כּוּתָה (ku.tah)
ku.tah
Cuthah
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun Kuthah refers to a specific city in ancient Mesopotamia, identified by its Hebrew name meaning "crushing." It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both within the historical account of 2 Kings 17:24 and 30. The text records that the king of Assyria, specifically Sargon II, deported people from this location to settle in the land of Samaria after conquering the northern kingdom of Israel.
Geographically, scholars place Kuthah approximately twenty miles northeast of Babylon. Its inclusion in the biblical narrative highlights the scale of the Assyrian deportation policy, which mixed populations from various conquered regions to prevent rebellion. The mention of this distant city underscores how foreign influences entered the religious landscape of Samaria, contributing to the syncretistic worship practices that the biblical authors later critique.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about Cuthah in 2 Kings, we encounter a distant city far from Jerusalem. The Assyrians moved its people to Samaria as part of a strategy to break local resistance. This historical detail reminds us that faith often exists within complex social and political realities.
The biblical text notes that these displaced settlers brought their own gods, including Nergal, into the region. Their presence contributed to a mix of worship styles that confused spiritual identity for generations. Understanding this background helps us see how easily external influences can shape community practices over time.
For your faith today, this passage invites reflection on where our own beliefs come from. It encourages us to examine whether our spiritual habits are rooted in deep conviction or simply inherited customs. Staying grounded in Scripture helps ensure our worship remains focused on God alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ from/ Cuthah/ <towards>1×
- Cuthah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כ֔וּת1×
- וּ֠/מִ/כּוּ֠תָ/ה1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 17:24
The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.
This verse establishes Kuthah as a source of deported populations, showing how Assyrian policy introduced foreign residents into Samaria.
-
II Kings 17:30
The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
Here the text explicitly links the men of Cuth to the worship of Nergal, illustrating the specific religious contribution of this group to local syncretism.