Lexical Summary
Kushi: Cushite, Ethiopians, Ethiopian
Original Word:כּוּשִׁי
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:Kuwshiy
Pronunciation:koo-shee'
Phonetic Spelling:(koo-shee')
KJV: Cushi, Cushite, Ethiopian(-s)
NASB:Cushite, Ethiopians, Ethiopian, Ethiopia
Word Origin:[patronymically fromH3568 (כּוּשׁ - Cush)]
1. a Cushite, or descendant of Cush
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Cushi, Cushite, Ethiopians
Patronymically fromKuwsh; a Cushite, or descendant of Cush -- Cushi, Cushite, Ethiopian(-s).
see HEBREWKuwsh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
KushDefinitiondesc. of Cush
NASB TranslationCushite (8), Ethiopia (1), Ethiopian (6), Ethiopians (8).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. of I. ; — masculine
Jeremiah 13:23 13t.; feminine
Numbers 12:1 (twice in verse); plural
Zephaniah 2:12 6t.;
Daniel 11:43;
Amos 9:7; —
singular agreeing with nounNumbers 12:1 (twice in verse) (E; only here feminine).
= substantive,a CushiteJeremiah 13:23.
id. with article,the Cushite, of Joab's adjutant2 Samuel 18:21 (twice in verse) (where read , for , We Dr Kit Bu),2 Samuel 18:22;2 Samuel 18:23;2 Samuel 18:31;2 Samuel 18:31;2 Samuel 18:32;2 Samuel 18:32; in apposition with proper nameJeremiah 38:7,10,12;Jeremiah 39:16; 2Chron 14:8.
plural () = substantiveZephaniah 2:12; 2Chronicles 12:3; 2 Chronicles 14:11 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 14:12; 2 Chronicles 16:8; 21:16; soDaniel 11:43, (si vera lectio)Amos 9:7.
Topical Lexicon
Ethnic Designation and Identity“Cushite” is the most common sense of כּוּשִׁי. Scripture normally uses the term for the descendants of Cush, the son of Ham (Genesis 10:6), a people located south of Egypt in the Upper Nile region. They are interchangeably called “Ethiopians” in many English versions. The consistent Old Testament picture is of a dark-skinned people (Jeremiah 13:23) renowned for tall stature and military strength (2 Chronicles 16:8;Isaiah 18:2). Their territory lay on the outer rim of Israel’s geopolitical horizon, reinforcing the breadth of the divine plan that ultimately reaches “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Key Narrative Occurrences
1.Numbers 12:1. Miriam and Aaron “criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married”. The passage exposes ethnic pride and underscores that the Lord freely chooses and blesses persons from every background.
2.2 Samuel 18:21-32. During Absalom’s rebellion, Joab sends “the Cushite” to carry news to David. The unnamed foreigner shows courage, fidelity, and tact; David trusts his report. The episode exemplifies foreign participation in Israel’s affairs and anticipates the coming inclusion of the nations in the Davidic kingdom.
3.2 Chronicles 14:9-13; 16:8. “Zerah the Cushite” invades Judah with a vast host. King Asa cries to the Lord, and the Cushite army is routed. The event teaches that military might, however imposing, collapses before covenant faith.
4.Jeremiah 13:23. By asking, “Can the Cushite change his skin or the leopard his spots?”, the prophet employs an unalterable ethnic trait as an analogy for Judah’s entrenched sin. The verse assumes a well-known physical distinction without disparagement; the problem is moral, not racial.
5. Genealogies. “Zephaniah son of Cushi” (Zephaniah 1:1) and “Cushi” ancestor of Jehudi (Jeremiah 36:14) appear in Judean family lines, illustrating that Cushites could be fully integrated into Israelite society.
Proper Name “Cushi”
Besides the ethnic sense, כּוּשִׁי functions as a personal name. The two named individuals are:
• Cushi, great-grandfather of the court officer Jehudi (Jeremiah 36:14).
• Cushi, father of the prophet Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:1).
That a prophet of royal blood (Zephaniah 1:1;2 Kings 21:1-18 traces the same dynasty) bears a Cushite lineage testifies to the gospel principle later articulated inGalatians 3:28.
Prophetic Usage and Judgment Imagery
Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Nahum speak of judgments or oracles concerning Cush, but the word in those settings is usually כּוּשׁ (Strong’s 3568). Nevertheless, the broader prophetic portrait in which Cush appears reinforces three truths:
1. No nation is beyond the reach of divine sovereignty (Isaiah 20:4-5).
2. No nation is exempt from divine compassion (Isaiah 11:11;Psalm 68:31).
3. The final messianic procession will include worshipers “from beyond the rivers of Cush” (Zephaniah 3:10).
Theological Themes
• Universal Image of God.Jeremiah 13:23 assumes intrinsic human worth; skin color is a God-given reality, not a value marker.
• Humbling of Pride. Zerah’s defeat (2 Chronicles 14) reminds every nation that safety lies not in numbers but in the Lord.
• Inclusion. The presence of Cushites in royal service (2 Samuel 18) and prophetic lineage (Zephaniah 1:1) previewsRevelation 7:9.
• Immutable Sin Nature vs. New Birth. Jeremiah’s rhetorical question magnifies the necessity of divine regeneration, an Old Testament foreshadowing ofJohn 3:3-7.
Missionary Implications
Old Testament references to Cushites establish a biblical precedent for cross-cultural evangelism.Acts 8:26-39 records the conversion of an Ethiopian official, demonstrating early gospel penetration into Cushite territory and fulfillingPsalm 68:31, “Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God.”
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Countering Ethnic Prejudice.Numbers 12 andJeremiah 13 provide authoritative antidotes to racial pride.
2. Encouraging Cross-Cultural Service. The loyal Cushite runner models humble service that transcends national lines.
3. Confidence in God’s Power. Asa’s victory over Zerah encourages trust when facing seemingly superior forces—military, cultural, or ideological.
4. Embracing Gospel Diversity. Congregations can highlight Zephaniah’s heritage when teaching about unity in Christ.
Summary
Whether designating a people group, a faithful courier, a military adversary, or the father of a prophet, כּוּשִׁי consistently shows the Lord’s active governance over all nations and His sovereign choice of individuals from every ethnicity to accomplish His redemptive purposes.
Forms and Transliterations
הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית הַכּוּשִֽׁי׃ הַכּוּשִֽׁים׃ הַכּוּשִׁ֑י הַכּוּשִׁ֔י הַכּוּשִׁ֔ים הַכּוּשִׁ֖י הַכּוּשִׁ֗י הַכּוּשִׁ֜י הַכּוּשִׁ֣ים הכושי הכושי׃ הכושים הכושים׃ הכשית וְכֻשִׁ֖ים וְכוּשִֽׁים׃ וכושים׃ וכשים כֻשִׁ֖ית כֻשִׁיִּ֨ים כּוּשִֽׁים׃ כּוּשִׁ֔ים כּוּשִׁ֣י כּוּשִׁי֙ כוּשִׁ֛י כושי כושים כושים׃ כשיים כשית לַכּוּשִׁ֔י לכושי מִכּוּשִׁים֙ מכושים chuShi chuShit chushiYim hak·kū·šî hak·kū·šîm hak·ku·šîṯ hakkuShi hakkuShim hakkuShit hakkūšî hakkūšîm hakkušîṯ kū·šî ḵū·šî ḵu·šî·yîm kū·šîm ḵu·šîṯ kuShi kuShim kūšî ḵūšî kūšîm ḵušîṯ ḵušîyîm lak·kū·šî lakkuShi lakkūšî mik·kū·šîm mikkuShim mikkūšîm vechuShim wə·ḵu·šîm wə·ḵū·šîm wəḵušîm wəḵūšîm
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