אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם
a.vel mits.ra.yim
Abel-mizraim
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Abel-mizraim: A Place Name in Biblical Geography Abel-mizraim is a Hebrew place name appearing twice in the biblical text. The term combines two elements: "Abel," a word typically denoting a meadow or plain, and "Mizraim," the biblical designation for Egypt. Literally, the name translates to "meadow of Egypt" or "plain of Egypt," suggesting a location situated in or near Egyptian territory, or possibly a place named to indicate its proximity to or association with Egypt. Given its minimal occurrence in the biblical record—only two documented instances—Abel-mizraim functioned as a specific geographic marker rather than a major settlement or region. Its rarity in scripture suggests it held particular significance for certain narratives but was not a widely referenced location in biblical geography. The name's composition indicates it served as a geographical identifier recognizable to ancient audiences familiar with both Egyptian territory and the topographical features of the Levantine region. Without additional textual context from the lexicon data provided, the precise historical and archaeological significance of Abel-mizraim remains bounded by these basic linguistic facts: it was a named place, identifiable by its association with Egyptian geography, and notable enough to mention in at least two biblical passages.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences across the text
They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.
Genesis 50:11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.