River of Egypt

Easton, 1897

(1.) Heb. nahar mitsraim, denotes in Genesis 15:18 the Nile, or its eastern branch (2 Chronicles 9:26). (2.) In Numbers 34:5 (R.V., "brook of Egypt") the Hebrew word is nahal, denoting a stream flowing rapidly in winter, or in the rainy season. This is a desert stream on the borders of Egypt. It is now called the Wady el-Arish. The present boundary between Egypt and Palestine is about midway between this wady and Gaza. (See Numbers 34:5; Joshua 15:4, Joshua 15:47; 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Kings 24:7; Isaiah 27:12; Ezekiel 47:19. In all these passages the R.V. has "brook" and the A.V. "river.")