Lexical Summary
Mitsri: Egyptian
Original Word:מִצְרִי
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:Mitsriy
Pronunciation:mits-REE
Phonetic Spelling:(mits-ree')
KJV: Egyptian, of Egypt
NASB:Egyptian, Egyptians, Egyptian's, Egypt
Word Origin:[fromH4714 (מִצרַיִם - Egypt)]
1. a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of Mitsrajim
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Egyptian, of Egypt
FromMitsrayim; a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of Mitsrajim -- Egyptian, of Egypt.
see HEBREWMitsrayim
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
MitsrayimDefinitioninhab. of Eg.
NASB TranslationEgypt (1), Egyptian (18), Egyptian's (4), Egyptians (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — masculine singular
Genesis 39:1 16t.; feminine singular
Genesis 16:1 3t.; masculine plural
Genesis 12:12 5t.; feminine plural
Exodus 1:19; —
adjective =an EgyptianGenesis 39:1;Exodus 2:11,19;Leviticus 24:10;1 Samuel 30:11;2 Samuel 23:30;1 Chronicles 11:23;1 Samuel 30:13,1 Chronicles 2:34;Genesis 16:1,Exodus 1:19.
= substantivethe EgyptianGenesis 39:2,5;Exodus 2:12,14;2 Samuel 23:30 (twice in verse);1 Chronicles 11:23 (twice in verse); so once without articleDeuteronomy 23:8; once (late) collective=the EgyptiansEzra 9:1 (where with Canaanitish peoples); plural =the Egyptians,Genesis 12:12,14;Genesis 43:22;Deuteronomy 26:6;Joshua 24:7; feminine singularHagar the Egyptian womanGenesis 16:3;Genesis 21:9;Genesis 25:12.
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Topical Lexicon
OverviewMitsri designates an individual or group native to the land of Egypt. Appearing approximately ninety-seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures, its range of usage spans from the Patriarchal narratives in Genesis to post-exilic prophecy in Zechariah. Whether describing slave-masters, royal alliances, military foes, refugees, or future worshipers of the LORD, the term functions as a theological signpost that highlights God’s redemptive dealings with both Israel and the nations.
Ethnic and Geographic Identity
1. Children of Ham: Genesis traces Egypt’s ancestry to Ham’s son Mizraim (Genesis 10:6, 13), locating the Mitsri within the Table of Nations.
2. Nile Culture: Repeated references to chariots (Exodus 14:7;1 Kings 10:28-29) and river dependence (Exodus 7:18-21;Isaiah 19:5-10) portray a technologically advanced but spiritually idolatrous civilization.
3. Bordering Superpower: For Israel, Egypt stands at the southwest frontier, tempting kings and pilgrims alike to look “to horses and chariots” instead of to the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 31:1).
Major Biblical Contexts
1. Patriarchal Period
• Hagar the Egyptian (Genesis 16:1) illustrates God’s care for foreigners.
• Joseph, sold into Egypt (Genesis 37:28), later rescues the house of Jacob, turning Mitsri provisions into instruments of covenant preservation (Genesis 50:20).
2. Exodus and Wilderness
• Bondage: “Now a new king arose over Egypt… So the Egyptians set taskmasters over them” (Exodus 1:8, 11).
• Deliverance: The term punctuates every plague narrative—“The LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:29).
• Remembrance: Annual Passover liturgy calls Israel to recall what the LORD “did to the Egyptians” (Deuteronomy 6:22).
3. Covenant Legislation
• Compassion: “You shall not despise an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land” (Deuteronomy 23:7).
• Equality under Law: The half-Israeli, half-Egyptian blasphemer receives judgment like any Israelite (Leviticus 24:10-16), affirming one standard of holiness.
4. United and Divided Monarchy
• Political Marriage and Military Aid: Solomon’s Egyptian wife (1 Kings 3:1) and chariot imports (1 Kings 10:28) foreshadow later prophetic rebuke.
• Shishak’s Invasion: “In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up” (1 Kings 14:25), warning of covenant breach.
5. Prophetic Announcements
• Warnings against Alliances: “Woe to those… who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of chariots of Egypt” (Isaiah 31:1).
• Judgments:Ezekiel 29–32 details the downfall of Pharaoh, likening him to a monster in the Nile.
• Eschatological Hope: “In that day Israel will join a triad with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth” (Isaiah 19:24).
6. Post-Exilic Setting
• Flight to Egypt:Jeremiah 42–44 records Judean refugees becoming “sojourners in the land of Egypt,” repeating earlier unbelief.
• Zechariah’s Pilgrimage Vision: “If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter to worship, then no rain will fall on them” (Zechariah 14:18), anticipating universal feast-keeping.
Spiritual Themes
1. Bondage versus Freedom
Mitsri embodies slavery to sin; the Exodus motif undergirds New Testament soteriology (cf.Romans 6:17-18).
2. Worldly Dependence versus Divine Trust
Alliances with Egypt symbolize self-reliance. Kings who “returned to Egypt” (Deuteronomy 17:16) expose the perennial temptation to abandon faith in God’s sufficiency.
3. Judgment and Mercy toward the Nations
Even as Egypt is judged, the prophetic hope foretells Egyptians speaking “the language of Canaan” and swearing fidelity to the LORD (Isaiah 19:18-22). Grace extends beyond ethnic Israel.
4. Evangelistic Impulse
The mixed multitude exiting Egypt (Exodus 12:38) and the invitation inIsaiah 19 encourage modern missions, demonstrating God’s desire to incorporate every people group into His kingdom.
Key Representative Passages
•Genesis 41:56-57; 42:6
•Exodus 3:21-22; 12:30-36
•Deuteronomy 10:19
•1 Kings 11:1-5
•2 Kings 18:21, 24
•Psalm 80:8
•Isaiah 19:1-25; 31:1-3
•Jeremiah 46:13-26
•Ezekiel 30:1-9
•Hosea 11:1
•Zechariah 14:18-19
Ministry Applications
1. Discipleship and Sanctification
Believers are called to “leave Egypt” daily, rejecting the bondage of former lifestyles (1 Corinthians 10:6-11 as Exodus commentary).
2. Leadership Cautions
Pastors and elders must resist pragmatic alliances that compromise reliance on God, heeding prophetic critiques of trusting in Egyptian power.
3. Gospel Witness to Unreached Peoples
Since Scripture envisions Egyptians among future worshipers, contemporary mission strategy includes North Africa and Middle East outreach with confidence in prophetic fulfillment.
4. Worship and Remembrance
The Lord’s Supper echoes Passover deliverance from Egyptian tyranny, prompting gratitude and vigilance against returning to slavery.
Conclusion
Mitsri serves as more than a national label; it is a theological mirror reflecting humanity’s bondage, God’s redemptive power, and the ultimate inclusion of the nations in covenant blessing. From Hagar’s wilderness cry to Isaiah’s vision of an altar in Egypt, the biblical portrait of the Egyptian invites believers to celebrate divine deliverance, avoid misplaced trust, and anticipate the day when “the LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt My people’” (Isaiah 19:25).
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ במצרים הַמִּצְרִ֑י הַמִּצְרִ֔י הַמִּצְרִ֔ים הַמִּצְרִ֖י הַמִּצְרִ֖ים הַמִּצְרִ֗ים הַמִּצְרִ֛ית הַמִּצְרִ֜י הַמִּצְרִ֤י הַמִּצְרִֽי׃ הַמִּצְרִי֙ הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הַמִּצְרִים֙ הַמִּצְרִית֙ המצרי המצרי׃ המצרים המצרית וְלַמִּצְרִ֞ים וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִצְרַ֣יִם ולמצרים ומצרים לְמִצְרַ֔יִם לְמִצְרָ֑יִם לְמִצְרָֽיִם׃ למצרים למצרים׃ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם מִצְרִ֔י מִצְרִ֖י מִצְרִ֖ית מִצְרִ֜י מִצְרִ֣י מִצְרִי֙ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִצְרַ֖יִם מִצְרַ֗יִם מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִצְרַ֛יִם מִצְרַ֜יִם מִצְרַ֣יִם ׀ מִצְרַ֥יִם מִצְרַ֨יִם מִצְרַיִם֒ מִצְרָ֑יִם מִצְרָֽיִם׃ ממצרים מצרי מצרים מצרים׃ מצרית bə·miṣ·ra·yim bə·miṣ·rā·yim ḇə·miṣ·ra·yim bəmiṣrayim bəmiṣrāyim ḇəmiṣrayim bemitzRayim ham·miṣ·rî ham·miṣ·rî·yōṯ ham·miṣ·rîm ham·miṣ·rîṯ hammiṣrî hammiṣrîm hammiṣrîṯ hammiṣrîyōṯ hammitzRi hammitzRim hammitzRit hammitzriYot lə·miṣ·ra·yim lə·miṣ·rā·yim ləmiṣrayim ləmiṣrāyim lemitzRayim mim·miṣ·ra·yim mimitzRayim mimmiṣrayim miṣ·ra·yim miṣ·rā·yim miṣ·rî miṣ·rîṯ miṣrayim miṣrāyim miṣrî miṣrîṯ mitzRayim mitzRi mitzRit ū·miṣ·ra·yim ūmiṣrayim umitzRayim velammitzRim vemitzRayim wə·lam·miṣ·rîm wəlammiṣrîm
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