a severe famine, Abraham and his wife Sarah journey to Egypt. This event marks the beginning of Egypt's complex relationship with the Hebrew people. Later, Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, is sold into slavery and taken to Egypt, where he rises to become a powerful official under Pharaoh (Genesis 37-50). Joseph's position eventually leads to the migration of the entire Israelite family to Egypt during another famine, as recorded in Genesis 46.
- The Exodus: The most significant event involving Egypt is the Exodus, where the Israelites, under Moses' leadership, are delivered from slavery. The book of Exodus details the oppression of the Israelites by a new Pharaoh who "did not know Joseph" (Exodus 1:8). God sends Moses to demand their release, leading to the ten plagues and the eventual departure of the Israelites. The crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army are pivotal moments in this narrative (Exodus 14).
- Prophetic Writings: Egypt is frequently mentioned in the prophetic books. The prophets often use Egypt as a symbol of worldly power and idolatry. Isaiah prophesies against Egypt, warning of God's judgment (Isaiah 19). Similarly, Ezekiel speaks of Egypt's downfall as a demonstration of God's sovereignty over the nations (Ezekiel 29-32).
- New Testament References: In the New Testament, Egypt serves as a place of refuge for the Holy Family. After the birth of Jesus, Joseph is warned in a dream to flee to Egypt to escape King Herod's massacre of the infants (Matthew 2:13-15). This event fulfills the prophecy, "Out of Egypt I called My Son" (Hosea 11:1, quoted in Matthew 2:15).
Symbolism and Theology
Egypt often symbolizes bondage and sin in biblical theology. The Israelites' slavery in Egypt is a metaphor for humanity's bondage to sin, and their deliverance through the Exodus is seen as a foreshadowing of spiritual salvation through Jesus Christ. The plagues and the Passover are rich with typological significance, pointing to God's power and the ultimate redemption through the blood of the Lamb.
Cultural and Religious Influence
Egypt was a center of ancient civilization, known for its advances in writing, architecture, and governance. The Egyptians practiced a polytheistic religion, worshiping a pantheon of gods, which often brought them into conflict with the monotheistic beliefs of the Israelites. The cultural and religious practices of Egypt are frequently contrasted with the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
The Name Egypt
According to the Oxford Companion to the Bible, the name Egypt is an English rendering of the Greek name Αιγυπτος (Aiguptos), which in turn is a transliteration of the Egyptian Hwt-Ptah, meaning Temple of Ptah. To a creative Greek, the name Αιγυπτος (Aiguptos) would probably have sounded somewhat similar to the adjective αιγειος (aigeios), meaning of goat, from the noun αιξ (aix), meaning she-goat. Not only would our name have sounded like Goat-i-stan, but the husband of the αιξ (aix) was the τραγος (tragos), he-goat, from which comes the familiar noun τραγωδια (tragodia), tragedy, literally: goat-song. The Egyptians themselves named their country Keme, meaning the Black Land.
In almost every case, a person or place name in the Bible which we know it by is a transliteration of the Hebrew. For instance the English Jerusalem is from the Hebrew Yerushalem, Israel from Yisrael, and Methuselah from Metushelach. This is not the case with Egypt.
The Hebrew word for Egypt is מצרים (mitsrayim / meets-rah-yeem). The first occurrence of this name is in Genesis 10:6 - And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim (mitsrayim), and Phut, and Canaan. (KJV).
The root to this name is צר (tsar Strong's #6862) meaning "pressed in" and can be translated several different ways; "enemy" as one who presses in; "trouble" as a pressing in; "strait" as a canyon with the walls pressing. A common method of forming nouns is to add the letter "mem" to the front of a root. In this case the "mem" is placed before the root forming the noun מצר (metsar Strong's #4712). The prefixed "mem" can be understood as "what is...", hence metsar means "what is pressed in" and is usually translated as trouble or straits.
The suffix of the name mitsrayim is the masculine plural suffix ים. The name mitsrayim can be interpreted many different ways; two straits (possibly referring to the two sides of the Nile river), double straits, two enemies, double pressing, or even double trouble.
Some biblical texts recall Israel’s time in Egypt without reference to slavery or oppression. For example, Ezekiel 20 presents Egypt as the place where God first revealed himself to Israel and chose them as his people, but does not mention slavery or suffering. Several legal texts also describe the Israelites in Egypt as sojourning strangers (גֵּרִים, gērîm) rather than slaves, calling for compassion toward foreigners on this basis (Deut. 10:19; Lev. 19:34). Deuteronomy 23:7-8 even commands that Egyptians not be abhorred, remembering them as hosts rather than oppressors.
Prophetic oracles against Egypt in Isaiah 19, Jeremiah 46, and Ezekiel 29-32 likewise predict Egypt’s downfall without recalling the Israelites’ slavery there. According to biblical scholar Gili Kugler, these passages suggest that the slavery motif was not present in all early traditions of the exodus narrative.
According to Shaye J. D. Flavius Josephus (Contra Apionem I:26-31) identified the early Israelites and the Exodus with the Hyksos and their expulsion. Such an identification-which we have to reject on chronological grounds-may stem from the memories of a Western Semitic population living in the eastern Delta for quite a length of time, from the late 12th Dynasty (ca.
A general principle of spiritual life is that the “the way up is the way down” (John 12:24). As Yeshua said, “Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:44). Becoming nothing (i.e., ayin) in this world is the condition for seeing something in the world to come. Unless a seed falls to the ground it abides alone (John 12:24). The purpose of life here below is to carry us to the highest degree of taedium vitae (“weariness of life”). This is not another venture of the ego. Life in the Spirit means trusting that God will do within you what you cannot do for yourself, to set you free from the bondage of yourself… From our point of view we take hold of what God has done for us by “letting go” of our own devices (Phil. 2:13); we let go and trust and are carried by the “Torah of the Spirit of life” (i.e., תּוֹרַת רוּחַ הַחַיִּים, Rom. 8:2). God’s way of deliverance is entirely different than man’s way. Man tries to enlist carnal power in the battle against sin (i.e., religion, politics, etc.), but God’s way is to remove the flesh from the equation. The goal is not to make us stronger and stronger, but rather weaker and weaker, until the ego is crucified and only the sufficiency of the Messiah remains. Then we can truly say, “I have been crucified with Messiah. It is no longer I who live, but the Messiah who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).
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