The Jebusites were one of the ancient Canaanite tribes inhabiting the land of Canaan prior to the arrival of the Israelites. They are frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, which was known as Jebus before its conquest by King David. The land of the Jebusites holds significant importance in biblical history, particularly in the context of God's covenant with Abraham and the subsequent inheritance of the land by his descendants.

Biblical References and Historical Context

The Jebusites are first mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:16, where they are listed as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. The land they occupied, including the city of Jebus, was strategically located in the central highlands of Canaan, making it a key area for control and influence in the region.

God's promise to Abraham regarding the land is a central theme in the biblical narrative. In Genesis 15:18-21 , God makes a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites." This divine promise establishes the land of the Jebusites as part of the inheritance for Abraham's descendants.

Conquest and Settlement

The fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham's descendants is further detailed in the books of Joshua and Judges. The conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership marks the beginning of the Israelites' settlement in the Promised Land. In Joshua 3:10 , Joshua assures the Israelites of God's presence and power, saying, "By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites."

Despite the initial conquests, the Jebusites maintained control over Jerusalem until the time of King David. In Judges 1:21 , it is noted, "The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem; so to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites."

David's Conquest of Jerusalem

The definitive conquest of the Jebusite city of Jerusalem is recorded in 2 Samuel 5:6-9 . David, having been anointed king over all Israel, captures the stronghold of Zion, which becomes the City of David. The text states, "David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward."

This conquest not only fulfilled the divine promise but also established Jerusalem as the political and spiritual center of Israel. The Jebusite city became the site of the future Temple, further solidifying its significance in Israelite history and worship.

Legacy and Significance

The land of the Jebusites, particularly Jerusalem, holds enduring significance in biblical history and theology. It represents the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham and serves as a testament to God's faithfulness in delivering the Promised Land to the descendants of Abraham. The Jebusites, though eventually assimilated into Israelite society, are a reminder of the diverse peoples and cultures that inhabited the land prior to its establishment as the heart of the Israelite nation.Genesis 15:21
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
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Exodus 3:8,17
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good land and a large, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
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Exodus 23:23,24
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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Exodus 33:9
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
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Exodus 34:10,11
And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which you are shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with you.
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The Israelites
... the Jordan, and Canaan became Palestine, "the land of the ... The stronghold of the
Jebusites was one of the last ... of Abraham, Isma-ilu or Ishmael is given as the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
... a covenant with him, to give the land of the ... the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and
the Jebusites, and the ... not merely with his people at any given period, but ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter v covenanting confers obligation.htm

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... [947] It is a land of hills ... temple of the Lord in the threshing floor of Ornan, king
of the Jebusites. ... In the Song of Songs the precept is given as a hard one ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
... received the remnant of the Canaanitish Jebusites into the ... The occupation of the
land of Shem by Japheth ... chance that this prophecy was given immediately after ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessings of noah upon.htm

Canaan
... Room was given for the introduction of a new form of ... Next came the Hittites, to whom
the Jebusites of Jerusalem ... Canaan was a land of many races and many peoples ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... overthrew Adoni-bezek, King of the Jebusites, and that ... the day of the captivity of
the land."* The tribe ... history of this migration, which is given summarily in ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

And ii.
... They are assembled for their return to the Holy Land. ... wanted the connection with
the promise given to David ... shown by the ridicule of the Jebusites, when David ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

The Mystery
... is profaneness gone forth into all the land."""They say ... Hence it is said to be given
to the false ... he built it, when taken from the Jebusites, externally with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery 2.htm

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