Sin
a city of Egypt, mentioned only by Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 30:15,16) The name is Hebrew, or at least Semitic, perhaps signifying clay . It is identified in the Vulgate with Pelusium, “the clayey or muddy” town. Its antiquity may perhaps be inferred from the mention of “the wilderness of Sin” in the journeys of the Israelites. (Exodus 16:1; Numbers 33:11) Ezekiel speaks of Sin as “Sin the strongholds of Egypt.” (Ezekiel 30:15) This place was held by Egypt from that time until the period of the Romans.
Herodotus relates that Sennacherib advanced against Pelusium, and that near Pelusium Cambyses defeated Psammenitus. In like manner the decisive battle in which Ochus defeated the last native king, Nectanebes, was fought near this city.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Sin
A city in Kgypt mentioned in Ezk 3o'^''- along with Patliros (Upper Egyiit), Zoan (Tanis), .Sin, No (Thebes), Jioph (Memphis), Aven (Helio- polis), I'i-beseth (Bubastis), and Tehaphnehes (Daphn*). Arranging these in geographical order, we hnd them to be the mo.st important cities in the N.E. of the Delta and along its eastern edge leading to Memphis, the capital of Lower Egypt, followed by Pathros (Upper Egypt) and its capital No. Sin is characterized by Ezek. as ' the strong- hold of Egypt' (RV), yet it is not mentioned by .lereiuiah. LXX tr. it by .Sais (the capital of the 2()th Dynasty, in power at the time of the prophecy), or Syene, the southern frontier. The latter identification is, however, impossible. In all probability Sin is Pelusium. The name Sin seems, like I'elusiiim, to be connected with ' mud ' ; and a modern name that clings to the neighbourhood of Pelusium j.s et-'Pineh. whicli is from the same root as .Sin. Unfortunately, nothing is known of the history of Pelusium before the time of Hero- dotus, in whose days it w'as a place of importance owing to the development…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia