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Cush

Portrait of Cush

Cush was the eldest son of Ham and the father of Nimrod, the first great empire-builder. His name is associated with the region south of Egypt (ancient Ethiopia/Nubia), and his descendants settled across Arabia and northeast Africa. Through Cush the line of Ham produced both mighty kingdoms and the peoples the prophets later called on to turn to the LORD.

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Biography

Father
Ham
Children
Nimrod, Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabtecha
Era
Post-Flood (Primeval History)

Family

Parents
Ham
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Cush
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Children
Nimrod, Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabtecha
Old Testament Genesis

Did You Know?

1

Cush is both a person and a place: as Ham's eldest son he fathers Nimrod, but the name also denotes the region south of Egypt (Nubia/ancient Ethiopia), which is why 'Cushite' often means a dark-skinned African in the Old Testament.

2

Moses' 'Cushite wife' (Numbers 12:1), the Cushite runner who brings David news of Absalom, and Ebed-melech the Cushite who rescues Jeremiah all trace their designation back to this son of Ham.

3

A river of Eden is said to encircle 'the whole land of Cush' (Genesis 2:13), placing the name at the very beginning of the biblical map of the world.

Key Chapters

Key Passages

The Sons of Cush

Genesis 10:6-8

Cush heads a line that includes Seba, Havilah, and most notably Nimrod, founder of Babel.

A6nd the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

Read full chapter: Genesis 10 โ†’