A region in the upper Nile area of southern Egypt.
About Pathros
The region of Upper Egypt, mentioned five times in the Hebrew OT (Is 11:11; Jer 44:1, 15; Ez 29:14; 30:14). Each time it occurs in conjunction with a city in Lower Egypt (Noph = Memphis, or Zoan = Tanis). The Hebrew is Pathros, and the Egyptian is pa to resy (“the Southern Land”). Egyptologists believe that the Hebrew form is a corruption of Pethoris or Pethores. Isaiah 11:11 suggests that Mitsrayim is to be equated with Lower and Middle Egypt, and Pathros is the region south of it up to the border of Cush (i.e., Upper Egypt). According to Ezekiel 29:14, Pathros is the original home of the Egyptians. The prophets spoke about God’s judgment on Pathros: “I will lay waste Upper Egypt [“Pathros,” mg], set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on Thebes” (Ez 30:14, niv). After the exile, Jews migrated to Egypt and some settled in Pathros. Jeremiah warned that God’s judgment on Egypt was to come and that they would not escape it: “This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis—and in Upper Egypt [Pathros]: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins’ ” (Jer 44:1–2, niv).
Key References
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:
I will lay waste Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes.
I will restore Egypt from captivity and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom.
All Scripture References (5)
Isaiah (1)
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Jeremiah (2)
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:
Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah,
Ezekiel (2)
I will restore Egypt from captivity and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom.
I will lay waste Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes.