Topical Bible: Horse: Egypt Famous For

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In the biblical narrative, Egypt is frequently associated with horses, particularly in the context of military strength and wealth. The horse, a symbol of power and prestige, played a significant role in the ancient Egyptian civilization, and this is reflected in various biblical passages.

The first mention of horses in connection with Egypt is found in the account of Joseph, who, after rising to power in Egypt, provided his family with wagons for their journey from Canaan (Genesis 45:19). While the text does not explicitly mention horses, the use of wagons implies the presence of horses or other draft animals.

The prominence of horses in Egypt is further highlighted during the Exodus narrative. As the Israelites fled from Pharaoh, the Egyptian army pursued them with horses and chariots, demonstrating the military might of Egypt. Exodus 14:9 states, "The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen, and troops—pursued and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon."

In Deuteronomy 17:16 , God commands the future kings of Israel not to acquire many horses for themselves, specifically warning against returning to Egypt to obtain them: "But the king must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to acquire more of them, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’" This injunction underscores the association of Egypt with horses and serves as a reminder of Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

The prophet Isaiah also references Egypt's horses in a warning against relying on foreign powers for military aid. Isaiah 31:1 cautions, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the abundance of chariots and in the great strength of horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek help from the LORD." This passage reflects the temptation for Israel to depend on Egypt's renowned cavalry instead of trusting in God's protection.

Solomon, known for his wealth and wisdom, is recorded as having imported horses from Egypt, further illustrating Egypt's reputation for fine horses. 1 Kings 10:28-29 notes, "Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty." This trade in horses contributed to Solomon's military and economic strength but also foreshadowed potential disobedience to God's commands regarding reliance on foreign powers.

Throughout the biblical text, Egypt's association with horses serves as a symbol of earthly power and the temptation to rely on human strength rather than divine providence. The recurring theme of Egypt's horses in Scripture highlights the tension between worldly reliance and faith in God's sovereignty.

Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
Nave's Topical Index

Library

the Legendary History of Egypt
... sufficient proof that this episode is of comparatively late origin (cf. p.41
for the date at which the horse was acclimatized in Egypt). ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

The Flight into Egypt and St. John the Baptist in the Desert
... Later it became famous as a balsam garden. ... It was the size of a horse and had something
pig ... Job saw prophetic pictures foreshadowing the arrival in Egypt of the ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvi the flight into egypt.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... into Asia, and all conquerors, whether attracted to Mesopotamia or to Egypt by the ...
the slopes of the Amanos, and pinewood from this region was famous both at ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... If Egypt is a land of imported flora, it is also a land of imported fauna ... Some of
these"as, for example, the horse and the camel"were only introduced at a ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Council of Tyre.
... [436] Here comes in the famous scene of ... his path in the middle of the square, and
stops his horse. ... Marea or Maria, a town and lake of Lower Egypt, giving its ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter xxviii the council of tyre.htm

The Conquest of Lydia.
... fifth proposition of the first book, so famous among all ... same time, to Babylon, to
Sparta, to Egypt, and to ... than the onset of a squadron of horse when charging ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter vii the conquest of.htm

The Doom of the Antichrist
... reaches the ears of Babylon's King, then absent in Egypt. ... of Sin leads his forces
to the famous Armageddon, there ... of lords, seated on a white horse, with His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/the doom of the antichrist.htm

Of the Second Seal.
... says he, "to him who sat on the horse to take ... Besides, a similar slaughter took place
in Egypt and in ... not yet related any thing of that famous rebellion under ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the second seal.htm

New Orders of Monks; Military Orders
... Pachomius had long before established in Egypt (p 62), where ... this rule, one of them
allowed his horse to be ... were founded; and of these the most famous were the ...
/.../chapter x new orders of.htm

The Provinces.
... "Amasis, king of Egypt, to Polycrates ... and killed, and that the bodies both of horse
and rider ... For example, one satrapy, which comprised a country famous for its ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter v the provinces.htm