Ethiopia
Meaning: country of burnt faces; the Greek word from which the Hebrew “Cush” is translated (Genesis 2:13; 2 Kings 19:9; Esther 1:1; Job 28:19; Psalm 68:31; 87:4)
“Ethiopia” is mentioned by name 20 times in the Bible.
This country lay to the south of Egypt, beginning at Syene on the First Cataract (Ezek. 29:10; 30:6), and extending to beyond the confluence of the White and Blue Nile. This country was known to the Hebrews, and is described in Isaiah 18:1; Zeph. 3:10. They carried on some commerce with it (Isaiah 45:14).
Its inhabitants were descendants of Ham (Genesis 10:6; Jeremiah 13:23; Isaiah 18:2, “scattered and peeled,” King James Version; but in Revised King James Version, “tall and smooth”). Herodotus, the Greek historian, describes them as “the tallest and handsomest of men.” They are frequently represented on Egyptian monuments, and they are all true blacks. As might be expected, the history of this country is interwoven with that of Egypt.
Ethiopia is spoken of in prophecy (Psalm 68:31; 87:4; Isaiah 45:14; Ezek. 30:4-9; Dan. 11:43; Nahum 3:8-10; Hab. 3:7; Zeph. 2:12).
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