A son of Ham, and father of various African races, Ge 10:6, but particularly of the Egyptians, to whom his name was given. Mizraim is also the Hebrew word for Egypt in the Bible, and this country is still called Misr in Arabic.

the dual form of matzor, meaning a "mound" or "fortress," the name of a people descended from Ham (Ge 10:6,13; 1Ch 1:8,11). It was the name generally given by the Hebrews to the land of Egypt (q.v.), and may denote the two Egypts, the Upper and the Lower. The modern Arabic name for Egypt is Muzr.

Dual of mazor, Hebrew a "fortified place"; Gesenius, from Arabic meser, a "boundary". Rather the Egyptian Mes-ra-n, "children of Ra" the Sun. Son of Ham, ancestor of the Mizraim; the dual indicating the people of Upper and of Lower Egypt (Ge 10:6). The descent of the Egyptians from Ham is recognized in Ps 104:23,27; 78:51, where Egypt is called "the land of Ham." They called themselves Khemi, either "Hamites" or from Khem "black," namely, the alluvial soil of the Nile. Mizraim geographically was the center from whence colonies went forth in the age just after the flood, the Philistines, the Lehabim (Libyans), etc. (See HAM; EGYPT.)

The name of v (wh. see), and especially of Lower Egypt. Mizraim was son of Ham and father of Ludim, Anamim, Lebabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim (i.e. the inhabitants of Upper Egypt), Casluhim, and Caphtorim (Ge 10:6,13-14). Of. also art. Pathros.

F. Ll. Griffith.

Miz'raim

Son of Ham, and the name of his descendants and also of the country possessed by them. Its signification is much disputed. The Hebrew word is really Mitzraim and is given in the A.V. untranslated only in Ge 10:6,13; 1Ch 1:8,11. Elsewhere it is translated EGYPT. The word is in a dual form, occasioned, it has been thought, by the division of that land into Upper and Lower Egypt. The word Matzor, of which Mitzraim is the dual, occurs many times and is variously translated in the A.V. In 2Ki 19:24; Isa 37:25 it is 'besieged places;' in '/Isaiah/19/6/type/leb'>Isa 19:6, 'defence;' and in '/Jeremiah/10/17/type/leb'>Jer 10:17, 'fortress.' But it is a proper name and refers to Egypt. The Revisers and others translate it Egypt in all passages.

MIZRAIM, or MESRAIM, son of Ham, and father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, and Casluhim, Ge 10:6. Meser or Misor was father of the Mizraim, the Egyptians; and he himself is commonly called Mizraim, although there is very strong probability that Mizraim, being of the plural number, signifies rather the Egyptians themselves, than the father of that people. Mizraim is also put for the country of Egypt: thus it has three significations, which are perpetually confounded and used promiscuously, sometimes denoting the land of Egypt, sometimes him who first peopled Egypt, and sometimes the inhabitants themselves. Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and even Egypt itself, are to this day called Mezer by the Arabians. But the natives call Egypt Chemi, that is, the land of Cham, or Ham, as it is also sometimes called in Scripture, Ps 78:12; 105:23; 106:22. The prophet Mic 7:15, gives to Egypt the name of Mezor, or Matzor; and rabbi Kimchi, followed in this by several learned commentators, explains by Egypt what is said of the rivers of Mezor, 2Ki 19:24; Isa 19:6; 37:25.