“In short, Pharaoh is the very picture of man in rebellion against God. He resented God’s people, rejected God’s promises, and resisted God’s plan. Given his proud opposition, it is not surprising that we are never told his name. He is called “the king of Egypt,” or simply “Pharaoh.” The omission of Pharaoh’s name is theologically significant. James Hoffmeier writes: “The absence of the pharaoh’s name may ultimately be for theological reasons, because the Bible is not trying to answer the question ‘who is the pharaoh of the exodus’ to satisfy the curiosity of modern historians; rather, it was seeking to clarify for Israel who was the God of the exodus.”3 The Pharaoh of Egypt was not a private individual; rather, he represented the entire nation of Egypt, including their gods. To be specific, Pharaoh claimed to be the incarnate Son of Re — the sun god — who was the primary deity in the Egyptian pantheon. This means that the struggle between Israel and Egypt was not about politics but about religion.”

Excerpt From
Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory
Philip Graham Ryken, R.Kent Hughes
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