Northeast Africa · OT & NT
Egypt
The land of bondage from which God redeemed Israel — and a temporary refuge for Joseph, Jeremiah, and the holy family.
Today: Arab Republic of Egypt
Egypt — Hebrew Mitsrayim — is the great Nile civilization to the southwest of Canaan. Its ancient kingdom was already a thousand years old when Abraham briefly went down there during a famine. Joseph was sold into Egypt and rose to be Pharaoh's vizier; the family of Jacob settled in Goshen and grew into a nation of slaves.
The exodus from Egypt — the plagues, the Passover, the Red Sea — is the foundational redemption event of the Old Testament, repeatedly invoked as the pattern of the greater redemption Christ accomplishes. Centuries later the Lord called his Son out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:15) when the holy family fled there from Herod.
Key verses
"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he set him over all the land of Egypt."
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"And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor."
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"And it came to pass the selfsame day, that Jehovah did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts."
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"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."
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"Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son."
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