PUT

PUT (Heb. פּוּט), one of the sons of Ham, son of Noah. In the Table of Nations, Put is mentioned, along with Cush, Egypt, and Canaan (Gen. 10:6; I Chron. 1:8). However, whereas the genealogies of the other three are recorded, nothing further is said of Put. However, the people is mentioned several times in the prophetic literature. Referring to the impending conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah mentions the "men of Cush and Put, who handle the shield, men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow" (Jer. 46:9). Ezekiel mentions Put along with Persia and Lud as serving in the army of Tyre (Ezek. 27:10). In his prophecy against Egypt, he cites Put, together with Ethiopia (Cush), Lud, Arabia, and Cub (Gr. Libya), as doomed to fall by the sword (Ezek. 30:5), and in his oracle against Gog, he again places Put alongside Persia and Cush (Ezek. 38:5). From the passages cited the exact identity of Put cannot be decided, but an African location is strongly suggested. In all the prophetic passages cited above, except Ezekiel 30:5, the Septuagint translates Put by "Libyans." It would seem then that Put was identified with Libya or possibly some neighboring area such as Cyrene. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: A. Reuveni, Shem, Ḥam ve-Yafet (1932), 85–87; U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (1964), 200ff. (Shlomo Balter)