Lexical Summary Kitti or Kittiyyi: Kittim, Kittites Original Word: יתִתכִּ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Chittim, Kittim Or Kittiyiy {kit-tee-ee'}; patrial from an unused name denoting Cyprus (only in the plural); a Kittite or Cypriote; hence, an islander in general, i.e. The Greeks or Romans on the shores opposite Palestine -- Chittim, Kittim. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused name Definition a son of Javan, also his desc. and their land NASB Translation Cyprus (3), Kittim (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כִּתִּי] adjective, of a people always plural כִּתִּים כִּתִּיִּים; usually as name, of a people = Cypriotes (compare Phoenician proper name, of a location כת כתי, Citium; on a connection with Kheta, –-t¹, –attê, חִתִּי, see WMMAsien u. Europa,345; — on Citium see CesnolaGyprus 46 ff); — אֶרֶץ כִּתִּים Isaiah 23:1, כִּתִּיי֯ם Isaiah 23:12; כִּתִּים (as son of Yawan) Genesis 10:4 = 1 Chronicles 1:7; וְצִים ׳מִיַּד כ Numbers 24:24 ships from the side (direction) of Kittim; more Generally, of coast-lands of Mediterranean, אִיֵּי כִּתִּיִּים Jeremiah 2:10, אִיֵּי כִּתִּיִּם Ezekiel 27:6; even of Macedonian Greece, צִיִּים כִּתִּים Daniel 11:30 (only here as adjective, compare Bev) i.e. Grecian ships. כָּתִית see below כתת. כתל (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Genealogical Placement and Early Biblical References Genesis 10:4 lists Kittim among the sons of Javan, placing the name within the Table of Nations that traces humanity’s spread after the flood. 1 Chronicles 1:7 repeats the same genealogy, reinforcing its importance. The placement alongside Elishah, Tarshish, and Dodanim links Kittim to a maritime, island-dwelling branch of the Japhethite peoples. From the outset, therefore, the term stands for remote coastlands that interact with the Near East across the Mediterranean Sea. Geographical Scope and Historical Identity While the lexical data connects Kittim most directly to Cyprus, the Old Testament usage widens the horizon. Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 27 pair the name with Tyre, Sidon, and Tarshish—centers of Phoenician commerce—suggesting a broader Aegean–Mediterranean sphere. By the time of Daniel 11:30, “ships of Kittim” can represent western naval powers that challenge the Seleucid Empire, commonly identified with the rising Roman fleet. The word thus functions flexibly: (1) specifically Cyprus, (2) generally the Greek-ruled islands and coastlands, and (3) ultimately any western maritime force that God employs to accomplish His purposes. Economic and Commercial Networks Isaiah 23:1 highlights the dependency of Phoenician merchants on Kittim: “From the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.” The prophecy pictures Tyrian traders receiving news of their port’s destruction from crews arriving from Cyprus. Ezekiel 27:6 details the lavish shipbuilding of Tyre: “Your decks of cypress wood inlaid with ivory were from the coasts of Cyprus.” Kittim supplies luxury materials, demonstrating how globalized trade had become even in the Iron Age. When the Lord later judges Tyre, the fall of this commercial nexus signals the fragility of wealth that ignores Him. Military and Political Significance Numbers 24:24 broadens Kittim’s role from commerce to conquest: “Ships shall come from the coasts of Kittim; they shall afflict Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to destruction.” Balaam’s oracle foresees Mediterranean forces striking Mesopotamian powers. Daniel 11:30 echoes the theme: “Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart.” Here western fleets thwart Antiochus IV, underscoring God’s sovereignty over international events. The same seafaring people who enrich Tyre can just as readily shatter imperial ambitions, proving that the Lord alone sets the boundaries of nations (Acts 17:26). Witness to Covenant Faithfulness Jeremiah 2:10 issues a challenge: “Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and take a look … see if there has ever been anything like this.” Even in distant Kittim, nations remain loyal to their gods, whereas Israel abandons the LORD. The rhetorical device magnifies Judah’s guilt; if far-off Gentiles display greater religious consistency, the covenant people have no excuse for apostasy. This contrast not only rebukes but anticipates the later ingathering of Gentiles who would embrace the true God Israel forsook. Prophetic Imagery of Exile and Restoration Isaiah 23:12 portrays the fugitives of shattered Tyre seeking asylum in Kittim: “You will rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Rise up, cross over to Cyprus.” The island becomes both a place of exile and a symbol of the ends of the earth. The scattering motif anticipates wider dispersion yet also hints that the Lord’s reach extends to every shore—an undercurrent of hope that surfaces fully in the Gospel era. Theological and Ministry Insights 1. God directs international trade and warfare alike. Kittim’s ships serve as unwitting instruments of divine judgment, confirming that history moves according to God’s timetable, not human ambition. Summary Kittim functions in Scripture as a shorthand for western maritime powers. Its eight appearances trace a trajectory from genealogical origins, through commercial prosperity, to prophetic instruments of judgment. Whether supplying cedar planks for Tyre’s merchant ships or fielding naval forces that thwart empires, Kittim stands as a testament to God’s governance over all peoples and His intention that every coastland eventually hear—and heed—His word. Forms and Transliterations כִּתִּ֔ים כִּתִּ֖ים כִּתִּים֙ כִתִּיִּים֙ כִּתִּיִּֽים׃ כִּתִּים֙ כתיים כתיים׃ כתים chittiYim kit·tî·yîm ḵit·tî·yîm kit·tîm kitTim kittîm kittiYim kittîyîm ḵittîyîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 10:4 HEB: אֱלִישָׁ֣ה וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישׁ כִּתִּ֖ים וְדֹדָנִֽים׃ NAS: and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. KJV: and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. INT: Elishah and Tarshish Kittim and Dodanim Numbers 24:24 1 Chronicles 1:7 Isaiah 23:1 Isaiah 23:12 Jeremiah 2:10 Ezekiel 27:6 Daniel 11:30 8 Occurrences |
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make into firm lumps or blocks, make compact; Frey also bind, imprison, 
be joined together).