Person Old Testament
Cushan-rishathaim
Also known as Cushan-rishathaim =ESV, NIV; Chushan-rishathaim =KJV
Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, oppressed Israel for eight years until Othniel defeated him. Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Judges 3:8.
Why it matters. King of Mesopotamia who oppressed Israel
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Cushan-rishathaim
Cushan-rishathaim was the king of Mesopotamia (Aram-naharaim) who oppressed the Israelites for eight years after they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. As a result of their disobedience, the Lord sold the Israelites into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim.
In response to the Israelites' cry for help, God raised up Othniel, the son of Kenaz and Caleb's younger brother, as a deliverer. Othniel was empowered by the Spirit of the Lord and went to war against Cushan-rishathaim. The Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim into Othniel's hand, and he prevailed over the Mesopotamian king.
As a result of Othniel's victory, the land had rest for forty years until Othniel's death. This event is part of the recurring cycle in the book of Judges, where the Israelites fall into sin, face oppression from foreign rulers, cry out to God, and are delivered by a God-appointed judge.
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.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.