פּוּט
𐤐𐤅𐤈
Put
H6316 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Put (Pût) designates a people group and their geographic region, generally recognized as a non-Israelite nation associated with the descendants of Ham mentioned in biblical genealogies. The term primarily refers to a nation or land on the periphery of Israelite focus, often listed among other foreign peoples in oracles and military contexts. The precise identification of the group or region remains uncertain but is associated in ancient sources with North African and possibly Libyan populations, as well as with regions involved in Egyptian or Near Eastern military affairs.
Semantic Range
name of a people group (possibly North African or Libyan), name of a geographic region, descendants of Ham, associates of Egypt and Cush in military oracles
Root / Etymology
of uncertain origin (etymology uncertain); not derived from a known Hebrew root but rather attested as an ethnonym or toponym denoting a non-Israelite people referenced among the descendants of Ham (Genesis 10:6). The Hebrew form פּוּט (Pûwṭ) likely preserves a name of foreign (possibly Egyptian or North African) origin recorded phonetically in Hebrew script.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, פּוּט appears in genealogical lists (Genesis 10:6, 1 Chronicles 1:8) as a son of Ham, alongside Cush, Mizraim, and Canaan—forming part of the Table of Nations. Elsewhere, פּוּט refers to a people or region and is commonly found in lists of nations, especially those associated with Egypt and Cush in prophetic oracles involving military alliances or judgments (e.g., Jeremiah 46:9, Ezekiel 27:10; 30:5; 38:5; Nahum 3:9). In these texts, the term often designates mercenary warriors, chariot forces, or allies from the distant south or west. Ancient translations (LXX) transcribe פוט as Φούδ (Phoud/Phut), reflecting a foreign ethnonym. Later Greek and Roman sources associate Put with peoples of North Africa, possibly Libyans. English translations frequently transliterate the name rather than translate, but sometimes render it as "Libya" or "Libyans," which is interpretive. The identity of פּוּט in the Hebrew Bible is geographic and ethnic, with no connection to Judahite or Israelite groupings. Use of the term "Jew" is anachronistic when rendering פּוּט. There is no significant lexical overlap with other Hebrew words for foreign nations (e.g., לּוּד Lud; כּוּשׁ Cush) though the terms may appear in proximity in lists. Its usage is consistent across the textual periods in which it appears, always as an external, non-Israelite designation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Put, a son of Ham, also the name of his descendants or their region, and of a Persian tribe; Phut, Put.
Bantu Hebrew
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פוט (p-w-ṭ (uncertain)) — proper name; people group; territory
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6316-02 |
וּ/פ֥וּט | ufut | HC/Np |
and Put | and Put | 5 |
H6316-01 |
פּ֣וּט | put | HNp |
Put | Put | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6316-02 |
Genesis 10:6 | וּ/פ֥וּט | ufut | HC/Np |
and Put | and Put |
H6316-02 |
Jeremiah 46:9 | וּ/פוּט֙ | ufut | HC/Np |
and Put | and Put |
H6316-02 |
Ezekiel 27:10 | וּ/פוּט֙ | ufut | HC/Np |
and Put | and Put |
H6316-02 |
Ezekiel 30:5 | וּ/פ֤וּט | ufut | HC/Np |
and Put | and Put |
H6316-02 |
Ezekiel 38:5 | וּ/פ֖וּט | ufut | HC/Np |
and Libya | and Put |
H6316-01 |
Nahum 3:9 | פּ֣וּט | put | HNp |
Put | Put |
H6316-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:8 | פּ֥וּט | put | HNp |
Put | Put |