Hittites: Called The: Children of Heth
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The Hittites, referred to as the "Children of Heth" in the Bible, are a significant ancient people mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. They are descendants of Heth, the second son of Canaan, who was the son of Ham, Noah's son (Genesis 10:15). The Hittites are one of the many Canaanite tribes that inhabited the land of Canaan before the arrival of the Israelites.

Biblical References and Historical Context

The Hittites are first mentioned in Genesis 15:20, where God promises Abram the land of various tribes, including the Hittites: "the land of the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites" . This promise is reiterated in the covenant God makes with Abram, indicating the significance of the Hittites' land in the divine plan for Israel.

In Genesis 23, the Hittites play a crucial role in the narrative of Abraham's purchase of the cave of Machpelah as a burial site for his wife Sarah. The text describes the Hittites as the people of the land, and Abraham negotiates with Ephron the Hittite for the purchase: "So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field—was deeded over to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city" (Genesis 23:17-18).

The Hittites are also mentioned in the context of Esau's marriages. Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, took two Hittite women as wives, which caused grief to his parents: "When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah" (Genesis 26:34-35).

Interactions with Israel

The Hittites were among the nations that the Israelites were commanded to drive out of the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 7:1-2, God 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" .

Despite this command, the Hittites continued to exist in the region and interacted with Israel throughout its history. King David had dealings with the Hittites, most notably in the account of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's mighty men and the husband of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). Uriah's loyalty and tragic death highlight the complex relationships between the Israelites and the Hittites.

Cultural and Archaeological Insights

The Hittites were known for their advanced civilization, which extended beyond the biblical narrative. Archaeological discoveries have revealed that the Hittites established a powerful empire in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) during the second millennium BC. They were known for their military prowess, chariot technology, and diplomatic relations with other ancient Near Eastern powers, such as Egypt and Assyria.

The biblical portrayal of the Hittites as a significant and influential people aligns with historical and archaeological evidence, underscoring their role in the ancient world and their interactions with the Israelites as recorded in Scripture.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Genesis 23:5
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Chapter xxiii
... so he acknowledges the gracious compliment the Hittites paid him ... The regular inhabitants
of the land are called "the people ... in the midst of the children of Heth ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiii.htm

Canaan
... the Exodus, was over before the children of Israel ... Even the Israelites and Ammonites
are called "Hittites" by an ... has been suggested that the Hittites, or "sons ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Hearken and Look; Or, Encouragement for Believers
... are destined to overrun the nations; the Hittites, the Hivites ... had not known the
Lord till he called him, but ... of Sodom, and resolutely paid the children of Heth ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/hearken and look or encouragement.htm

Chapter x
... However, on the other hand, to the sons of Noah children were born only ... "Heth" is
the father of the famous Hittites, who first ... The Assyrians called them Amurri ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

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Why did the Israelites have to abandon their foreign wives and children? | GotQuestions.org

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Subtopics

Hittites

Hittites: Called The: Children of Heth

Hittites: Called The: Sons of Heth

Hittites: Conquered by Joshua

Hittites: Descended from Canaan's Son, Heth

Hittites: Descent From, Illustrative of the Degradation of the Jews

Hittites: Dwelling Place of

Hittites: Dwelt in Hebron

Hittites: Esau Intermarries With

Hittites: Governed by Kings

Hittites: Intermarriages With, by Esau

Hittites: Intermarriages With, by Israel After Conquest of Canaan

Hittites: Intermarriages With, by Israelites After the Captivity

Hittites: Intermarriages With, by Solomon

Hittites: Intermarry With the Israelites

Hittites: Israel Commanded to Destroy

Hittites: Land of, Promised to Israel

Hittites: Luz Built in the Country of

Hittites: Not Entirely Destroyed by Israel

Hittites: Officers From, in David's Army

Hittites: One of the Seven Nations of Canaan

Hittites: Part of Their Land Given to Caleb

Hittites: Pay Tribute to Solomon

Hittites: Remarkable Persons of Abimelech

Hittites: Remarkable Persons of Ephron

Hittites: Remarkable Persons of Uriah

Hittites: Retain Their own Kings

Hittites: Sell a Burying-Ground to Abraham

Hittites: Solomon Interrmarries With

Hittites: The Descendants of Heth

Hittites: The Remnant of, Made Tributary in the Reign of Solomon

Hittites: Their Land Given to the Israelites

Hittits

Related Terms

Perizzites (23 Occurrences)

Hivites (24 Occurrences)

Jebusites (29 Occurrences)

Kadesh (30 Occurrences)

Girgashites (7 Occurrences)

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)

Per'izzites (21 Occurrences)

Hittite (45 Occurrences)

Hivite (25 Occurrences)

Heth (13 Occurrences)

Orontes

Luz (7 Occurrences)

Cilicia (8 Occurrences)

Carchemish (3 Occurrences)

Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences)

Armenia (2 Occurrences)

Jebusite (39 Occurrences)

Fortified (79 Occurrences)

Fort (8 Occurrences)

Fortress (75 Occurrences)

Fortification (5 Occurrences)

Benhadad (24 Occurrences)

Amorites (82 Occurrences)

600 (4 Occurrences)

Girgashite (7 Occurrences)

War-carriage (11 Occurrences)

Imported (9 Occurrences)

Exported (2 Occurrences)

Pontus (3 Occurrences)

Barber

Silverlings (24 Occurrences)

Canaan (102 Occurrences)

Rate (23 Occurrences)

Canaanites (63 Occurrences)

Arameans (61 Occurrences)

Babylonia (17 Occurrences)

Chariot (102 Occurrences)

Ammonite (22 Occurrences)

Coast (70 Occurrences)

Cities (427 Occurrences)

Egyptian (35 Occurrences)

Minor (2 Occurrences)

Amorite (81 Occurrences)

Asia (22 Occurrences)

Archaeology

Syria (73 Occurrences)

Horse (62 Occurrences)

Euphrates (36 Occurrences)

Mountains (221 Occurrences)

West (110 Occurrences)

Hamath (36 Occurrences)

Ammonites (97 Occurrences)

Elamarna

Tablets (31 Occurrences)

El-amarna

Nations (683 Occurrences)

Moabite (13 Occurrences)

Tell (3056 Occurrences)

Assyria (124 Occurrences)

Syrians (63 Occurrences)

Table (125 Occurrences)

Libraries

Philistines (224 Occurrences)

Aram (130 Occurrences)

Moabites (26 Occurrences)

Valleys (38 Occurrences)

Ziddim (1 Occurrence)

Zidonians (11 Occurrences)

Kirjath-sannah (1 Occurrence)

Kirjathsannah (1 Occurrence)

Naming (21 Occurrences)

Neighboring (11 Occurrences)

Jebusi (2 Occurrences)

Jebus (5 Occurrences)

Lud (10 Occurrences)

Lowlands (25 Occurrences)

Ludim (3 Occurrences)

Gebal (3 Occurrences)

Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites
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