Who were the Egyptians in the Bible?

The ancient Egyptians were descendants of Ham, but his descendants were numerous and diverse. As far as the name implies, Egypt naturally associates itself with Mizraim; but it is judged that the Egyptians of the times of the most ancient monuments were of the Circasian type, and apparently descended rather from Cush than from Mizraim. The examination of the mummies of the old empire show that their structure does not agree with that of the Negroes, who were also descendants of Ham. The ancient Egyptians are classed among the white races: the Ethiopians were darker, and those farther south still darker. The Copts in modern Egypt are considered to be the descendants of the ancient race.

Descendants of Mizraim (the Hebrew has the article). Gen. 10:13; 1 Chr. 1:11.

Son of Ham, and the name of his descendants and also of the country possessed by them. Its signification is much disputed. The Hebrew word is really Mitzraim and is given in the A.V. untranslated only in Gen. 10:6, 13; 1 Chr. 1:8, 11. Elsewhere it is translated EGYPT. The word is in a dual form, occasioned, it has been thought, by the division of that land into Upper and Lower Egypt. The word Matzor, of which Mitzraim is the dual, occurs many times and is variously translated in the A.V. In 2 Kings 19:24; Isa. 37:25 it is 'besieged places;' in Isa. 19:6, 'defence;' and in Jer. 10:17, 'fortress.' But it is a proper name and refers to Egypt. The Revisers and others translate it Egypt in all passages.

The land of Egypt is a remarkable land in this way; that it is a little strip of country along the great river which makes it what it is, and is in perpetual conflict with the desert. This desert runs on both sides, and a little strip through which the river flows alone is Egypt. The desert on each side hems it in, blowing in its sands in all directions, and the river is as constantly overflowing its banks and leaving its deposit upon the sand. and renewing the soil. The Scripture name is not Egypt but Mizraim; and Mizraim means "double straitness." This doubtless refers to the two strips, one on each side of the river. Mizraim was son of Ham, the Ammon, or Khem, of profane history — a very significant name in this connection. It means black or sun-burnt — darkened by the light. Ham is the father of Mizraim. That is, what we call the natural state is not what is really natural; for it is not the mere absence of light, but the effect of the light itself. And such is the darkness of the world.

In Hebrew Mizraim (though really it is Mitsraim). It is a dual form, signifying 'the two Matsors,' as some think, which represent Lower and Upper Egypt. Egypt is also called THE LAND OF HAM in Ps. 105:23, 27; Ps. 106:22; and RAHAB, signifying 'the proud one' in Ps. 87:4; Ps. 89:10; Isa. 51:9. (This name in Hebrew is not the same as Rahab, the harlot, which is really Rachab.) Upper Egypt is called PATHROS, that is, 'land of the south,' Isa. 11:11. Lower Egypt is MATSOR in Isa. 19:6; Isa. 37:25, but translated 'defence' and 'besieged places' in the A.V. Egypt is one of the most ancient and renowned countries, but it is not possible to fix any date to its foundation.

There is no question as to the identification of Mizraim, and the great magnificence of its civilisation as of the Asiatic Cush in the remotest antiquity. The form of the word in Hebrew is the dual, which some would refer to higher and lower Egypt. However this may be, the context decides that both Cush and Mizraim mean men, and sons of Ham. Ephraim, born in Egypt, has also the dual form, but is none the less surely the name of a man.

The bondage in Egypt is not only national, furnishing the background upon which the entire subsequent history of the children of Israel is projected, but typically shows the bondage of sin under which the whole human race is. Egypt is in a special way a type of the world, in contrast with Canaan the heavenly place. It is an exceedingly fruitful country which is apparently independent of the rain of heaven. It receives its nutrition through the river Nile, which comes to it from the unseen sources far back in equatorial Africa, and which at stated times overflows its banks, spreading fertility and life wherever it reaches. Its river was its god.

Notice three things in connection with this "young man of Egypt." They are his citizenship, his condition, and his captivity.

First, his citizenship. In verse 13 David says to him: "Whence art thou?" He replies at once, "I am a young man of Egypt." He frankly acknowledges his citizenship; Egypt was his native land. Now, Egypt is a striking and instructive type of the world. I do not mean this physical world or earth on which we exist, but this moral scene in which men live and seek for satisfaction. It is that moral order of things which had its beginning in Cain's day, when he "went out from the presence of the Lord," and he and his descendants builded cities, sought out witty inventions of brass and iron, manufactured musical instruments, and went in for a good time generally, in forgetfulness of God. And that continues to the present day. The land of Egypt figures this. There Pharaoh, type of Satan, ruled and tyrannized. There, too, the elect nation of Jehovah were groaning in bondage beneath the cruel lash of their taskmasters. It was a place where the true God was unknown, and the inhabitants worshiped and served the creature instead of the Creator.

The first verse of Genesis 39 picks up the thread from the last verse of Genesis 37. Potiphar was an Egyptian, as is specially mentioned. This might have seemed to us a quite unnecessary remark did we not know that at that time the ruling class in Egypt and even Pharaoh himself were an alien race. For several centuries Egypt was dominated by these "Shepherd Kings," or "Hyksos," much as China for a long time and until early this century was dominated by a Manchu dynasty. Potiphar was of true Egyptian stock, and was greatly prospered by the service of Joseph.

During the last century or so, our knowledge of Egyptian history has been greatly increased by the discovery of many monuments and other records of the past, coupled with the discovery of the secrets of their hieroglyphic writing, permitting it to be deciphered. It now seems certain that not very long after the death of Joseph the rule of the "Hyksos," or "Shepherd kings," came to an end. There was an uprising of the real, native Egyptians, which thrust them out and put a representative of their ancient dynasties on the throne. Joseph, being allied in race with the Shepherd kings, was of course anathema to the new rulers, and the people of Israel were regarded in a similar light and therefore as a potential danger for Egypt.