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כּוּשִׁי

𐤊𐤅𐤔𐤉

Kushi

H3569 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כוש to refer to Cush, to denote a person or thing from Cush

Definition

A person of Cushite origin; belonging to or descended from the people of Cush. The term refers primarily to individuals originating from Cush, a region generally identified with territories south of Egypt (often associated with Nubia or the Upper Nile region in contemporary scholarship). In the Hebrew Bible, the word is used ethnically to indicate someone whose ancestry is traced to Cush and, in some contexts, can serve as a personal name ('Cushi').

Semantic Range

member of the people of Cush, person from Cushite lineage, inhabitant of Cush, personal name 'Cushi', a foreigner from the southern Nile region

Root / Etymology

From the root כּוּשׁ (Cush), which functions as a geographic and ethnic denominator. The suffix -ִי (-i) forms a gentilic, indicating affiliation or descent. The root כּוּשׁ itself designates a region or people group south of Egypt; the precise original meaning of 'Cush' is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כּוּשִׁי most often designates individuals from the region called Cush, south of Egypt, typically associated with Nubia or Sudan. It can denote a specific ethnicity or geographic origin, and is often used in genealogical lists (such as the descendants of Ham, Genesis 10:6) or to identify individuals (such as the messenger in 2 Samuel 18:21, 32; Jeremiah 38:7). Classical English translations often render כּוּשִׁי as 'Ethiopian,' reflecting the Septuagint and later usage, but this is anachronistic with respect to the actual identity. The term in ancient Israelite usage should not be equated with later national or religious identities. In post-exilic and later Jewish literature, Cushites continue to refer to inhabitants of Africa south of Egypt but may also acquire broader connotations. The personal name 'Cushi' (as in 2 Kings 19:2) is derived from the same root. Related terms: כּוּשׁ (Cush, the land/people), while מִצְרִי (Mitzri) denotes Egyptians, and לוּבִי (Lubi) denotes Libyans. Usage remains consistent throughout the biblical period, though later Jewish and Christian translations sometimes extend its meaning to 'black African' or use it as a general term from an outsider's perspective.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

patronymically from כּוּשׁ; a Cushite, or descendant of Cush; Cushi, Cushite, Ethiopian(-s).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כוש (k-w-sh) — Cush, region south of Egypt, people of Cush

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3568 כּוּשׁ Kush

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3569-01 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֑י hakushi HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite 11
H3569-02 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֔ים hakushim HTd/Ngmpa the Cushites the Cushites 3
H3569-09 וְ/כֻשִׁ֖ים vekhushim HC/Ngmpa and Cushites and Cushite men 2
H3569-06 כּוּשִׁ֔ים kushim HNgmpa Cushites Cushite men 2
H3569-03 כוּשִׁ֛י khushi HNgmsa The Cushite Cushite 1
H3569-08 מִ/כּוּשִׁים֙ mikushim HR/Ngmpa from Cushites from Cushites 1
H3569-04 כֻשִׁיִּ֨ים khushiyim HNgmpa Cushites Cushites 1
H3569-05 כּוּשִׁי֙ kushi HNgmsa Ethiopian Cushite man 1
H3569-07 לַ/כּוּשִׁ֔י lakushi HRd/Ngmsa to the Cushite to the Cushite 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3569-07 2 Samuel 18:21 לַ/כּוּשִׁ֔י lakushi HRd/Ngmsa to the Cushite to the Cushite
H3569-03 2 Samuel 18:21 כוּשִׁ֛י khushi HNgmsa The Cushite Cushite
H3569-01 2 Samuel 18:22 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֑י hakushi HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
H3569-01 2 Samuel 18:23 הַ/כּוּשִֽׁי hakushi HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
H3569-01 2 Samuel 18:31 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֖י hakushi HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
H3569-01 2 Samuel 18:31 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֗י hakushi-2 HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
H3569-01 2 Samuel 18:32 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֔י hakushi HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
H3569-01 2 Samuel 18:32 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֗י hakushi-2 HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
H3569-05 Jeremiah 13:23 כּוּשִׁי֙ kushi HNgmsa Ethiopian Cushite man
H3569-01 Jeremiah 38:7 הַ/כּוּשִׁ֜י hakushi HTd/Ngmsa the Cushite the Cushite
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