Lexical Summary Put: Put Original Word: פוּט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Phut, Put Of foreign origin; Put, a son of Ham, also the name of his descendants or their region, and of a Persian tribe -- Phut, Put. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land NASB Translation put (8). Brown-Driver-Briggs מּוּט proper name, of a people probably Libyans, or Libyan tribe; usually named with African peoples: Nahum 3:9; Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 27:10; Ezekiel 30:5; Ezekiel 38:5 (ᵐ5 usually Λίβυες); Genesis 10:6 (P) = 1 Chronicles 1:8 (Φουδ); + Isaiah 66:19 (for ᵑ0 מּוּל; ᵐ5 φουδ), — see DiGenesis 10:6 JenZA x. 325 ff. Topical Lexicon Genealogical Origin Put appears first in the Table of Nations as a son of Ham and brother to Cush, Mizraim, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8). From this single mention in the primeval genealogy flow every later biblical reference. The placement ties Put to the early dispersion of peoples after the flood, linking him to the African branch of Ham’s descendants and providing the foundation for identifying a later nation bearing his name. Geographic Identification Scripture places Put consistently alongside Cush and Egypt, orienting him toward the regions south and west of Egypt rather than toward the Levant or Arabia. Extra-biblical records from the first millennium B.C. speak of a Libyan people called pḥt or pwṭ, matching the biblical spelling and situating Put in what is now Libya and possibly coastal North Africa. The prophets’ pairing of Put with nations on either side of the Nile Valley further supports a North-African locale, west of Cush (modern Sudan/Ethiopia) and often in alliance with Egypt. While absolute precision is elusive, the biblical portrait paints Put as a western neighbor to Cush, a southern buffer for Egypt, and a seafaring or desert-dwelling martial people. Military Associations in the Prophets From the prophets onward, Put is remembered not for agriculture or trade but for military service: • Jeremiah 46:9 portrays Egyptian forces mustering allies: “Advance, O horses; race furiously, O chariots! Let the warriors come forth—Cush and Put bearing shields, men of Lydia drawing the bow”. From these passages a pattern emerges: Put supplies mercenaries for regional powers. Though never the prime aggressor, Put’s warriors symbolize military might in service to others, demonstrating how peripheral nations can become entangled in the sins and judgments of larger empires. Eschatological Reference Ezekiel 38:5 casts Put into the future confederacy led by Gog: “Persia, Cush, and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets”. Here the historic role of Put as shield-bearer extends into an eschatological horizon, showing that the same martial identity can recur in end-time hostility against the people of God. The prophecy underscores divine sovereignty over all nations, whether ancient or future, and reveals that no alliance—however distant geographically—escapes His oversight. Thematic Patterns and Theology 1. Judgment upon Military Pride: Each prophetic oracle that names Put links him to the downfall of an imperial power (Egypt, Tyre, Nineveh, Gog). The biblical writer thereby warns against misplaced reliance on human strength and foreign alliances. Ministry Reflections and Application • Evangelistic Vision: Recognizing that descendants of Put were among the first hearers at Pentecost (Acts 2 lists visitors from “Libya near Cyrene”) encourages modern believers to pray and labor for gospel advance in North Africa. The same region once famed for mercenaries now needs spiritual armor bearers (Ephesians 6:10-18). Key Biblical Cross-References Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8 – genealogical origin Jeremiah 46:9 – mercenaries in Egypt’s army Ezekiel 27:10 – hired soldiers for Tyre Ezekiel 30:5 – coalition collapse with Egypt Ezekiel 38:5 – eschatological alliance with Gog Nahum 3:9 – support for Nineveh Acts 2:10; Revelation 5:9; 7:9 – New Testament implications for the nations Collectively these passages sketch Put as a North-African warrior people whose destiny intertwines with greater powers yet remains under the ultimate authority of the God who “makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 46:9). Forms and Transliterations וּפ֖וּט וּפ֤וּט וּפ֥וּט וּפוּט֙ ופוט פּ֣וּט פּ֥וּט פוט put pūṭ ū·p̄ūṭ uFut ūp̄ūṭLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 10:6 HEB: כּ֥וּשׁ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּפ֥וּט וּכְנָֽעַן׃ NAS: and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. KJV: and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. INT: Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan 1 Chronicles 1:8 Jeremiah 46:9 Ezekiel 27:10 Ezekiel 30:5 Ezekiel 38:5 Nahum 3:9 7 Occurrences |
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