Person Old Testament
Cush
Cush, a son of Ham, was the father of Nimrod and other descendants who became nations. Mentioned in 6 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 10:6.
Why it matters. Son of Ham; father of Nimrod and other descendants
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Cush
Cush is mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1Chronicles 1 as one of the sons of Ham, the son of Noah. He is listed alongside his brothers Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Several descendants of Cush are named, including Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah's sons, Sheba and Dedan, are also mentioned. These descendants of Cush are associated with various regions and peoples, mostly located in Africa and Arabia.
One of the most notable descendants of Cush is Nimrod, who is described as a mighty hunter before the Lord and the founder of the first kingdoms on earth, including Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar (Babylonia). Nimrod is also credited with building Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen in Assyria.
The Cushites, descendants of Cush, are often associated with the region of Nubia, south of Egypt. In later biblical texts, Cush is used as a geographical term referring to the land south of Egypt, including parts of modern-day Sudan and Ethiopia.
The genealogy of Cush and his descendants in Genesis 10 and 1Chronicles 1 provides insight into the early spread of nations and the origins of various people groups in the ancient Near East and Africa.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Ham
Appears in Scripture
Named in 6 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.