KING OF EGYPT (NOT NAMED IN SCRIPTURE) · EXODUS & WILDERNESS

Pharaoh of the Exodus. "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?"

REIGNEDi

Not given Scripture gives no length. Moses was eighty when he and Aaron spoke to him (Exod 7:7).

CAPITAL

Not stated

HOUSE

Not stated 3rd of 9 in Egypt

SCRIPTURE SAYS

“Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let…”

PROPHETS

Moses · Aaron

EGYPT: 9 RULERS PHARAOH OF JOSEPH'S DAY → HOPHRA

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The powers of the day

ISRAEL

Moses · Aaron

MIDIAN

Jethro, priest of Midian

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · 13TH CENTURY BC (REIGN OF MERNEPTAH)

Merneptah's hymn of victory

SUCCESSION

Before and after

THE REALM

The places Scripture names

Egypt. Only places Scripture names are shown, each where the Atlas puts it.

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS

What Scripture says of him

  • "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." Exodus 5:2
  • Exodus says that Pharaoh hardened his heart, and that the LORD hardened it, as the LORD had told Moses beforehand. Exodus 4:21 Exodus 8:15 Exodus 8:32 Exodus 9:12 Exodus 9:34 Exodus 10:20 +1 more
  • After the hail he said, "I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked". Exodus 9:27
  • At midnight of the last plague he called for Moses and Aaron: "Rise up, and get you forth from among my people ... and bless me also." Exodus 12:31–32
  • The LORD said to him, "for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power", words Paul quotes in Romans. Exodus 9:16 Romans 9:17
  • The psalm: the LORD "overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea". Psalms 136:15

DEALINGS

Dealings with God's people

  • Moses asked to go "three days' journey into the wilderness" to sacrifice, since Israel's sacrifices would be "the abomination of the Egyptians". Exodus 8:25–28
  • The magicians copied the first signs, then said, "This is the finger of God". Exodus 7:11 Exodus 8:7 Exodus 8:18–19
  • Israel's officers were beaten when the tale of bricks was not met without straw. Exodus 5:14–16
  • Pharaoh's own servants said, "let the men go ... knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?" Exodus 10:7
  • Israel's officers told Moses and Aaron they had made Israel's savour "to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh". Exodus 5:20–21
  • The Egyptians gave Israel jewels of silver and gold and raiment as they left. Exodus 12:35–36

EVENTS

Wars, works and turning points

UNDATED IN SCRIPTURE

PROPHETS

The prophets who spoke about him

  • Mo Moses “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.”
  • Aa Aaron “See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”

DATES DIFFER

When was it?

SCRIPTURE'S NUMBERS

No years given

No name and no years. 1 Kings 6:1 dates the start of Solomon's temple to "the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt"; how that is turned into a BC year, and which king it gives, are the views below.

Amenophis, son of Rameses Miamun

James Ussher (1658)

Ussher, following Manetho's list of kings, makes the king of the Exodus Amenophis, son and successor of Rameses Miamun: "he that was drowned in the red Sea".[64]

In Egypt's 18th dynasty, counted from 1 Kings 6:1

Edward Mack (1915); C. R. Conder (1915)

Mack counts the 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1 back from the founding of Solomon's temple (969 or 970 BC on his reckoning) and reaches "approximately 1448 BC". Conder takes the 480 years to run from Joshua's conquest, adds the forty years in the wilderness, puts the Exodus about 1520 BC, and makes its Pharaoh Amenophis II or Thothmes IV. 1 Kings 6:1 [11][10]

Late in the 18th dynasty, under Amenophis III

J. Lieblein, as reported by C. R. Conder (1915)

Conder reports that Lieblein placed the Exodus "late in the time of Amenophis III".[10]

Under Merenptah, successor of Rameses II

R. Lepsius (1840s), as reported by C. R. Conder; S. R. Driver (1911); W. M. F. Petrie (1915)

Raamses (Exod 1:11) takes its name from Rameses II, who founded Pithom; Exodus 2:23 and 4:19 suggest the king of the Exodus was the oppressor's successor, Merenptah. Lepsius, as Conder reports, put the Exodus in 1314 BC, Merenptah's fifteenth year; Driver gives Merenptah 1234–1214 BC on Petrie's dates; Petrie puts the Exodus about 1220 BC. Exodus 1:11 Exodus 2:23 Exodus 4:19 [10][20][9]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 23

Exodus 3 Exodus 4 Exodus 5 Exodus 6 Exodus 7 Exodus 8 Exodus 9 Exodus 10 Exodus 11 Exodus 12 Exodus 13 Exodus 14 Exodus 15 Exodus 18 Deuteronomy 6 Deuteronomy 34 1 Samuel 2 1 Samuel 6 2 Kings 17 Nehemiah 9 Psalms 135 Psalms 136 Romans 9

PASSAGES · 23

Exodus 3:7–22 Exodus 4:18–23 Exodus 5:1–23 Exodus 6:1–13 Exodus 6:26–7:25 Exodus 8:1–32 Exodus 9:1–35 Exodus 10:1–29 Exodus 11:1–10 Exodus 12:29–42 Exodus 13:15–17 Exodus 14:1–31 Exodus 15:1–21 Exodus 18:8–11 Deuteronomy 6:21–22 Deuteronomy 34:11 1 Samuel 2:27 1 Samuel 6:6 2 Kings 17:7 Nehemiah 9:10 Psalms 135:9 Psalms 136:15 Romans 9:17–18

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture never gives this king's name or the length of his reign.
  • Exodus says the sea covered "all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them" (14:28), and Psalm 136:15 that the LORD "overthrew Pharaoh and his host"; neither says in so many words that Pharaoh himself entered the sea or died.
  • Scripture gives no BC year for the Exodus.

IDENTIFICATIONS THIS PAGE RELIES ON

  • From the textThis page follows the person record for the king Moses faced, from the burning bush to the sea (Exodus 3–15), with the later verses that look back to him. Exodus never names him. Exodus 3:10 Exodus 14:28

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • E. Hornung, R. Krauss and D. A. Warburton (eds.), Ancient Egyptian Chronology (Handbook of Oriental Studies 83; facts only) (2006), Chronological table for the dynastic period, pp. 490–495; Kushite rulers, p. 496.
  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. I (Chronology) (1906), §§67–75, pp. 44–47 (chronological table).
  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. III (1906), §§603–605, 617, pp. 257–258, 264 (Merneptah's Hymn of Victory).
  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. IV (1906), §§701–724A, pp. 344–358 (Silsileh stela; great Karnak relief; Karnak stela).
  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. IV (1906), §892, pp. 454–455 (Tanis stela of Taharka).
  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. IV (1906), §§974–975, 984, pp. 497–501 (Serapeum stelae of Necho's and Apries' reigns).
  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. IV (1906), §§996–1007, pp. 509–512 (Elephantine stela of Amasis).
  • J.-F. Champollion, Lettres écrites d'Égypte et de Nubie en 1828 et 1829 (1833), seventh letter (Thebes, 24 November 1828), p. 99.
  • W. M. Flinders Petrie, "Egypt", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. II (1915), pp. 911–913 (§§4–19, the connections with the Old Testament).
  • C. R. Conder, "Exodus, The", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. II (1915), pp. 1053–1055 (§§II–III, the date; the theory of Lepsius).
  • Edward Mack, "Chronology of the Old Testament", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. I (1915), p. 641.
  • M. G. Kyle, "Pharaoh", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. IV (1915), p. 2359.
  • M. G. Kyle, "Joseph", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. III (1915), pp. 1738–1739.
  • T. Nicol, "Shishak", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. IV (1915), pp. 2777–2778.
  • T. Nicol, "So", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. IV (1915), p. 2820.
  • T. Nicol, "Pharaoh Hophra", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. IV (1915), pp. 2359–2360.
  • T. Nicol, "Pharaoh-necoh", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. IV (1915), p. 2360.
  • T. G. Pinches, "Tirhakah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. V (1915), p. 2986.
  • C. M. Cobern, "Zerah (the Ethiopian)", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. V (1915), pp. 3146–3147.
  • S. R. Driver, The Book of Exodus (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1911), Introduction §4, p. xxx; p. xlii, note 5.
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 1 (1890), Book II, §§158–159, 161, 169; Book IV, §42.
  • D. D. Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, vol. II (1927), §§5, 18, 55, pp. 5, 7–8, 26–27 (Sargon's annals and display inscription).
  • D. D. Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, vol. II (1927), §§573, 580, pp. 224–227 (the Senjirli stele).
  • D. D. Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, vol. II (1927), §§770–771, 778, pp. 292–296 (Ashurbanipal's first campaign against Egypt); §906, p. 351.
  • D. D. Luckenbill (after C. J. Gadd, The Fall of Nineveh, 1923), Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, vol. II (1927), §§1166, 1183, pp. 416, 421.
  • D. D. Luckenbill, The Annals of Sennacherib (Oriental Institute Publications 2) (1924), pp. 31–32 (Oriental Institute Prism, col. II, ll. 73–81).
  • R. W. Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912), pp. 324–327 (Sargon at Raphia); pp. 361–362 (Hophra).
  • D. J. Wiseman, Chronicles of Chaldaean Kings (626–556 B.C.) in the British Museum (facts only) (1956), BM 21946 (Babylonian Chronicle 5).
  • A. K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (facts only) (1975), Chronicle 5, obverse 1–11; reverse 5–8 (read in Livius's reproduction).
  • James Ussher, The Annals of the World (English edition) (1658), Part One, p. 68.
  • L. McFall, "A Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles", Bibliotheca Sacra 148 (facts only) (1991), numbered texts 1–68; page numbers of the author's PDF.
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Exod 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on Exod 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. J. Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 2 (1864), note on Exod 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament (1748–1763), note on Exod 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1683–1685), note on Exod 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • J. R. Lumby, The First Book of the Kings (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1886), note on 1 Kgs 3:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 1 Kgs 3:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Books of the Kings (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on 1 Kgs 3:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on 1 Kgs 11:19 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 1 Kgs 11:19 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. A. Harper, The Books of the Chronicles (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on 2 Chr 12:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on 1 Kgs 14:25 (read on Bible Hub).
  • W. E. Barnes, The Books of Chronicles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1899), note on 2 Chr 12:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on 2 Kgs 17:4 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Kgs 17:4 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Books of the Kings (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on 2 Kgs 17:4 (read on Bible Hub).
  • J. R. Lumby, The Second Book of the Kings (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1887), note on 2 Kgs 17:4 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on 2 Kgs 19:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Kgs 19:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1683–1685), note on 2 Kgs 23:29 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Kgs 23:29 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Books of the Kings (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on 2 Kgs 23:29 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on 2 Chr 35:20 (read on Bible Hub).
  • W. E. Barnes, The Books of Chronicles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1899), note on 2 Chr 35:20 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Jer 37:5 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Jer 47:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. W. Streane, The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1881), note on Jer 47:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. D. Patrick and J. Kennedy, The Prophecies of Jeremiah (Keil and Delitzsch) (1874), note on Jer 47:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • R. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and D. Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (1871), note on Jer 47:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament (1748–1763), note on Jer 47:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1683–1685), note on Ezek 29:2 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament (1748–1763), note on Ezek 29:2 (read on Bible Hub).
  • James Ussher, The Annals of the World (English edition) (1658), Part One, pp. 12–13 (Rameses Miamun and his son Amenophis), p. 20 (Amenophis "drowned in the red Sea").

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