Lexical Summary Sukkiyyim: Sukkiim, Sukkiites Original Word: סֻכִּי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sukkiims Patrial from an unknown name (perhaps cok); a Sukkite, or inhabitant of some place near Egypt (i.e. Hut-dwellers) -- Sukkiims. see HEBREW cok NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused name, people in the army of Shishak NASB Translation Sukkiim (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סֻכִּיִּים proper name, masculine plural a people in army of Shishak according to 2 Chronicles 12:3 (between לוּבִים and כּוּשִׁים); ᵐ5 Τρωγλοδυται, so ᵑ9; ᵐ5L Σουχιειμ. Topical Lexicon Biblical occurrence Sukki (plural Sukkiim, “Sukkites”) appears once, in 2 Chronicles 12:3, where the Chronicler lists them alongside the Libyans and the Cushites in Pharaoh Shishak’s invasion force against Rehoboam: “He came with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen, and countless troops who came with him from Egypt — the Libyans, the Sukkites, and the Cushites” (Berean Standard Bible). Historical background Shishak is identified with the Egyptian Pharaoh Shoshenq I (ca. 945–924 B.C.). Shortly after Solomon’s death, Judah’s apostasy under Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12:1) prompted divine discipline. Shishak exploited Judah’s spiritual weakness, mustering a coalition that included mercenaries and subject peoples. The Sukki stand as historical testimony to the multinational character of Egypt’s armies and the far-reaching impact of Israel’s covenant disobedience. Possible identification of the Sukki 1. Nomadic tent-dwellers: Many commentators connect the name with the Hebrew sukkâ (“booth, shelter”), suggesting a nomadic tribe whose portable dwellings defined their identity. While the exact location is debated, all proposals situate the Sukki on Egypt’s geopolitical fringes, where mobility and knowledge of desert terrain made them valuable to Pharaoh’s army. Participation in Shishak’s campaign The Chronicler highlights three categories of troops: Libyans (western desert), Sukkiim (mobile nomads), and Cushites (southern Nubians/Ethiopians). This triad underscores Shishak’s strategic use of ethnic specialties: chariotry and cavalry from Egypt proper, infantry and archers from Libya and Cush, and agile desert fighters from the Sukkiim. Their inclusion magnifies the scale of the invasion and the severity of Judah’s chastening. Theological and ministerial insights • Divine sovereignty over the nations: The Lord “handed them over to Shishak” (2 Chronicles 12:5). Even obscure peoples like the Sukkiim serve His purposes. Intertextual connections • Libyans and Cushites reappear in 2 Chronicles 16:8, showing that God can as easily frustrate as employ these forces. Lessons for today 1. National security is ultimately spiritual (Psalm 127:1). Related topics Lubim (Libyans); Cushites; Shishak (Shoshenq I); Divine discipline; Nomadic tribes of the ancient Near East. Forms and Transliterations סֻכִּיִּ֖ים סכיים suk·kî·yîm sukkiYim sukkîyîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Chronicles 12:3 HEB: מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לוּבִ֥ים סֻכִּיִּ֖ים וְכוּשִֽׁים׃ NAS: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. KJV: the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. INT: Egypt the Lubim the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians 1 Occurrence |
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