Pharaoh (1 Chronicles 4:18)

A pharaoh was the ruler over Egypt, also known as "the King of Upper and Lower Egypt." He lived in a palace called the “great house,” which was the symbol of his authority. The Egyptian word for the palace was applied to the kings themselves during the New Kingdom, a period from about 1550 to 1070 BC. As king, the pharaoh represented the rule of the gods over Egypt. During the 18th and 19th dynasties, people often used the term "pharaoh" without giving the actual name of the ruler.

The title of pharaoh was not an official title. It was a common way to refer to the king. In the Old Testament, this title was used for rulers who lived in different time periods. They belonged to various royal families called dynasties. Using just the royal title without the name was enough for people who lived during that time or who knew the pharaoh. Today, it is often hard to know exactly which pharaoh ruled at any given time.