The BibleGospel Companion

Migdol

מִגְדֹּל · mig.dol · H4024B“a tower” Hitchcock's 18696 mentions in 4 books, most in Jeremiah (2)

Where it is

Baal-zephonEthamEthamPithomPithomSuccothSuccothShurShurMarahMarahMigdolabout 239 km across

30.02° N, 32.37° E

Coordinates and map: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · drawn without map tiles

Mentioned most in

Jeremiah · 2Ezekiel · 2Exodus · 1Numbers · 1
Counted from 6 references · STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

About this place

Migdol is mentioned in the Bible as a place near the Red Sea where the Israelites camped during their Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14:2; Numbers 33:7). The name Migdol is derived from the Hebrew word "migdal," meaning "tower" or "fortress." It is believed to be a reference to a fortified border city in ancient Egypt.

In the prophetic books, Migdol is mentioned as one of the cities in Egypt where Jewish refugees settled after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 44:1). The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel also include Migdol in their prophecies against Egypt, indicating that it was a significant city (Jeremiah 46:14; Ezk.29.10; 30:6).

The exact location of the biblical Migdol is uncertain, but it is thought to be in the eastern Nile Delta region, possibly near the present-day Suez Canal. Some scholars have proposed that it might be identified with the ancient Egyptian city of "Tjeku" or "Tjel," known in Greek as "Sile," which served as a frontier fortress on the eastern border of Egypt.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

6 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)

Exodus 1 mention

Exodus 14:2“Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.

Numbers 1 mention

Numbers 33:7They traveled from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon, and they encamped before Migdol.

Jeremiah 2 mentions

Jeremiah 44:1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who lived in the land of Egypt, who lived at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying,Jeremiah 46:14“Declare in Egypt, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, ‘Stand up, and prepare, for the sword has devoured around you.’

Ezekiel 2 mentions

Ezekiel 29:10therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.Ezekiel 30:6“‘Yahweh says: “They also who uphold Egypt will fall. The pride of her power will come down. They will fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh,” says the Lord Yahweh.

What the dictionary says

Tower.

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →

Sources