The term "Cushite" refers to the descendants of Cush, the son of Ham and grandson of Noah, as outlined in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10. The Cushites are traditionally associated with the region of Cush, which is often identified with areas in the Upper Nile, including parts of modern-day Sudan and Ethiopia. The Cushites are mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, highlighting their interactions with the Israelites and their role in biblical history.

Biblical Lineage and Geography

Cush is listed among the sons of Ham in Genesis 10:6: "The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan." The descendants of Cush are believed to have settled in the region south of Egypt, known for its rich history and cultural significance. This area, often referred to as Nubia in ancient times, was a powerful kingdom with which Egypt had extensive interactions.

Notable Cushites in the Bible

1. Nimrod: One of the most notable descendants of Cush is Nimrod, described as a mighty hunter and a significant figure in the early post-Flood world. Genesis 10:8-9 states, "Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.'" Nimrod is traditionally associated with the founding of several ancient cities, including Babel, Erech, and Akkad.

2. The Cushite Wife of Moses: In Numbers 12:1, Moses is criticized by his siblings, Miriam and Aaron, for marrying a Cushite woman: "Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman." This passage highlights the presence of Cushites within the Israelite community and suggests a level of integration and interaction between the two groups.

3. Ebed-Melech: A Cushite eunuch in the service of King Zedekiah of Judah, Ebed-Melech is noted for his role in rescuing the prophet Jeremiah from a cistern. Jeremiah 38:7-13 recounts his courageous act, demonstrating his faithfulness and righteousness. The LORD later promises Ebed-Melech deliverance during the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39:15-18).

Cushites in Prophecy and Psalms

The Cushites are mentioned in various prophetic and poetic texts, often symbolizing distant nations or peoples. In Isaiah 18, a prophecy is directed toward the land of Cush, describing it as a nation "tall and smooth-skinned" (Isaiah 18:2). This chapter speaks of a time when gifts will be brought to Mount Zion from this distant land, indicating a future acknowledgment of God's sovereignty.

Psalm 68:31 also references Cush, stating, "Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God." This verse suggests a future turning of Cushite people to the worship of the God of Israel, reflecting the universal scope of God's redemptive plan.

Cushites in Historical Context

Historically, the Cushite kingdom was a significant power in the ancient world, known for its wealth, military prowess, and cultural achievements. The Cushites had periods of dominance over Egypt, notably during the 25th Dynasty, when Cushite pharaohs ruled over both Egypt and Cush. This historical backdrop provides context for the biblical references to Cush and its people.

In summary, the Cushites are a significant ethnic group in the biblical narrative, representing both historical realities and theological themes of God's interaction with all nations. Their presence in the Bible underscores the diversity of peoples and cultures within the biblical world and God's overarching plan for humanity.

(1.) The messenger sent by Joab to David to announce his victory over Absalom (2 Samuel 18:32).

(2.) The father of Shelemiah (Jeremiah 36:14).

(3.) Son of Gedaliah, and father of the prophet Zephaniah (1:1).

(4.) Moses married a Cushite woman (Numbers 12:1). From this circumstance some have supposed that Zipporah was meant, and hence that Midian was Cush.

(n.) A descendant of Cush, the son of Ham and grandson of Noah.CUSHITE

kush'-it: Whereas kushi, is elsewhere rendered Ethiopian, in 2 Samuel 18:21-32 it is rendered Cushite in the Revised Version (British and American) (see CUSHI and compare CUSHITE WOMAN). Its plural, which occurs in Zephaniah, Daniel and 2 Chronicles, also in the form kushiyim, in Amos, is uniformly translated Ethiopians, following Septuagint. The other Old Testament books use simply kush, for people as well as land.

CUSHITE WOMAN; ETHIOPIAN WOMAN

kush'-it: In Numbers 12:1 Moses is condemned by his sister Miriam and his brother Aaron "because of the Cushite woman ha-'ishshah ha-kushith whom he had married"; and the narrator immediately adds by way of needed explanation, "for he had married a Cushite woman" ('ishshah khushith). Views regarding this person have been of two general classes:

(1) She is to be identified with Zipporah (Exodus 2:21 and elsewhere), Moses' Midianite wife, who is here called "the Gushite," either in scorn of her dark complexion (compare Jeremiah 13:23) and foreign origin (so most older exegetes), or as a consequence of an erroneous notion of the late age when this apocryphal addition, "because of the Cushite," etc., was inserted in the narrative (so Wellhansen).

(2) She is a woman whom Moses took to wife after the death of Zipporah, really a Cushite (Ethiopian) by race, whether the princess of Meroe of whom Josephus (Ant., II, x, 2) romances (so Targum of Jonathan), or one of the "mixed multitude" (Exodus 12:38; compare Numbers 11:4) that accompanied the Hebrews on their wanderings (so Ewald and most). Dillmann suggests a compromise between the two classes of views, namely, that this woman is a mere "variation in the saga" from the wife elsewhere represented as Midianite, yet because of this variation she was understood by the author as distinct from Zipporah. The implication of the passage, in any case, is clearly that this connection of Moses tended to injure his prestige in the eyes of race-proud Hebrews, and, equally, that in the author's opinion such a view of the matter was obnoxious to God.

J. Oscar Boyd

3571. Kushith -- a Cushite woman
... 3570, 3571. Kushith. 3572 . a Cushite woman. Transliteration: Kushith Phonetic
Spelling: (koo-sheeth') Short Definition: Cushite. ... a Cushite woman. ...
/hebrew/3571.htm - 6k

3569. Kushi -- descendant of Cush
... 3568b, 3569. Kushi. 3570 . descendant of Cush. Transliteration: Kushi Phonetic
Spelling: (koo-shee') Short Definition: Cushite. ... Cushi, Cushite, Ethiopians. ...
/hebrew/3569.htm - 6k

The Wail of a Broken Heart
... The three men, Ahimaaz, Joab, and the Cushite (Ethiopian), are types of different
kinds of self-engrossment, which is little touched by others' sorrows. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the wail of a broken.htm

Philosophical Basis, and Antecedents of Manich??ism.
... 3] This primitive Turanian quasi-dualism (it was not dualism in the strictest sense
of the term) was not entirely obliterated by the Cushite and Semitic ...
/.../chapter ii name basis and.htm

Chapter x
... But each of these terms acquires a bad sense in the light of the name "Nimrod."
The tendency of this Cushite must have been to rise up against, and to attempt ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

From the Flood to Abraham
... We thereby confirm the Biblical claim that it was under Nimrod the Cushite, and
not through the Semitic race, that the Chaldean kingdom began. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter iii from the flood.htm

Of Uncharitable Truth.
... as keep anything they think New; nay, will sometimes run themselves out of breath,
for fear least anyone should serve them as Ahimaaz did the Cushite 2. Sam ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section vi of uncharitable truth.htm

The Prophet Amos.
... alone as the tertium comparationis (Cocceius says: "Ye are so alienated from Him,
and so unfaithful, that every one of you may be called a Cushite"), give too ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet amos.htm

Cushite (15 Occurrences)
... (4.) Moses married a Cushite woman (Numbers 12:1). From this circumstance some have
supposed that Zipporah was meant, and hence that Midian was Cush. ...CUSHITE. ...
/c/cushite.htm - 14k

Cushi (7 Occurrences)
... 18:21-32 seven out of eight times, all readings supported by the Septuagint) it
simply indicate that the person so designated was of the Cushite people, as in ...
/c/cushi.htm - 10k

Ethiopian (11 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Alt. of Ethiopic. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
CUSHITE WOMAN; ETHIOPIAN WOMAN. kush'-it: In Numbers ...
/e/ethiopian.htm - 18k

Zerah (22 Occurrences)
... See ZOHAR, (2). (5) Cushite king (2 Chronicles 14:9). See the next article David
Francis Roberts. ... The title "the Cushite" (Hebrew) is hard to understand. ...
/z/zerah.htm - 19k

Cush (31 Occurrences)
... Three branches of the Cushite or Ethiopian stock, moving from Western Asia,
settled in the regions contiguous to the Persian Gulf. ...
/c/cush.htm - 25k

Havilah (7 Occurrences)
... It is uncertain whether the tribe gave its name to this region or derived its name
from it, and whether it was originally a Cushite (Genesis 10:7) or a ...
/h/havilah.htm - 11k

Ahimaaz (15 Occurrences)
... death. By his reluctance and his sympathy he softened a little the message,
which the Cushite presently repeated more harshly. That ...
/a/ahimaaz.htm - 14k

Zipporah (3 Occurrences)
... Egypt, later succeeded at his death by Jethro, or Hobab (Exodus 2:21, 22; Exodus
4:25, 26; 18:2-6). Whether or not Zipporah was the "Cushite woman" (Numbers 12 ...
/z/zipporah.htm - 9k

Miriam (13 Occurrences)
... Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman
whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. ...
/m/miriam.htm - 12k

Circumstance (5 Occurrences)
... Numbers 12:1 And Miriam speaketh -- Aaron also -- against Moses concerning the
circumstance of the Cushite woman whom he had taken: for a Cushite woman he had ...
/c/circumstance.htm - 8k

Who was Moses' wife? Did Moses have more than one wife? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Cushites? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Aaron in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Cushite: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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