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Shishak

Pharaoh living at the time of United Monarchy

Shishak was an Egyptian Pharaoh who invaded Judah during the reign of King Rehoboam and captured fortified cities.

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Also known as Shushak

Shishak, also known as Sheshonk I, was an Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled during the 10th century BC. He is mentioned in 1Ki.11.40, 14:25, and 2Ch.12.2-9 in connection with his invasion of Judah during the reign of King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. When Jeroboam, Solomon's servant, rebelled against Rehoboam, he fled to Egypt and found refuge under Shishak's protection. In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Shishak attacked Jerusalem with a vast army, capturing fortified cities in Judah. He seized treasures from the temple and the royal palace, including gold shields that Solomon had made. Rehoboam humbled himself before the Lord, and God granted Judah deliverance from complete destruction. However, they became subject to Shishak, and Rehoboam had to replace the gold shields with bronze ones. Shishak's invasion significantly weakened Judah's power and wealth, marking a decline from the prosperous reign of Solomon. Historically, Shishak is identified with Sheshonk I, the founder of the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt, and his invasion of Judah is confirmed by archaeological evidence, including a relief at the Karnak Temple in Egypt that lists numerous places he conquered, including many in Israel and Judah.

Connections

Part of: Kings, prophets and the house of David

Jeroboam and Rehoboam: the kingdom divides

RoleStated in the text

Jeroboam, an Ephraimite overseer, was told by the prophet Ahijah that he would rule ten tribes; Solomon tried to kill him and he fled to Shishak of Egypt. After the split Jeroboam set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Shishak later invaded Judah in Rehoboam's fifth year.

JeroboamKing of N. IsraelRehoboamKing of JudahSolomonKing of JudahAhijahA prophetShishakA Pharaoh
Where the text shows it: 1 Kgs 11:29-40 — Ahijah's prophecy; Jeroboam flees to Shishak1 Kgs 12:25-33 — Golden calves at Bethel and Dan1 Kgs 14:25-26 — Shishak invades Judah

Sources: 1 Kgs 11:29-40 · 1 Kgs 12:25-33 · 1 Kgs 14:25-26

More background: search Wikipedia ↗

Bible dictionary

Shishak Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

king of Egypt, the Sheshonk I. of the monuments, first sovereign of the Bubastite twenty-second dynasty. His reign offers the first determined syncronism of Egyptian and hebrew history. The first year of Shishak would about correspond to the 26th of Solomon (B.C. 989), and the 20th of shishak to the 5th of Rehoboam. Shishak at the beginning of his reign received the fugitive Jeroboam, (1 Kings 11:40) and it was probably at the instigation of Jeroboam that he attacked Rehoboam. “He took the fenced cities which [pertained] to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.” he exacted all the treasures of his city from Rehoboam, and apparently made him tributary. (1 Kings 14:25,26; 2 Chronicles 12:2-9) Shishak has left a record of this expedition sculptured on the wall of the great temple of El-Karnak. It is a list of the countries, cities and tribes conquered or ruled by him, or tributary to him.

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Shishak Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

present of the bag; of the pot; of the thigh

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Shishak Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

SHI'SHAK, the head of the twenty-second dynasty, Sheshonk I., who received the fugitive Jeroboam, 1 Kgs 11:40, and in the fifth year of Rehoboam, b.c. 969, invaded Judaea and spoiled the temple. 1 Kgs 14:25-26; 2 Chr 12:2-9. At Karnak, on the Nile, there is an inscription which records this expedition. The king presents, among his other captives, one with an unmistakable Hebrew physiognomy. The accompanying inscription, "lndaha-malek," has been interpreted "Kingdom of Judah." If this is correct, then Rehoboam is probably meant. Other inscriptions give a particular list of the "fenced cities" mentioned in Head of Shishak. (From temple at Karnak.) 2 Chron 12:4 as having been taken in this expedition.

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Shishak Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

SHI'SHAK, the head of the twenty-second dynasty, Sheshonk I., who received the fugitive Jeroboam, 1 Kgs 11:40, and in the fifth year of Rehoboam, b.c. 969, invaded Judaea and spoiled the temple. 1 Kgs 14:25-26; 2 Chr 12:2-9. At Karnak, on the Nile, there is an inscription which records this expedition. The king presents, among his other captives, one with an unmistakable Hebrew physiognomy. The accompanying inscription, "lndaha-malek," has been interpreted "Kingdom of Judah." If this is correct, then Rehoboam is probably meant. Other inscriptions give a particular list of the "fenced cities" mentioned in Head of Shishak. (From temple at Karnak.) 2 Chron 12:4 as having been taken in this expedition.

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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Shishak appears

6 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H7895

1 Kings2
2 Chronicles4

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.