Africa in the Bible

Africa in the Bible

Posted on May 5, 2008

 BIBLICAL SYNONYMS OF THE BLACK RACE (AND THEIR MEANINGS)

Various words used in various translations of the bible to describe the black race (and/or the land of black people) include

i. Ham (Genesis 10:16) – the second son of Noah. Ham means hot, heat or black (P.S-all meanings got from CRUDEN’S CONCORDANCE)

ii. Egypt/The land of Ham (Psalm 78:51, 105:23, 106:22). Egypt means hollow land, hidden land or land of depression. Other synonyms for Egypt are Khet (black land); Elkibit (inundated land) and Coft/Kopt (see Psalm 78:5, 105:23, 106:22 in various translations).

iii. Ethiopia (Upper Nile/Southern Sudan). Ethiops, also known as Cush, was the first son of Ham (Genesis 10:6-8. see also 2 Kings 19:9, Jeremiah 13:23, 38:7, Ezekiel 30:4-5). Meaning blackness, Cush, heat, burning. Also known as Aithiopias in Greek.

iv. Cush (Genesis 10:16, Psalm 68:31 NIV, Ezekiel 30:4-5) meaning Ethiopian or black. In the Septuagint Bible, the word Cush is rendered Ethiops.

v. Sudan/Lower Nile ( Zephaniah 3:10, Isaiah 18:1, 2 Kings 19:9 etc Good News Bible where the NIV and NKJV use the word Cush or Ethiopian).

 vi. Mizraim (Genesis 10:6, 13 NIV, GNB: 1 Chronicles 1:8, 11).  A Hebrew word, meaning twofold Egypt/Lower and Upper Nile/Northern and Southern Egypt or Lower and Upper depressions).

vii. Put (Libya/Somalia/Horn of Africa). (Genesis 10:6, Jeremiah 46:9, Ezekiel 30:5, Daniel 11: 43, Acts 2:10). Meaning ‘Heat of the sun”

Author

Dr Tayo Babalobi

tbabalobi@christonline