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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Cush


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Cush Cush (= Ethiopia)


The name Cush occurs twice in the Bible. The first Cush is the first son of Ham, son of Noah. This name Cush became synonymous to Ethiopia. The second Cush mentioned in the Bible is a Benjaminite. We don't know anything about this Cush, but he probably wasn't a very nice guy as David dedicates one of his bitter psalms to him; Psalm 7 - see the title.

The origin of this name is irretrievably obscure, and none of the translators have more to say about it than that it is related to Ethiopia, and having a dark countenance. Klein gives a word written similar to Ethiopia, meaning spindle (with poetic function of `horn'?), but he gives no applications to try the word. The Septuagint translates this name with a compilation of derivatives of the greek verb `to scorch,' and noun `countenance'.

However, the word for black is shahar (sahar 2368). The heth and rosh in this word are so dominant that the name Cush can hardly have come from it. Allowing this would link Cush to pretty much any other word that contains a shin. Like the word yshsh (yshsh 932; weak, impotent, aged) for instance, which makes a far more plausible candidate as a repeated letter often falls away and the yod alternates with the waw. In concert with ke (ke 937; as if, like), the name would mean As If He Were Weak.
And then there is the root yshh (yshh 923; meaning uncertain) which yields tushiya (tushiya 923a), wisdom, sound knowledge, which would yield the meaning of Cush as As If He Were Getting Smarter.
Still, and for no apparent reason, Jones reads A Black Countenance. NOBSE reads Black.



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