2367. Chusham
Lexical Summary
Chusham: Chusham

Original Word: חוּשָׁם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Chuwsham
Pronunciation: KHOOSH-am
Phonetic Spelling: (khoo-shawm')
KJV: Husham
NASB: Husham
Word Origin: [from H2363 (חוּשׁ - To hasten)]

1. hastily
2. Chusham, an Idumaean

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Husham

Or Chusham {khoo-shawm'}; from chuwsh; hastily; Chusham, an Idumaean -- Husham.

see HEBREW chuwsh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chush
Definition
a king of Edom
NASB Translation
Husham (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
חֻשָֿׁם, חוּשָׁם proper name, masculine a king of Edom: חֻשָֿׁם Genesis 36:34,35 = חוּשָׁם 1 Chronicles 1:45,46.

חוֺתָם see below חתם.

חֲזָאֵל see חֲזָהאֵל below I. חזה

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrences

Husham appears four times in the Old Testament (Genesis 36:34; Genesis 36:35; 1 Chronicles 1:45; 1 Chronicles 1:46). In every reference he is presented as an early king in the line of Edom who reigned “from the land of the Temanites.” The Genesis record provides the historical narrative; the Chronicler repeats it to preserve the same lineage for post-exilic readers.

Historical Setting

The genealogy of Genesis 36 traces the descendants of Esau and lists a sequence of eight kings “who reigned in Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites” (Genesis 36:31). Husham follows Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah and precedes Hadad son of Bedad. His kingdom is associated with Teman, a region in the northern highlands of Edom famed for its wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7) and strategic caravan routes. The mention of “the land of the Temanites” locates Husham in what was probably the intellectual and political heartland of Edom in the second millennium B.C.

The Edomite Monarchy

Unlike the later dynastic rule in Israel, the Edomite kings of Genesis 36 appear to have risen through prowess rather than heredity, each succession marked by the death of the former ruler and no mention of direct descent. Husham’s reign is therefore one piece of evidence for an early archetype of Near-Eastern kingship built on tribal coalitions and regional influence. The notice that Hadad “defeated Midian in the field of Moab” (Genesis 36:35) while succeeding Husham hints at a period of territorial skirmish in which kings fortified their legitimacy through military victory.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Backdrop: By inserting the Edomite royal list into the Book of Genesis, Moses shows that God’s promise to Abraham regarding Esau (“I have made him into a nation,” Genesis 17:20) was already unfolding, even as Israel was still a nascent family. Husham’s rule therefore underscores divine fidelity to grant national status to Abraham’s other son.
2. Contrast With Israel: The statement that these kings ruled “before any king reigned over the Israelites” emphasizes that Israel’s future monarchy would be instituted not by human ambition but by God’s timing and covenant purposes (Deuteronomy 17:14-20).
3. Sovereignty Over Nations: The brief, almost cameo style in which Scripture mentions Husham reminds the reader that God oversees the rise and fall of all rulers (Daniel 2:21). Even kings remembered only in genealogy fall under His providential governance.

Connections to Later Scripture

Teman becomes a prophetic symbol centuries after Husham. Obadiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all target Teman when pronouncing judgment on Edom, suggesting that the prestige enjoyed in Husham’s era endured long enough to warrant prophetic attention. The early prominence of Temanite rule thus lays literary groundwork for those later oracles.

Ministry and Practical Application

• God’s promises are multi-generational, extending beyond one favored line. Recognizing an Edomite monarch like Husham broadens appreciation for the scope of divine faithfulness.
• Leadership that is not rooted in covenant submission, as illustrated by Edom’s king list, eventually yields to God’s larger purposes.
• Genealogies matter for personal discipleship; they display the meticulous care with which the Lord records history, encouraging believers to view their own lives within His redemptive timeline.

Key Verse

“When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king.” Genesis 36:34

Forms and Transliterations
חֻשָׁ֑ם חֻשָׁ֖ם חוּשָׁ֑ם חוּשָׁ֖ם חושם חשם chuSham ḥu·šām ḥū·šām ḥušām ḥūšām
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Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 36:34
HEB: וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו חֻשָׁ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ הַתֵּימָנִֽי׃
NAS: died, and Husham of the land
KJV: died, and Husham of the land
INT: became his place and Husham of the land of the Temanites

Genesis 36:35
HEB: וַיָּ֖מָת חֻשָׁ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֨ךְ תַּחְתָּ֜יו
NAS: Then Husham died, and Hadad
KJV: And Husham died, and Hadad
INT: died Husham became his place

1 Chronicles 1:45
HEB: וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו חוּשָׁ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ הַתֵּימָנִֽי׃
NAS: died, Husham of the land
KJV: was dead, Husham of the land
INT: became his place Husham of the land of the Temanites

1 Chronicles 1:46
HEB: וַיָּ֖מָת חוּשָׁ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֨ךְ תַּחְתָּ֜יו
NAS: When Husham died, Hadad
KJV: And when Husham was dead, Hadad
INT: died Husham became his place

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2367
4 Occurrences


ḥu·šām — 4 Occ.

2366b
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