What is the…
River of Egypt in the Bible

  1. The Nile River

    …the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates… —Gen. 15:18 excerpt

    Hebrew: מִצְרַיִם נָהָר —transliteration: nahar mitsraim —meaning: river (or stream) of Egypt

    This refers to the Nile, or its eastern branch.

  2. Hebrew: נַחַל —transliteration: nachal or nahal —meaning: brook, torrent, torrent-valley, wadi

    And the border shall turn from Azmon to the brook [nachal] of Egypt, and its termination shall be at the sea. —Numbers 34:5

    The Hebrew word nachal indicates a stream flowing rapidly in winter or in the rainy season.

    Thus, the above verse seems to refer to a desert stream on the borders of Egypt. It is now called the Wady el-'Arish—an ancient border line.

    See Numbers 34:5; Joshua 15:4, 47; 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Kings 24:7; Isaiah 27:12; Ezek. 47:19

    In all these passages the more modern versions say “brook” and the King James Version “river.”

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Article Version: September 19, 2024