Syene, the southern border of Egypt, mentioned in prophecies about Egypt's destruction (Ezek. 29:10; 30:6).
Also known as Aswan · Sinim
Syene is mentioned in the Bible as the southern border of Egypt (Ezek. 29:10; 30:6). It is used in prophetic passages to describe the extent of God's judgment on Egypt, from Migdol in the north to Syene in the south. Syene is also mentioned in Isaiah 49:12 as one of the distant places from which people will come to worship the Lord. The city was located on the Nile River at the first cataract, marking the traditional southern boundary of Egypt. It is known today as Aswan, and its strategic location made it an important frontier town and trading center in ancient times.
Approximate location: 24.066, 32.896 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Opening (Ezek. 29:10; 30:6), a town of Egypt, on the borders of Ethiopia, now called Assouan, on the right bank of the Nile, notable for its quarries of beautiful red granite called “syenite.” It was the frontier town of Egypt in the south, as Migdol was in the north-east.
properly Seventh a town of Egypt, on the frontier of Cush or Ethiopia, (Ezekiel 29:10; 30:6) represented by the present Aruan or Es-Suan.
SYE'NE (opening, or key), the frontier-city of Egypt, on the south, and bordering on Ethiopia. Eze 29:10; Ex 30:6, margin. It was situated on the Nile, below the First Cataract, and is represented now by the Arabic village of Assouan, or Aswan, a little north of the ancient site. The well-known rock called syenite is quarried here, and hence its name. It was a chief city of the Shepherd-kings. The expression ( in the margin), "from Migdol to Syene"- that is, from the fortress near Pelusium, at the mouth of the Nile, to Syene, on the borders of Ethiopia - was used to describe the whole land of Egypt.
SYE'NE (opening, or key), the frontier-city of Egypt, on the south, and bordering on Ethiopia. Eze 29:10; Ex 30:6, margin. It was situated on the Nile, below the First Cataract, and is represented now by the Arabic village of Assouan, or Aswan, a little north of the ancient site. The well-known rock called syenite is quarried here, and hence its name. It was a chief city of the Shepherd-kings. The expression ( in the margin), "from Migdol to Syene"- that is, from the fortress near Pelusium, at the mouth of the Nile, to Syene, on the borders of Ethiopia - was used to describe the whole land of Egypt.
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.
3 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5482
Behold, they will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Aswan.”
therefore I am against you and against your rivers. I will turn the land of Egypt into a ruin, a desolate wasteland from Migdol to Syene, and as far as the border of Cush.
For this is what the LORD says: The allies of Egypt will fall, and her proud strength will collapse. From Migdol to Syene they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Lord GOD.
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.