Lexical Summary Kuwsh: Cush Original Word: כּוּשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Chush, Cush, Ethiopia Probably of foreign origin; Cush (or Ethiopia), the name of a son of Ham, and of his territory; also of an Israelite -- Chush, Cush, Ethiopia. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. כּוּשׁ proper name, masculine person, of a people and territory (Egyptian Kœš, SteindBAS i, 593, Assyrian Kûsu, Idib. DlPa 251; Kaši in Tel Amarna tablets, see WklTel Am. 39*); — 1 1st 'son' of חָם Genesis 10:6,7 (P) = 1 Chronicles 1:8,9, ᵐ5 Ξους, ᵑ9 Chus, from whom descended according to these verses the southernmost peoples known to Hebrews. 2 land and people of southern Nile-valley, or Upper Egypt, extending from Syene (Ezekiel 29:10) indefinitely to the south, ᵐ5 Αιθιοπια, Αιθιοπες: a. the land Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 18:1; Zephaniah 3:10; Ezekiel 29:10; Job 28:19; Esther 1:1; Esther 8:9. b. the people Isaiah 20:4; Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 38:5; personified Psalm 68:32. c. indeterminate, either land or people, or including both: Isaiah 20:3,5; Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 45:14; 2 Kings 19:9 = Isaiah 37:9; Nahum 3:9; Ezekiel 30:4,5,9; Psalm 87:4 (ᵐ5 λαὸς Αιθιοπων). 3 in Genesis 10:8 (J) = 1 Chronicles 1:10 כּוּשׁ is error for כַּשׁ = Babylonian Kaššu, according to SchrCOT on Genesis 10:6, DlPa 51 ff. 72 f. and most Assyriologists; so perhaps also Genesis 2:13 (J), yet see HptÜber Ld. u. Meer, 1894-5, No. 15. II. כּוּשׁ proper name, masculine a Benjamite, Psalm 7:1 (title), ᵐ5 Χουσει υιὁῦ Ιεμενει. Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope In Scripture Cush designates three related realities: (1) a son of Ham and grandson of Noah, (2) the people descended from him, and (3) the territory they occupied, roughly corresponding to the southern Nile region later called Ethiopia or Nubia and, in some texts, stretching toward Arabia. The term is also used of individual Cushites who appear in Israel’s history. Foundational Passages in Genesis Genesis 2:13 first orients the reader geographically: “The name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the whole land of Cush.” This prediluvian note presents Cush as an established land even before human dispersion. After the Flood, Genesis 10:6-12 identifies Cush as Ham’s firstborn and lists five sons, the most memorable being Nimrod, “who became a mighty warrior on the earth.” The genealogical table supplies the framework by which later prophetic references view Cush as part of the nations included in God’s redemptive plan as well as in His judgments. Cushite Individuals in Israel’s Story • Numbers 12:1 records Miriam and Aaron’s complaint “because of the Cushite woman whom he had married,” highlighting the ethnic divergence of Moses’ second wife and underscoring that covenant fidelity, not ethnicity, defines God’s people. Military Encounters with Cush • Pharaoh Shishak’s invasion included “the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Cushites” (2 Chronicles 12:3). Cush in the Prophets 1. Oracles of Judgment 2. Oracles of Hope Cush in the Wisdom Literature Job 28:19 compares incomparable wisdom to “topaz from Cush,” leveraging Cush’s mineral wealth to heighten the value of divine wisdom. Imperial Geography (Esther and Daniel) Esther 1:1 and 8:9 frame Persian dominion as stretching “from India to Cush,” the extreme southwestern border of the empire, illustrating the vast stage on which God preserves His covenant people. Daniel 11:43 similarly lists “the Libyans and the Cushites” as followers of the northern king, signaling Cush’s enduring identity into the Hellenistic age. Theological Significance 1. Universality of Divine Rule The inclusion of Cush—geographically remote to Israel—in blessings and judgments affirms that “the earth is the LORD’s” (Psalm 24:1). Prophetic passages foresee Cushite participation in worship at Jerusalem, reinforcing the Abrahamic promise that “all the families of the earth” will be blessed. Jeremiah 13:23 (“Can the Cushite change his skin?”) employs a Cushite image to illustrate the impossibility of self-reformation apart from divine grace, pointing readers to the new covenant. Ministry Reflections • God’s dealings with Cush encourage missionary vision: if the remotest peoples are within His purpose, the church must carry the gospel to every nation. Key References Genesis 2:13; 10:6-12 2 Chronicles 14:9-13; 16:8 Psalm 7 superscription Isaiah 11:11; 18:1-7; 20:3-5; 43:3; 45:14 Jeremiah 13:23; 38:7-13 Ezekiel 30:4-9; 38:5 Zephaniah 2:12; 3:10 Forms and Transliterations בְּכ֔וּשׁ בכוש וְכ֖וּשׁ וּמִכּ֗וּשׁ וכוש ומכוש כ֑וּשׁ כ֔וּשׁ כ֝֗וּשׁ כּ֑וּשׁ כּ֔וּשׁ כּ֗וּשׁ כּ֛וּשׁ כּ֣וּשׁ כּ֤וּשׁ כּ֥וּשׁ כּֽוּשׁ׃ כּוּשׁ֙ כּוּשׁ֮ כֽוּשׁ׃ כוש כוש׃ מִכּוּשׁ֙ מכוש bə·ḵūš beChush bəḵūš Chush kūš ḵūš Kush mik·kūš mikkūš mikKush ū·mik·kūš ūmikkūš umikKush veChush wə·ḵūš wəḵūšLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:13 HEB: כָּל־ אֶ֥רֶץ כּֽוּשׁ׃ NAS: the whole land of Cush. KJV: the whole land of Ethiopia. INT: the whole land of Cush Genesis 10:6 Genesis 10:7 Genesis 10:8 2 Kings 19:9 1 Chronicles 1:8 1 Chronicles 1:9 1 Chronicles 1:10 Esther 1:1 Esther 8:9 Job 28:19 Psalm 7:1 Psalm 68:31 Psalm 87:4 Isaiah 11:11 Isaiah 18:1 Isaiah 20:3 Isaiah 20:4 Isaiah 20:5 Isaiah 37:9 Isaiah 43:3 Isaiah 45:14 Jeremiah 46:9 Ezekiel 29:10 Ezekiel 30:4 30 Occurrences |
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