The King of Double Wickedness and Israel’s First Scourge
Cushan-Rishathaim is the first recorded foreign oppressor of the Israelites after their settlement in the Promised Land under Joshua. Though his presence in Scripture is brief, his title and the role he plays introduce the crucial cyclical pattern of sin, judgment, and deliverance that defines the entire Book of Judges.
The King of Aram-Naharaim
Cushan-Rishathaim is mentioned exclusively in the Book of Judges, chapter 3, where his identity and domain are clearly established:
“Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.” (Judges 3:8, KJV)
- King of Mesopotamia: The King James Version translates the Hebrew Aram-Naharaim as “Mesopotamia.” This region, meaning “Aram of the two rivers,” generally refers to the area between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, likely the powerful kingdom of Mitanni or an Aramean ruler in the Northwest Mesopotamian area (modern-day Syria/Iraq).
- The Context of Sin: His oppression was the direct result of Israel’s apostasy. The previous verse explains: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves [Asheroth]” (Judges 3:7, KJV). God, in His sovereignty, used this pagan king as a tool of divine chastisement.
The Meaning of the Name: Double Wickedness
The name Cushan-Rishathaim is highly significant, suggesting it may have been a derogatory or symbolic title bestowed upon him by the oppressed Hebrews rather than his birth name:
- Cushan: Likely derived from Cush (Ethiopia/Nubia) or referring to a king from the broader region of Mesopotamia/Syria.
- Rishathaim: This is the crucial element. It is based on the Hebrew word rasha (wickedness or evil) combined with a dual ending (-aim), giving it the meaning of “double wickedness,” “twice evil,” or “chief of two governments” (in a negative sense).
This name perfectly mirrors the nature of the oppression and the offense that brought it about. The Israelites had committed a double evil: forgetting the LORD and serving two kinds of idols (Baalim and Asheroth). It was fitting, in a terrible irony, that they should be punished by a king whose very name meant “double wickedness.”
The Deliverance of God
After eight years of servitude, the people cried out to the LORD, demonstrating the pattern of Supplication that followed their Servitude (Judges 3:9, KJV). God’s response was immediate:
“And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.” (Judges 3:9, KJV)
Othniel, the first of the Judges, was empowered by the Spirit of the LORD to confront and defeat the foreign king:
“And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years.” (Judges 3:10-11, KJV)
Theological and Prophetic Weight
Cushan-Rishathaim’s role is pivotal in establishing themes relevant to the Defence of the Truth and The Lord’s Return:
- The Pattern of Judgment: He is the prototype of the foreign power God uses for correction. This sets the stage for all subsequent oppressions and highlights the truth that, for the covenant people, worldly persecution is often a consequence of spiritual compromise.
- Sovereignty Over Wickedness: The LORD “sold them” into the hand of this “twice-wicked” king. This underscores God’s ultimate sovereignty, even over the most powerful and wicked rulers of the world, a truth vital to understanding the prophetic rise and fall of nations (cf. Daniel 2:21, KJV).
- The Deliverer: Othniel’s Spirit-empowered victory over the king of “double wickedness” foreshadows the ultimate, decisive victory of Jesus Christ, the True Judge, who will defeat the final, globally wicked ruler (The Antichrist) at His glorious appearing. The forty years of rest that followed Othniel’s victory are a tangible glimpse of the prophetic rest promised to God’s people (Hebrews 4:9, KJV).
Cushan-Rishathaim stands as a stark biblical warning that turning away from God is not met with apathy, but with the necessary discipline of a sovereign King.