פַּתְרוֹס
𐤐𐤕𐤓𐤅𐤎
Pateros
H6624 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Pathros refers to Upper Egypt, specifically the region of southern Egypt, often contrasted with Lower Egypt in the Hebrew Bible. The term denotes a geographic territory rather than an ethnic group or city. In biblical passages, 'Pathros' designates the homeland or point of origin for populations of Egyptians and, in later periods, for Judean exiles who settled there. The semantic range includes both a proper geographic name ('Pathros') and, by extension, reference to inhabitants of that region ('Pathrusim').
Semantic Range
Pathros as a geographic region in Egypt (Upper Egypt); the land of Pathros; the people associated with Pathros (Pathrusim)
Root / Etymology
The term פַּתְרוֹס (‘Pathrōs’) is a loanword from Egyptian, reflecting the ancient Egyptian pꜣ tꜣ-rsy, meaning 'the southern land' (Upper Egypt). The word is not native to the Semitic root system and appears in the Hebrew Bible in a form reflecting adaptation from Egyptian pronunciation. Root: uncertain, as the word is a direct borrowing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פַּתְרוֹס appears primarily in exilic and post-exilic texts (e.g., Isaiah 11:11, Jeremiah 44:1, Ezekiel 29:14, 30:14), usually alongside other Egyptian regions such as Migdol and Noph. It functions as a geographic term for Upper Egypt, distinguishing it from Lower Egypt. The form Pathrusim (Gen. 10:14, 1 Chr. 1:12) represents a plural or tribal derivation, designating a group associated with that region. English translations consistently render Pathros as 'Pathros,' but the term is often glossed in commentary as 'Upper Egypt.' There is no ethnic connotation of 'Jew' or 'Israelite' associated with Pathros itself, though the region later hosted Judean exiles after the fall of Jerusalem. In ancient Near Eastern context, the word reflects the Hebrew adaptation of the well-attested Egyptian toponym for Upper Egypt. There is no evidence of significant semantic shift over time; the term always means 'Upper Egypt.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Egyptian derivation; Pathros, a part of Egypt; Pathros.
Bantu Hebrew
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פתרס (loanword) (p-t-r-s) — Upper Egypt, southern land
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6624-02 |
פַּתְר֖וֹס | pateros | HNp |
of Pathros | Pathros (Upper Egypt) | 3 |
H6624-01 |
בְּ/פַתְר֥וֹס | befateros | HR/Np |
in Pathros | in Upper Egypt | 1 |
H6624-03 |
וּ/מִ/פַּתְר֣וֹס | umipateros | HC/R/Np |
and from Pathros | and from Pathros | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6624-03 |
Isaiah 11:11 | וּ/מִ/פַּתְר֣וֹס | umipateros | HC/R/Np |
and from Pathros | and from Pathros |
H6624-02 |
Jeremiah 44:1 | פַּתְר֖וֹס | pateros | HNp |
of Pathros | Pathros (Upper Egypt) |
H6624-01 |
Jeremiah 44:15 | בְּ/פַתְר֥וֹס | befateros | HR/Np |
in Pathros | in Upper Egypt |
H6624-02 |
Ezekiel 29:14 | פַּתְר֔וֹס | pateros | HNp |
of Pathros | Pathros (Upper Egypt) |
H6624-02 |
Ezekiel 30:14 | פַּתְר֔וֹס | pateros | HNp |
Pathros | Pathros (Upper Egypt) |