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Introduction
God promised Abraham that he would be given the land of the ten nations of Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and the Jebusites (Gen 15:17-21).
The Kenizzites and the Kadmonites are not mentioned again after Gen 15. By the time of Moses, the Kenites, Kenizzites and Kadmonites are not included in the list of nations in the Promised Land. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite (Num 32:12).
There are several lists of the peoples Israel will drive out of the Promised Land. The first is when God met with Moses at the burning bush and promised to deliver his people out of Egypt, "... to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perrizites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites" (Ex 3:8). This core list of six peoples is repeated a number of times, but in different orders (Ex 3:8,17, 13:5 (omits Perizzites), 23:23, 33:2, 34:11, Deut 20:17, Josh 9:1, 12:8, and Judges 3:5). There is one shorter list of three peoples, Hittites, Canaanites and Hivites only (Ex 23:28). Some lists add the Girgashites to the normal six (Deut 7:1, Josh 3:10, 24:11, Neh 9:8 (omits Hivites). This page describes these seven peoples, the core group of six peoples, plus the Girgashites, in alphabetical order below.
Family tree
From the Table of the Nations (Gen 10:15) and 1 Chr 1:11, the ancestry of the enemies are given:
The sons of Ham - Cush, Egypt and Canaan,
the sons of Egypt - Casluhim and Philistines,
and the sons of Canaan - Jebusites, Amorite, Girgashites, and Hivites.
Other significant enemies
Other enemies of Israel are described on separate pages, the Philistines, the Amalekites, the Moabites, the Edomites and the Phoenicians.
Geography
When the twelve spies returned to Moses at Kadesh Barnea, their report was that the Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb, the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites dwell in the hill country and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the Jordan (Num 13:29).
During the conquest of the north, Jabin of Hazor called the following to fight Israel: the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Mt. Hermon in land of Mizpah (Josh 11:3).
1. Amorites
It is important not to confuse these people with the Ammonites. Amorites was a general name for peoples from east of Dead Sea. The land of the Amorites was a general term for the promised land (eg. Amos 2:9-10). Gen 15:16 says that the iniquity of the Amorites was not complete (a general term). They originally came from Mesopotamia around 1875-1425 BC. At one time, the Amorites had a large kingdom that included Assyria and Babylonia. Much of their kingdom was on the east of Jordan. In 1380-1345 the Amorite king became a vassal of the Hittites. In 1792 BC Hammurabi, an Amorite, was king of Babylonia.
Abraham made an alliance with them against the four kings of the east (Gen 14:7,13). The spies reported that Amorites lived in the hill country (Num 13:29). The Israelites defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan, also described as an Amorite (Num 21:21-30). This victory was remembered as a significant event in Israel's history (Judges 11:19-23, Ps 135:11, 136:19). The half tribe of Manasseh was given the land of the Amorites, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon (Num 32:33).
Amorites were resident in Ai (Josh 7:7) and the hill country (Josh 11:3). During the conquest of the south, five kings of the Amorites (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon) made war against Gibeon (Hivites) because they had made a covenant with Israel. The Lord killed them with hailstones (Josh 10:5). In the days of Samuel, there was peace between Israel and the Amorites (1 Sam 7:14). Solomon used them as forced labour (1 Kg 9:20, 2 Chr 8:7).
Israel was warned not to worship the gods of the Amorites (Judges 6:10). Amorites were used as an example of idolatry, Ahab's idolatry was like the Amorites (1 Kg 21:26) and Manasseh was more wicked than the Amorites (2 Kg 21:10).
2. The Canaanites
The term Canaanites was given to the various groups that lived in the promised land (Gen 10:15). They are descendants of Noah through Ham. Canaan was cursed to be a slave of his brothers by Noah after the incident when Noah was drunk and lay naked (Gen 9:25). They lived in various places among the other inhabitants of the land, especially on the lowland (Num 13:29).
3. The Girgashites
According to the table of the nations, the Girgashites were one of the peoples descended from Canaan (Gen 10:16, 1 Chr 1:4). Their land was included in the original promise to Abraham (Gen 15:21, Neh 9:8), and the list of nations driven out by Israel (Deut 7:1, Josh 3:10, 24:11). Otherwise very little is known about them, but tradition suggests that they fled to Africa.
4. The Hittites
The Hittites are described on their own page.
5. The Hivites
The Hivites were a peaceable business people, probably nomadic. They dwelt on Mount Lebanon and other northern mountains (Josh 11:3, Judges 3:3). David's census found them near Tyre and Sidon (2 Sam 24:7). Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah was raped by Shechem the Hivite. The reprisals caused trouble between Jacob and the local inhabitants (Gen 34). Esau married two wives, one of whom was a daughter of a Hivite (Gen 36:2). The men of Gibeon, who deceived Israel into thinking they came from far away, were Hivites (Josh 9:7, 11:19). Solomon used them as forced labour (1 Kg 9:20, 2 Chr 8:7).
6. The Jebusites
This group, among other places, lived in the city of Jerusalem (Josh 15:63). It was a key city, hard to conquer and was never taken until David's day, even though the army of Jerusalem was destroyed in Joshua's time (Josh 10). The Jebusites were not driven out, but dwelt with the people of Judah (Josh 15:63, Judges 1:21). David took the city by getting up the water shaft (2 Sam 5:6-10, 1 Chr 11:4-6). It was from a Jebusite that David purchased the land to build a temple after an angel appeared there after the plague sent as a result of David's census (2 Sam 24:18, 1 Chr 21:15-18). Solomon used Jebusites for forced labour (1 Kg 9:20, 2 Chr 8:7). The spies reported seeing them in the hill country, along with Hittites and Amorites (Num 13:29).
7. The Perizzites
The Perizzites and Canaanites are frequently mentioned together. It may have been a general name for hill dwellers. They are lived with the Canaanites near Bethel and Ai (Gen 13:7) and they dwelt with the Jebusites in the hill country (Josh 11:3). The tribe of Joseph was told to take the land of the Rephaim and Perizzites (Josh 17:15). Judah and Simeon attacked and defeated the Perizzites and Canaanites to take the territory of Judah, capturing King Adonibezek and cutting off his thumbs and toes. They were among those still left in the land in Ezra's time (Ezra 9:1).
Conclusion
God gave Israel a warning that if they did not destroy the people in the land they would be “barbs in your eyes and thorns in your side” (Num 33:50-56). Joshua led the people over the Jordan and destroyed many cities and peoples (Josh 12). Joshua subdued the land, but not all the people died in it (Josh 11:21-23). Josh 13:1-7 gives us a list of land still to be possessed. Joshua divided up the land and it was the task of the tribes to possess it (Josh 23:4-13). In Judges the tribes seek to drive them out. Judah and the house of Joseph has success, but others fail (Judg 1:27-36). This was because the people did not break down the altars (Judg 2:2) and served Baal (Judg 2:11ff). Judg 3:3f gives us a list of nations left in the land. Judg 3:5-6 is one of the saddest verses as the promise was not fulfilled. The land was not totally theirs. They co-habited it with the various Canaanite, Hittite, and Perizzite groups. The promise of Num 33:55-56 was fulfilled.
The type of sins the Canaanites were involved in are mentioned in the Bible. This gives us an idea of the type of life in Canaan before Israel got there. Deut 9:4-5 makes it clear the nations were involved in gross wickedness. God's judgment was pending for many years (Gen 15:14-16). Lev 18:1ff give us a list of the horrors of everyday practice in the land (Lev 18:24). Sexual sins, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and perversion with animals are listed. Deut 18:9-14 add witchcraft and the occult to the list.
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