Noph is an ancient city mentioned in the Bible, known today as Memphis, which was one of the most significant cities in ancient Egypt. It served as a political and cultural center and was the capital of Egypt for much of its early history. The city is strategically located at the apex of the Nile River Delta, making it a vital hub for trade and governance.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 19:13 · "The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. They have led Egypt astray, the cornerstone of her tribes."
In this passage, Noph (Memphis) is mentioned alongside Zoan (Tanis), another prominent Egyptian city. The verse highlights the folly and deception of Egypt's leaders, indicating a period of political instability and misguided leadership.

2. Jeremiah 2:16 · "The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head."
Here, Noph is referenced in a metaphorical context, symbolizing the humiliation and subjugation of Judah by foreign powers. The shaving of the head is a sign of disgrace and defeat, illustrating the consequences of Judah's alliances with Egypt.

3. Jeremiah 44:1 · "This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in the land of Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and in the land of Pathros."
This verse situates Noph as a place where Jewish exiles settled after fleeing the Babylonian conquest. It underscores the city's role as a refuge for those escaping turmoil in their homeland.

4. Ezekiel 30:13 · "This is what the Lord GOD says: 'I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. There will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt, and I will instill fear in the land of Egypt.'"
The prophecy against Noph foretells the destruction of its idols and the cessation of its political power. This reflects God's judgment against the idolatry and false security that characterized Egypt.

Historical and Cultural Context:

Noph, or Memphis, was founded around 3100 BC by the legendary Pharaoh Menes, who is credited with uniting Upper and Lower Egypt. The city was dedicated to the god Ptah, the deity of craftsmen and architects, and was home to the great temple of Ptah, one of the most important religious sites in ancient Egypt.

Throughout its history, Memphis was a center of commerce, religion, and governance. It was known for its grand architecture, including palaces, temples, and the nearby pyramids of Giza. The city's strategic location made it a focal point for trade routes connecting Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Near East.

Theological Significance:

In the biblical narrative, Noph represents the futility of relying on earthly powers and alliances instead of trusting in God. The repeated references to the city's downfall serve as a reminder of the transient nature of human strength and the ultimate sovereignty of God over nations. The prophetic declarations against Noph emphasize the consequences of idolatry and the importance of faithfulness to the Lord.

Noph's inclusion in the biblical text underscores the interconnectedness of the ancient world and the influence of Egypt on the history of Israel and Judah. The city's prominence in prophecy highlights the broader theme of divine judgment and redemption that runs throughout Scripture.Noph

honeycomb; anything that distills or drops

Noph

[MEMPHIS]

Noph

Sometimes called also, in Hebrew, MOPH, Hosea 9:6, the ancient city of Memphis in Egypt. The ruins of it, though not to any great extent, are still found a few miles above Old Cairo, or Fostat, Isaiah 19:13 Jeremiah 2:16 44:1 Eze 30:13,16.

Memphis was the residence of the ancient kings of Egypt till the times of the Ptolemies, who commonly resided at Alexandria. Here, it is supposed, Joseph was a prisoner and a ruler, and here Moses stood before Pharaoh. The prophets, in the places above referred to, foretell the miseries Memphis was to suffer from the kings of Chaldea and Persia; and threaten the Israelites who should retire into Egypt, or should have recourse to the Egyptians, that they should perish in that country. In this city they fed and worshipped the sacred bull Apis, the embodiment of their false god Osiris; and Ezekiel says, that the lord will destroy the idols of Memphis, Ezekiel 30:13,16. Memphis retained much of its splendor till it was conquered by the Arabians in the eighteenth or nineteenth year of the Hegira, A. D. 641; after which it was superseded as the metropolis of Egypt by Fostat, now Old Cairo, in the construction of which its materials were employed. The pyramids, in which its distinguished men were buried, still survive; but the magnificent city, that stretched along for many miles between them and the river, has almost wholly disappeared.

The Hebrew name of an Egyptian city (Isaiah 19:13; Jeremiah 2:16; 44:1; 46:14, 19; Ezek. 30:13, 16). In Hosea 9:6 the Hebrew name is Moph, and is translated "Memphis," which is its Greek and Latin form. It was one of the most ancient and important cities of Egypt, and stood a little to the south of the modern Cairo, on the western bank of the Nile. It was the capital of Lower Egypt. Among the ruins found at this place is a colossal statue of Rameses the Great. (see MEMPHIS.) NOPH

nof (noph; in Hosea 9:6 moph): A name for the Egyptian city Memphis (so the Septuagint), hence, thus rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) (Isaiah 19:13 Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 44:1 Ezekiel 30:13, 16).

See MEMPHIS.

5297. Noph -- a city in Egypt
... 5296, 5297. Noph. 5298 . a city in Egypt. Transliteration: Noph Phonetic
Spelling: (nofe) Short Definition: Memphis. Word ... Noph. A ...
/hebrew/5297.htm - 6k

5131. noph -- elevation, height
... 5130, 5131. noph. 5132 . elevation, height. Transliteration: noph Phonetic
Spelling: (nofe) Short Definition: elevation. ... Compare Noph. see HEBREW nuwph. ...
/hebrew/5131.htm - 6k

4644. Moph -- ancient capital of Egypt
... NASB Word Usage Memphis (1). Memphis. Of Egyptian origin: Moph, the capital of Lower
Egypt -- Memphis. Compare Noph. see HEBREW Noph. 4643, 4644. Moph. 4645 ...
/hebrew/4644.htm - 6k

5316. Nepheth -- "height," a city belonging to Manasseh
... Word Origin from the same as noph Definition "height," a city belonging to Manasseh
NASB Word Usage Napheth (1). country. For naphah; a height -- country. ...
/hebrew/5316.htm - 6k

5299b. naphah -- height
... height. Transliteration: naphah Short Definition: heights. Word Origin from the
same as noph Definition height NASB Word Usage height (1), heights (2). ...
/hebrew/5299b.htm - 5k

His Earliest Oracles. (ii. 2-iv. 4. )
... The sons, too, of Noph and Tahpanhes have forced, 16 Have abused thee.(151) Is not
all this being done thee 17 For thy leaving of Me?(152) And now what to thee ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 his earliest oracles ii.htm

Chapter i.
... murder of Gedaliah drove a host of Jewish fugitives to Egypt, where they settled
at Migdol (Magdolos), Tahpanhes (Taphnas = Daphne) [11] , Noph (Memphis), and ...
/.../an introduction to the old testament in greek additional notes/chapter i.htm

Index of Names and Subjects.
... Nineveh, Fall of, 162, 163, 175, 383. Nineveh, 175. Noph (Memphis), 94, 311.
Omnipresence, the Divine, 256, 366. Oracles on the Edge of Doom, 60, 195. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/index of names and subjects.htm

Footnotes
... forced. Noph = Memphis, Egypt's capital; Tahpanhes = Daphne on the Egyptian road
to Palestine. ... women. 670 Hebrew adds and at Noph (Memphis). ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/footnotes.htm

Noph (6 Occurrences)
... (see MEMPHIS.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. NOPH. nof (noph... 16). See MEMPHIS.
Multi-Version Concordance Noph (6 Occurrences). Isaiah ...
/n/noph.htm - 9k

Memphis (8 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 19:13; Jeremiah 2:16; 46:14, 19; Ezek. 30:13, 16, it is mentioned under
the name Noph. It was the capital of Lower, ie, of Northern Egypt. ...
/m/memphis.htm - 14k

Tah'panhes (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Tah'panhes (5 Occurrences). Jeremiah 2:16 The children
also of Noph and Tahpanhes feed upon the crown of thy head. (See RSV). ...
/t/tah'panhes.htm - 7k

Egypt (596 Occurrences)
... dynasties constitute what is known as the Old Empire, which had its capital at Memphis,
south of Cairo, called in the Old Testament Moph (Hosea 9:6) and Noph. ...
/e/egypt.htm - 101k

Zo'an (7 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 19:13 The chiefs of Zoan have become foolish, the chiefs of Noph are tricked,
the heads of her tribes are the cause of Egypt's wandering out of the way. ...
/z/zo'an.htm - 8k

Noose (3 Occurrences)

/n/noose.htm - 7k

Nophah (1 Occurrence)

/n/nophah.htm - 7k

Unpeopled (38 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Jeremiah 46:19 O daughter living in Egypt, make ready the vessels of a prisoner:
for Noph will become a waste, it will be burned up and become unpeopled. ...
/u/unpeopled.htm - 18k

Inhabitress (12 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 46:19 Thou, inhabitress, daughter of Egypt, furnish for thyself a captive's
baggage, for Noph shall be a desolation and shall be ruined, so that none ...
/i/inhabitress.htm - 10k

Idol (56 Occurrences)
... etc.). (2.) `Elil, "a thing of naught" (Psalm 97:7; Isaiah 19:3); a word
of contempt, used of the gods of Noph (Ezek. 30:13). (3 ...
/i/idol.htm - 29k

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