Title of the kings of Egypt · Genesis to Jeremiah

Pharaoh in the Bible

"Pharaoh" is a title rather than a personal name: it renders an Egyptian phrase meaning "great house", the palace standing for the king who lived in it. Scripture uses it for a whole sequence of rulers across roughly a thousand years — the king who takes Sarai, the king who raises Joseph, the king who enslaves Israel, and later kings named outright, such as Shishak and Neco. In Egypt the pharaoh was held to be divine, which is why the contest of the plagues reads as a contest between gods.

What Scripture says, and what it leaves open

Scripture names only a few Egyptian kings (Shishak, So, Tirhakah, Neco, Hophra). Where it simply says "Pharaoh", the individual is not identified, and any match to a king known from Egyptian records is a historical proposal rather than something the Bible states.

Geographic context

Where Pharaoh belongs on the map

Open Pharaoh on the interactive mapReal terrain, nearby places, journeys and passages

Key passages

Read the first mention — 1 Chronicles 4:18Search every form of “Pharaoh”

Verses mentioning Pharaoh

275 occurrences across 235 verses in the King James Version.

These verses cover every use of the title, so they span several different kings.

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:18

    And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took. Jehudijah: or, the Jewess

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  2. 2 Chronicles 8:11

    And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come. holy: Heb. holiness

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  3. Nehemiah 9:10

    And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

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  4. Psalms 135:9

    Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

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  5. Psalms 136:15

    But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. overthrew: Heb. shaked off

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  6. Song of Solomon 1:9

    I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

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  7. Isaiah 19:11

    Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

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  8. Isaiah 30:2

    That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

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  9. Isaiah 30:3

    Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

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  10. Isaiah 36:6

    Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.

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  11. Jeremiah 25:19

    Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;

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  12. Jeremiah 37:5

    Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

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  13. Jeremiah 37:7

    Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

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  14. Jeremiah 37:11

    And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, broken: Heb. made to ascend

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  15. Jeremiah 43:9

    Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

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  16. Jeremiah 46:17

    They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

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  17. Jeremiah 46:25

    The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: multitude: or, nourisher: Heb. Amon

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  18. Jeremiah 47:1

    The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza. Gaza: Heb. Azzah

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  19. Ezekiel 17:17

    Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:

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  20. Ezekiel 29:2

    Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:

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  21. Ezekiel 29:3

    Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

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  22. Ezekiel 30:21

    Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.

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  23. Ezekiel 30:22

    Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

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  24. Ezekiel 30:24

    And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.

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  25. Ezekiel 30:25

    But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.

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