I grew up singing a popular children’s song in church. The lyrics went, “Pharaoh, Pharaoh. Oh baby, let my people go. Huh! Yeah, yeah, yeah,” complete with motions. This song refers to the Pharaoh Moses encountered, but the Bible mentions more than one pharaoh. There is the pharaoh that Moses meets. The pharoah whose daughter Solomon marries. The one that gives Joseph a big job.
In this article, we’ll dig into the three major Pharaoh stories: the ones encountered by Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. Each story shows that while the pharaoh had the complete rule of the land, he wasn’t more significant than our God. God orchestrated events in each circumstance so his people could rise amid these earthly authorities. Pharaohs had a lot of power in Egypt, but our God had (and still has) more.
What Was the Pharaoh of Egypt?
According to John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, pharaohs were the kings of Egypt. The name pharaoh can mean to be free or carry out revenge—someone outside the law who kills those that did evil acts. It can also mean a ruler and someone who was above others.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains that the title “pharaoh” was used in Egypt when the Greeks conquered the country. Some believe the word can be broken into two parts: Ra and phe. Ra means “sun” or “sun-god,” and phe is the article “the.” Together, the title forms “the sun” or “the sun-god.” Another opinion is pharaoh comes from perao, which means “the Great House” or “the Sublime Porte.”
What Happens When Abraham Meets a Pharaoh?
In Genesis 12, we find Abram and Sarai (before they were renamed Abraham and Sarah) living in the Land of Canaan during a famine. They travel to Egypt for food, but before they get there, Abram tells Sarai to identify as his sister instead of his wife. Abram is aware of Sarai’s beauty and is afraid the Egyptians will kill him off so she would be available to marry them. John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible suggests that the laws were so strict against adultery that the Egyptians would rather be convicted of murder.
The Pharaoh’s officials take notice of Sarai’s beauty and tell the Pharaoh about her to gain his favor. Sarai is taken into the palace—most Bible translations don’t make it explicit where the Pharoah planned to marry her or make her a concubine. Some paraphrases, like the Living Bible, say she was taken into the Pharoah’s harem.
Whether or not he planned to marry Sarai, the Pharoah could see that “her brother” was wealthy and would want his favor. So, he tries to get in Abram’s good graces. However, because Pharaoh took a married woman, God plagues Pharaoh’s household.
Pharaoh figures out Sarai is really Abram’s wife and asks why he lied, bringing on the plagues. He orders the couple to leave Egypt, so no one will be tempted to commit adultery with Sarai. He protects them during their departure, and they can leave with all their belongings, including the ones they acquired there.
“Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.” (Genesis 12:20)
What Happens When Joseph Meets a Pharaoh?
Joseph, whose story is told in Genesis 37-50, ends up meeting Pharaoh in what can only be a God-ordained slew of events. In short, Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob. Joseph’s brothers were jealous and planned to get rid of him. They sell him to a pack of traveling Ishmaelites who bring him to Egypt. In Egypt, the Ishmaelites sell him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials.
God is with Joseph in Egypt and causes him to prosper. Potiphar notices the favor placed on Joseph and puts him in charge of his household. While Joseph manages the home, Potiphar’s wife notices his strength and good looks. She tries to get him to sleep with her, but he refuses. Upset, Potiphar’s wife lies and says Joseph came into her room to sleep with her.
Outraged, his master throws Joseph in jail, but God remains with Joseph. Sometime later, Pharaoh becomes upset with his chief cupbearer and chief baker. He throws them in the same jail as Joseph. Both the chief cupbearer and chief baker have vivid dreams while in prison. With the help of God, Joseph interprets the dreams. He tells the chief cupbearer his position will be restored and asks him to remember him when that time comes. On the other hand, the chief baker will be put to death. Both interpretations come true. However, the chief cupbearer forgets about Joseph and does not mention him to his master.
Two whole years pass. Then one night, the Pharaoh has a dream he doesn’t understand. It is then the cupbearer remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about him. Joseph is summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and tells Pharaoh there are seven years of abundance coming to Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow. He will need someone in charge during the years of abundance to store food for the coming famine. Since Joseph interpreted the dream, Pharaoh puts him in charge. Joseph rises from his years of prison to be put in charge of the entire land of Egypt.
“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.’” (Genesis 41:39-40)
Joseph manages the years of abundance well. When famine comes, Egypt has more than enough food for themselves. People worldwide come to Egypt for good—including Joseph’s brothers, who had sold him into slavery many years ago. The family reunites, and Joseph’s relatives settle in Goshen.
“So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.” (Genesis 47:11-12)
What Happens When Moses Asks a Pharaoh to Let the Israelites Go?
Moses has several encounters with Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. Born when Hebrew boys were being killed, Moses’s mother sends him away for safekeeping. He is taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter, who raises him in the palace. One day when Moses had grown, he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Moses kills the Egyptian and flees when he finds out Pharaoh learns about what he has done.
Moses lives many years in the wilderness before God comes to him in a burning bush and tells him he needs to help relieve God’s people from the hands of the Egyptians. God tells him to go to Pharaoh and ask him to free the slaves. God will give him the power to display signs so Pharaoh knows God has sent him. God also tells Moses he will harden Pharaoh’s heart, let him have his way, and keep the Israelites in bondage.
In fact, Pharaoh makes life even harder for the enslaved Hebrews. He expects them to do more work, and slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers when the people come up short. The Israelites question why Moses would come and make their situation worse. Confused, Moses goes back to God for answers. God tells him to approach Pharaoh again, asking him to let God’s people go. When Moses does this, Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened, and God sends 10 plagues.
The last plague leads to the death of Pharaoh’s son, and he finally agrees to let the people go. The Israelites begin their journey out of Egypt, but the story isn’t over. In Genesis 14:4, God says, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”
Pharaoh does change his mind about their release and chases after them with his army of men. Stuck between the red sea and the charging Egyptian army, God allows Moses to part the waters. The Israelites arrive safely on the other side, and the sea washes away Pharaoh’s army.
“Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak, the sea returned to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.” (Exodus 14:27-28)
Abraham, Joseph, and Moses didn’t meet a Pharaoh alone. God was with them each time. He protected Abraham—despite his mistakes in Egypt—and Abram became Abraham, the father of many nations. Many generations later, Jesus, the Savior of the world, would be born into this lineage. God protected Joseph—who certainly wasn’t without his hardships but became Egypt’s second most powerful man—and played a crucial role in helping other countries survive the famine. Lastly, with God’s help, Moses freed the Israelites from a Pharaoh’s tyranny, ending their 400 years of slavery and leading their descendants to the Promised Land. These stories in the Bible that start with a Pharaoh don’t end with him. They end with God’s miraculous power working through ordinary people that faced these powerful men. Pharaohs in the Bible were powerful, but not as powerful as our God.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Phooey
Jenna Brooke Carlson is an elementary dual language teacher in the Chicago suburbs. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers, she enjoys spending time with other writers and perfecting her craft. Her debut novel, Falling Flat, spreads the message that healing can occur, even after tragedy. Along with writing, she’s pursuing her dreams of creating a community of brave young women, who she can encourage to live out their dreams amid challenges and imperfection. Her days are busy, but she’s determined she can conquer anything with a fuzzy blanket and a hot cup of tea. To find out more about Jenna, visit her website at jennabrookecarlson.com.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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