Egyptians

Egypt is the first great power the Bible describes, and its rulers appear at every turn of the history of Israel. A pharaoh takes Sarai into his house and is plagued for it (Genesis 12:15–20). Another raises Joseph from prison to the second chariot of the realm after his dreams of the seven cows and seven ears (Genesis 41:14–44). Potiphar captain of the guard, first buys Joseph and then imprisons him (Genesis 39:1–20).

The Exodus turns Egypt from patron into oppressor. A new king "who did not know Joseph" sets taskmasters over Israel (Exodus 1:8–11), and it is an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew whom Moses kills (Exodus 2:11–12). The daughter of Pharaoh draws the infant Moses out of the Nile and raises him as her son (Exodus 2:5–10). Before the king of the Exodus, the magicians of Egypt match the first signs, fail at the gnats and confess, "This is the finger of God" (Exodus 8:18–19), and are finally unable even to stand before Moses because of the boils (Exodus 9:11).

Later Egypt is a rival court and a political temptation. Solomon marries the daughter of a pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1); a pharaoh shelters Hadad the Edomite and gives him the sister of Queen Tahpenes, whose son Genubath is weaned in the palace (1 Kings 11:19–20). Shishak comes up against Jerusalem and strips the treasures of the temple (1 Kings 14:25–26). Hoshea sends messengers to So, king of Egypt, and stops paying tribute to Assyria (2 Kings 17:4). The Rabshakeh mocks that alliance as "this broken reed of a staff, Egypt" (2 Kings 18:21).

The last Egyptian kings named in the Old Testament are judgment scenes. Neco kills Josiah at Megiddo and deposes Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:29–34), and Hophra is handed over to his enemies as a sign against the Judeans who fled to Egypt (Jeremiah 44:30). Not every Egyptian is a ruler: the servant abandoned by the Amalekites, given bread, figs and water by the men of David guides them to their raiders and to the recovery of everything taken (1 Samuel 30:11–19).