The Hivites were one of the several Canaanite tribes mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as inhabitants of the land of Canaan prior to the arrival of the Israelites. They are frequently listed among the peoples that the Israelites encountered and were commanded to dispossess as they entered the Promised Land. The Hivites are noted for their interactions with the Israelites, particularly during the conquest of Canaan under Joshua.

Biblical References and Historical Context

The Hivites are first mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:17, where they are listed as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. Their presence in the land of Canaan is further confirmed in Genesis 15:19-21, where God promises Abram that his descendants will inherit the land occupied by various tribes, including the Hivites.

In the narrative of Jacob, the Hivites are associated with the city of Shechem. Genesis 34 recounts the account of Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, who defiled her. This incident led to a violent reprisal by Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, against the city of Shechem.

During the conquest of Canaan, the Hivites are again mentioned in the context of the Israelites' divine mandate to take possession of the land. In Exodus 3:8, God declares His intention to deliver the Israelites from Egypt and bring them "to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites."

The Gibeonite Deception

One of the most notable interactions between the Israelites and the Hivites occurs in Joshua 9. The Gibeonites, who were Hivites, resorted to deception to secure a peace treaty with the Israelites. Fearing the fate of other Canaanite cities, they disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land and sought a covenant with Joshua. Unaware of their true identity, Joshua made a treaty with them, sparing them from destruction. When their deception was discovered, the Israelites honored the treaty but subjected the Gibeonites to servitude as woodcutters and water carriers (Joshua 9:22-27).

Divine Command and Fulfillment

The divine command to dispossess the Hivites and other Canaanite tribes is reiterated in several passages. In Deuteronomy 7:1-2, Moses instructs the Israelites: "When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must devote them to complete destruction."

The fulfillment of this command is recorded in the book of Joshua. In Joshua 11:19-20, it is noted that "No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be completely destroyed without mercy and be annihilated, as the LORD had commanded Moses."

Legacy and Significance

The Hivites, like other Canaanite tribes, serve as a testament to the fulfillment of God's promises to the patriarchs and His faithfulness in delivering the land to the Israelites. Their interactions with the Israelites highlight themes of divine justice, mercy, and the importance of obedience to God's commands. The narrative of the Hivites underscores the complexity of the conquest and the necessity of discernment and faithfulness in the life of the covenant community.Exodus 23:23,28
For my Angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
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Deuteronomy 20:17
But you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD your God has commanded you:
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Judges 3:5
And the children of Israel dwelled among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
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Joshua's Conquest.
... Hittites, the Girgashites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites ... (12) The story
of the Gibeonites, their stratagem, its ... 13) The portion of land allotted to ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter viii joshuas conquest.htm

The Call of Moses
... the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the ... of Israel had lost much
of their ancestral faith ... only, will deliver them and plant them in the land. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the call of moses.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Operation
... to pass on their way to the promised land. When reviewing their history Moses told
the people, "But ... the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter six the sovereignty of.htm

Canaan
... In the north they were known as Hivites, at Hebron ... their seizing or plundering its
cities on their own account ... They have never ceased indeed to infest the land. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... both would "become one people." The Hivites apparently predominated ... these "men"
"as far as "the land" is concerned ... v.23 as far as their "cattle" "possessions ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Covenanting a Duty.
... "They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou
serve their gods, it ... might have been the conduct of these Hivites in making ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iii covenanting a duty.htm

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