The Quran’s Use of "Pharaoh" as a Name Instead of a Title: A Historical and Linguistic Analysis

 

The Quran’s Use of "Pharaoh" as a Name Instead of a Title: A Historical and Linguistic Analysis

Both the Bible and the Quran tell the story of Moses in ancient Egypt, where Pharaoh is portrayed as the ruler who opposes him. However, while the Bible correctly understands "Pharaoh" as a title, the Quran mistakenly treats "Pharaoh" as a personal name. This misrepresentation of Egyptian history suggests that the Quran’s account was influenced by later misunderstandings rather than historical accuracy.

This study will explore:

1. What Does the Quran Say About Pharaoh?
2. What Does "Pharaoh" Mean in Egyptian History?
3. How the Bible Correctly Uses "Pharaoh" as a Title
4. Strong’s Concordance Study: Biblical Terminology for Pharaoh
5. Why the Quran’s Use of "Pharaoh" as a Name is a Mistake
6. Possible Sources of the Quran’s Error

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1. What Does the Quran Say About Pharaoh?

Unlike the Bible, the Quran always refers to Pharaoh as a single, named figure, never distinguishing between different rulers.

A. Pharaoh is Always Singular in the Quran

For example, in Surah Al-Qasas (28:38):

"Pharaoh said, ‘O [members of the] elite! I do not know of any god that you may have besides me. Haman, light for me a fire over clay, and build me a tower so that I may take a look at Moses’ god, and indeed I consider him to be a liar!’"

If "Pharaoh" were a true title, this verse would be written as:

"The Pharaoh said..."

But the Quran never uses the definite article "al-" (the) before Pharaoh, treating it as a personal name rather than a title.

B. The Quran Never Says "Pharaoh of Egypt"

• The Quran does not refer to Pharaoh as "the Pharaoh of Egypt," "one of the Pharaohs," or "a Pharaoh."
• Instead, it always uses "Pharaoh" as a standalone name, treating him as a unique historical figure.

This is different from how the Bible describes Egyptian rulers, showing that the Quran misunderstood the term "Pharaoh."

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2. What Does "Pharaoh" Mean in Egyptian History?

The term "Pharaoh" (Egyptian: pr-ʿʾ) originally meant "Great House", referring to the royal palace.

A. The Evolution of "Pharaoh" as a Title

• Before the New Kingdom (before 1539 BCE): Egyptian rulers were not called Pharaohs but used titles like "King of Upper and Lower Egypt."
• New Kingdom (18th Dynasty, c. 1539 BCE): The term "Pharaoh" became a respectful title for Egyptian kings.
• By the 22nd Dynasty (c. 943 BCE): "Pharaoh" became an epithet for the Egyptian king, but it was never a personal name.

B. Biblical and Scholarly Views on "Pharaoh" as a Title

Scholar Jason Silverstein (2012) explains:

"‘Pharaoh’ originally meant ‘Great Palace/House’ in ancient Egyptian. The term was later applied to Egyptian kings, similar to how ‘The White House’ refers to the U.S. President."

This means that:

• "Pharaoh" was never the actual name of a ruler.
• It was used like "The White House" or "The Kremlin"—a title for the ruling authority, not a person.

Since "Pharaoh" was always a title, the Quran’s use of it as a name is historically incorrect.

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3. How the Bible Correctly Uses "Pharaoh" as a Title

Unlike the Quran, the Bible uses "Pharaoh" correctly as a title for multiple rulers across different periods.

A. Examples of Pharaoh as a Title in the Bible

1. Pharaoh of Joseph’s Time (c. 2000 BCE)

   "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.'" (Genesis 41:41)

   • This Pharaoh is likely from the Middle Kingdom (12th Dynasty).

2. Pharaoh of Moses’ Time (c. 1500 BCE)

   "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, "Thus says the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me."'" (Exodus 8:1)

   • This Pharaoh is likely from the 18th or 19th Dynasty.

3. Pharaoh Neco (c. 609 BCE)

   "Pharaoh Neco killed King Josiah at Megiddo." (2 Kings 23:29)

   • This Pharaoh is explicitly named, aligning with historical records.

B. The Bible Never Uses "Pharaoh" as a Personal Name

• Every Egyptian ruler in the Bible is simply called "Pharaoh" or "Pharaoh [Name]."
• The Quran, however, never distinguishes between different pharaohs, treating "Pharaoh" as a single, named character.

Since the Bible correctly treats "Pharaoh" as a title, but the Quran does not, this suggests that the Quran misunderstood its source material.

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4. Strong’s Concordance Study: Biblical Terminology for Pharaoh

Term	Hebrew/Greek Word	Strong’s Concordance	Meaning
Pharaoh	פַּרְעֹה (Par'oh)	H6547	A title for Egyptian kings, not a personal name
King of Egypt	מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם (Melek Mitzrayim)	H4428 & H4714	A ruler of Egypt

A. Key Findings from Strong’s Concordance

• The Bible always uses "Pharaoh" as a title.
• The Quran treats "Pharaoh" as a unique, named figure, never distinguishing between different rulers.
• If the Quran were divinely inspired, it would have used "Pharaoh" correctly as a title—but it does not.

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5. Why the Quran’s Use of "Pharaoh" as a Name is a Mistake

A. The Quran’s Singular Use of "Pharaoh" Shows a Lack of Historical Knowledge

• The Quran never specifies which Pharaoh ruled during Joseph or Moses' time.
• It wrongly assumes "Pharaoh" was a unique name instead of a recurring title.

B. The Quran Ignores Egyptian History

• By Moses' time (c. 1500 BCE), Egypt had already had dozens of pharaohs.
• The Quran makes no distinction between these rulers, treating them as one person.

C. The Quran’s Use of "Pharaoh" Matches Later Christian Misinterpretations

• Gregory of Nyssa (d. 394 CE) mistakenly treated Pharaoh as a name.
• The Syriac Bible (Peshitta, 2nd century CE) sometimes used "Pharaoh" as a name.
• Since Muhammad lived in the 7th century CE, he may have been influenced by these errors.

Since the Quran reflects later misunderstandings, this suggests that it was not divinely revealed, but based on human retellings.

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6. Conclusion: A Major Historical and Theological Error

The Quran’s use of "Pharaoh" as a personal name contradicts historical and biblical records.

Aspect	Historical and Biblical Evidence	Quranic Claim
Definition of Pharaoh	A title for Egyptian kings	A personal name
Use in the Bible	Multiple pharaohs over time	One singular "Pharaoh"
Historical Accuracy	Matches Egyptian history	Fails to distinguish between rulers

Since historical records show that "Pharaoh" was a title, not a name, the Quran’s use of it as a personal name suggests a lack of divine knowledge.