The Hebrew word Kûwth, represented by H3575, refers to Cuth or Cuthah, a province of Assyria. It is a term of foreign origin that appears just 2 times in the Bible, both in the same narrative context. The word is used to identify one of the specific groups of people relocated by the Assyrian empire into the lands previously inhabited by the exiled Israelites.
In the biblical narrative, H3575 appears exclusively in 2 Kings. Its first use is in a list of peoples whom the king of Assyria H804 brought to repopulate the cities of Samaria H8111 after the children of Israel were carried away. These groups came from Babylon H894, Cuthah H3575, Ava H5755, Hamath H2574, and Sepharvaim H5617 2 Kings 17:24. This verse establishes the people of Cuth as part of a larger imperial strategy of population displacement. Shortly after, the text specifies the idolatrous practices of these new inhabitants, noting that "the men of Cuth H3575 made Nergal H5370" 2 Kings 17:30.
Several related words and locations are crucial for understanding the context of H3575:
- H804 ʼAshshûwr (Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians): This refers to the empire responsible for conquering the northern kingdom of Israel and relocating the people of Cuth to Samaria 2 Kings 17:24.
- H8111 Shômᵉrôwn (watch-station; Shomeron, a place in Palestine; Samaria): This is the region where the people of Cuthah were settled after the Israelites were exiled 2 Kings 17:24.
- H5370 Nêrᵉgal (Nergal, a Cuthite deity): This is the specific idol that the men from Cuth are recorded as having made and worshipped after they were settled in Samaria 2 Kings 17:30.
- H894 Bâbel (confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire; Babel, Babylon): The people of Babylon are mentioned alongside those of Cuth as being part of the same resettlement program (2 Kings 17:24, 2 Kings 17:30).
The mention of H3575 carries significant historical and religious implications.
- Consequence of Exile: The presence of people from Cuthah in Samaria is a direct outcome of the judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel. Their settlement in the land signifies the physical and spiritual displacement of God's people as a consequence of their disobedience.
- Introduction of Idolatry: The people of Cuth are a prime example of the foreign nations who brought their pagan worship into the land of Israel. Their making of Nergal H5370 illustrates how the Assyrian relocation policy resulted in the establishment of foreign cults on soil that had been consecrated to the Lord 2 Kings 17:30.
- Assyrian Imperial Strategy: The context surrounding Cuthah demonstrates the Assyrian practice of deporting conquered peoples and repopulating territories with other subjects from across their empire. This was done to break national cohesion and discourage rebellion 2 Kings 17:24.
In summary, H3575 is more than just a place name. It is tied directly to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the subsequent transformation of the region. The two verses where it appears paint a clear picture of the historical reality of exile and the spiritual crisis that followed, as foreign peoples like those from Cuth brought their own gods and established new, idolatrous communities in the former heartland of Israel.
TRV