Topical Encyclopedia The Hivites were one of the several Canaanite tribes inhabiting the land of Canaan during the time of the Israelite conquest under Joshua. They are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as part of the indigenous population that the Israelites encountered upon entering the Promised Land. The Hivites, along with other Canaanite nations, were subject to God's command for destruction due to their idolatrous practices and moral corruption.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. They are also noted in Genesis 15:19-21 as one of the peoples whose land was promised to Abraham's descendants. The Hivites occupied regions in the central and northern parts of Canaan, including areas around Mount Hermon and the city of Shechem. In the context of the Israelite conquest, God commanded the Israelites to destroy the Hivites along with other Canaanite nations. This command is articulated in several passages, including Deuteronomy 7:1-2 : "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. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy." The rationale for this command was to prevent the Israelites from being led astray by the Canaanites' idolatrous practices and to ensure the purity of worship to Yahweh. The Hivites, like other Canaanite tribes, were known for their pagan religious practices, which included idolatry and rituals that were abominable in the sight of the Lord. The Gibeonite Deception One of the most notable interactions between the Israelites and the Hivites is the account of the Gibeonite deception found in Joshua 9. The Gibeonites, who were Hivites, resorted to a cunning plan to save themselves from destruction. They disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land and sought to make a treaty with Joshua and the Israelites. Unaware of their true identity, Joshua made a peace treaty with them, swearing an oath by the LORD to let them live. When the deception was uncovered, the Israelites honored the treaty due to the sacredness of the oath made before God, but the Gibeonites were subjected to servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and the altar of the LORD (Joshua 9:27). Later References and Legacy The Hivites are mentioned sporadically in later biblical texts, often in lists of Canaanite nations. In Judges 3:3, they are noted as one of the groups left to test Israel. The presence of Hivites in the land served as a continual test of Israel's faithfulness to God's commandments. The command to destroy the Hivites and other Canaanite nations is often understood within the broader narrative of God's covenant with Israel and His desire for a people set apart for His purposes. The destruction of these nations was not merely an act of conquest but a divine mandate to establish a holy nation dedicated to the worship of Yahweh alone. Torrey's Topical Textbook Deuteronomy 7:1,2,24When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you; Torrey's Topical Textbook Library The Sovereignty of God in Operation The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation Here Next Followeth the History of Moses Covenanting a Duty. Divine Sovereignty. Resources What was the significance of the Jordan crossing? | GotQuestions.orgWho were the Canaanites? | GotQuestions.org Why was Israel called the land of milk and honey? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Hivites: A Part of, Left to Prove Israel Hivites: A Tribe of Canaanites Hivites: Descended from Canaan Hivites: Esau Intermarried With Hivites: Esau Intermarries With Hivites: Israel Commanded to Destroy Hivites: Land of, Promised to Israel Hivites: One of the Seven Nations of Canaan Hivites: Pay Tribute to Solomon Hivites: Remnant of, Made Tributary in the Reign of Solomon Hivites: Shechemites and Gibeonites Were Families of Hivites: Supposed to be the Ancient Avim, or Avites Hivites: The Gibeonites a People of Hivites: The Shechemites a People of Hivites: Their Land Given to the Israelites Related Terms |
    |