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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

PHARAOH

Ruler over Egypt also known as “the King of Upper and Lower Egypt.” He lived in a palace known as the “great house,” which was the symbol of his authority. The Egyptian word for the palace was applied to the kings themselves during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC). As king, the pharaoh personified the rule of the gods over Egypt. The 18th and 19th dynasties frequently employed the term “pharaoh” without giving the actual name of the pharaoh.

The title was not used officially. Rather, it was a popular designation for the king. In the OT the title was used to refer to men who lived in different historical periods. They were representatives of various dynasties. The use of the royal designation without the name was sufficient for the period in which the pharaoh ruled or for people who were acquainted with the pharaoh. For us today it is often difficult to ascertain who the pharaoh was at any given period and what dynastic period he ruled in.

In the OT the title pharaoh appears by itself (Gn 12:15), as well as with the additional description “king of Egypt” (Dt 7:8), and the name of the pharaoh, such as Neco (2 Kgs 23:29). The pharaoh was considered to be a representative of the gods Ra and Amon on earth. They upheld the divine order in Egypt and were supportive of the temples. The position of the pharaoh as civil and religious head of state gave him unique authority. Unlike his counterparts in the surrounding nations, the authority of the Egyptian king was not easily upset by insurrection.

It remains difficult to identify the pharaohs during the period of the patriarchs. Abraham and Joseph had dealings with the pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom and the second intermediate period. Also, the identity of the pharaoh of the oppression of the Israelites and of the exodus is not satisfactorily resolved. Those who hold to the early date of the exodus see Thutmose III as the pharaoh who began the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt (Ex 1:8). In this view Amenhotep II (c. 1440 BC), who succeeded Thutmose upon his death (2:23), is the pharaoh of the exodus. Another view is that the oppression began under the 18th dynasty and continued until the 19th dynasty. In this view Ramses II is the pharaoh of the exodus (c. 1290 BC).

During the united monarchy, Israel’s position as an international power grew. David subdued the nations on Israel’s border zones. When Joab took Edom, an Edomite prince, Hadad, fled to Egypt to find protection at pharaoh’s court. The 21st dynasty ruled in Egypt during David’s time, and it may be that Pharaoh Siamun welcomed Hadad as a political weapon to be used against the growing strength of Israel (1 Kgs 11:14-22). Pharaoh Siamun is possibly also to be identified with the pharaoh who made an incursion into the Philistine coastland, conquering Gezer to be given as dowry to Solomon at the marriage of his daughter to Solomon (3:1-2). At the collapse of Israel’s unity, Pharaoh Shishak (Shishong I) of the 22d dynasty made a campaign against Judah and Israel and took much booty with him (14:25-26).

Pharaoh Neco defeated the Judean forces at Megiddo, killing King Josiah in action (2 Kgs 23:29). The last king of Judah (Zedekiah) hoped in vain for help from Egypt, where Pharaoh Hophra of the 26th dynasty ruled. The prophet Ezekiel spoke harshly against the king of Egypt: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt. . . . It [Egypt] shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations; and I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations’ ” (Ez 29:3, 15, rsv). Under the Persian regime, the power of the pharaohs dwindled, in fulfillment of the prophetic word.