Topical Encyclopedia The Hivites were one of the several Canaanite tribes inhabiting the land of Canaan during the time of the Israelite conquest. The land of the Hivites, along with that of other Canaanite nations, was promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as part of the covenant God made with the patriarchs. This promise is a central theme in the narrative of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.Biblical References and Geography The Hivites are first mentioned in the context of the land promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21 : "On that day the LORD made 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.'" The Hivites are specifically noted as inhabitants of the central hill country and the northern regions of Canaan. Joshua 11:3 mentions them as dwelling "in the hill country of Hermon in the land of Mizpah." This indicates their presence in the northern territories, which would later become part of the land allocated to the tribes of Israel. The Conquest and Allocation of the Land During the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, the Hivites are among the nations that Israel is commanded to drive out. In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites, who were Hivites, famously deceived Joshua and the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them by pretending to be from a distant land. Despite the deception, the treaty was honored, and the Gibeonites became servants to the Israelites (Joshua 9:27). The broader conquest of the Hivite territory is described in Joshua 11:19-20 : "No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle. For it was the LORD’s intention 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." Significance in Israel's History The inclusion of the Hivite land in the Promised Land underscores the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to the patriarchs. The conquest and subsequent settlement of these territories by the Israelites are seen as acts of divine providence and judgment against the Canaanite nations for their idolatry and wickedness. The presence of the Hivites and other Canaanite peoples in the land also served as a test for Israel's faithfulness to God's commandments. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against adopting the religious practices of the Canaanites, including the Hivites, as seen in passages like Exodus 34:11-16 , which admonishes Israel to "tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and cut down their Asherah poles." Legacy and Theological Implications The narrative of the Hivites and their land within the biblical text serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. It also highlights the importance of obedience to God's commands and the dangers of compromise with surrounding cultures. The account of the Hivites, particularly the Gibeonites, illustrates themes of mercy, covenant faithfulness, and the complexity of human interactions under divine guidance. Torrey's Topical Textbook Exodus 3:8And 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. Torrey's Topical Textbook Exodus 23:23 Library Of the Meaning of the Sacrifice Abraham was Commanded to Offer ... The Call of Moses Here Next Followeth the History of Moses The Sovereignty of God in Operation Canaan Chapter xxxiv Hearken and Look; Or, Encouragement for Believers North and South Covenanting a Duty. Resources Who were the Perizzites in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Promised Land? | GotQuestions.org What is the significance of the land of Canaan in the Bible? | 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 |
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