3794. Kitti or Kittiyyi
Lexical Summary
Kitti or Kittiyyi: Kittim, Kittites

Original Word: יתִתכִּ
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Kittiy
Pronunciation: kit-tee' or kit-tee-yee'
Phonetic Spelling: (kit-tee')
KJV: Chittim, Kittim
NASB: Kittim, Cyprus
Word Origin: [patrial from an unused name denoting Cyprus (only in the plural)]

1. a Kittite or Cypriote
2. (hence) an islander in general, i.e. the Greeks or Romans on the shores opposite Israel

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 Origin
from 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 make into firm lumps or blocks, make compact; Frey also bind, imprison, be joined together).

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.
2. The mention of a remote people group in early Scripture validates the global scope of God’s redemptive plan. When Paul and Barnabas launch their first missionary journey from Antioch to Cyprus (Acts 13:4-12), they step into a region long woven into biblical narrative, demonstrating continuity between Old and New Testament mission.
3. Jeremiah’s appeal to Kittim challenges modern believers to examine their own fidelity. If distant nations can maintain loyalty to their false gods, how much more should Christians remain steadfast to the living God revealed in Jesus Christ?

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 ḵittîyîm
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman'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
HEB: וְצִים֙ מִיַּ֣ד כִּתִּ֔ים וְעִנּ֥וּ אַשּׁ֖וּר
NAS: [shall come] from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict
KJV: [shall come] from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict
INT: ships the coast of Kittim shall afflict Asshur

1 Chronicles 1:7
HEB: אֱלִישָׁ֣ה וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה כִּתִּ֖ים וְרוֹדָנִֽים׃ ס
NAS: Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.
KJV: and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
INT: Elishah Tarshish Kittim and Dodanim

Isaiah 23:1
HEB: מִבּ֔וֹא מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כִּתִּ֖ים נִגְלָה־ לָֽמוֹ׃
NAS: to them from the land of Cyprus.
KJV: from the land of Chittim it is revealed
INT: harbor the land of Cyprus is reported

Isaiah 23:12
HEB: [כִּתִּיִּים כ] (כִּתִּים֙ ק) ק֣וּמִי
NAS: Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there
KJV: pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.
INT: daughter of Sidon Chittim Arise pass

Jeremiah 2:10
HEB: עִבְר֞וּ אִיֵּ֤י כִתִּיִּים֙ וּרְא֔וּ וְקֵדָ֛ר
NAS: to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
KJV: the isles of Chittim, and see;
INT: cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see to Kedar

Ezekiel 27:6
HEB: [כִּתִּיִּם כ] (כִּתִּיִּֽים׃ ק)
NAS: from the coastlands of Cyprus.
KJV: [brought] out of the isles of Chittim.
INT: of boxwood the coastlands Chittim

Daniel 11:30
HEB: ב֜וֹ צִיִּ֤ים כִּתִּים֙ וְנִכְאָ֔ה וְשָׁ֛ב
NAS: For ships of Kittim will come
KJV: For the ships of Chittim shall come
INT: will come ships of Kittim will be disheartened and will return

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3794
8 Occurrences


ḵit·tî·yîm — 1 Occ.
kit·tîm — 6 Occ.
kit·tî·yîm — 1 Occ.

3793
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