The Hivites were one of the several Canaanite tribes mentioned in the Old Testament as inhabitants of the land of Canaan before the arrival of the Israelites. They are frequently listed among the nations that the Israelites were commanded to drive out of the Promised Land. The Hivites are noted for their interactions with the Israelites, particularly during the conquest of Canaan under Joshua.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 10:17 · The Hivites are first mentioned in the Table of Nations, where they are listed as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. This genealogical listing places them among the original inhabitants of the land that would later become known as Canaan.

2. Genesis 34:2 · The Hivites appear in the narrative of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah. Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, is infamously known for defiling Dinah, which led to a violent retaliation by her brothers Simeon and Levi.

3. Joshua 9:3-15 · The Hivites are prominently featured in the account of the Gibeonite deception. The Gibeonites, who were Hivites, tricked Joshua and the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them by pretending to be from a distant land. This treaty was honored by the Israelites despite the deception, as they had sworn an oath before the LORD.

4. Joshua 11:19 · The Hivites of Gibeon are noted as the only group among the Canaanite cities that made peace with the Israelites, highlighting their unique status among the Canaanite tribes.

5. Judges 3:3 · The Hivites are listed among the nations that the LORD left to test Israel, to see whether they would obey the commandments given to their ancestors through Moses. This indicates that some Hivites remained in the land during the period of the Judges.

6. 2 Samuel 24:7 · The Hivites are mentioned in the context of King David's census, indicating their continued presence in the land during the time of the united monarchy.

Cultural and Historical Context:

The Hivites, like other Canaanite tribes, were known for their polytheistic practices and idolatry, which were in direct opposition to the monotheistic worship of Yahweh commanded to the Israelites. The presence of the Hivites and their cultural practices posed a significant challenge to the Israelites, who were repeatedly warned against adopting the customs and religious practices of the surrounding nations.

The Hivites' strategic decision to seek peace with the Israelites through deception (as seen in the Gibeonite episode) suggests a level of political acumen and awareness of the threat posed by the advancing Israelite forces. This act of self-preservation allowed them to survive and coexist with the Israelites, albeit in a subservient role as woodcutters and water carriers for the community and the altar of the LORD (Joshua 9:21, 27).

Theological Significance:

The interactions between the Israelites and the Hivites serve as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God's commands and the consequences of disobedience. The Gibeonite deception underscores the necessity of seeking divine guidance in decision-making, as the Israelites failed to consult the LORD before making a treaty with the Hivites (Joshua 9:14). This episode also illustrates God's sovereignty and mercy, as He used the situation to fulfill His purposes and integrate the Gibeonites into the Israelite community in a way that ultimately served His divine plan.

The Hivites, as part of the broader Canaanite context, represent the spiritual and moral challenges faced by the Israelites in maintaining their covenant relationship with God amidst a pagan environment. Their account is a testament to the enduring struggle between faithfulness to God and the temptations of the surrounding culture.HIVITE

hi'-vit (chiwwni; Heuaios):

1. Name:

A son of Canaan (Genesis 10:17), i.e. an inhabitant of the land of Canaan along with the Canaanite and other tribes (Exodus 3:17, etc.). In the list of Canaanite peoples given in Genesis 15:19-21, the Hivites are omitted in the Hebrew text, though inserted in Septuagint and S. Gesenius suggests that the name is descriptive, meaning "villagers." The difficulty of explaining it is increased by the fact that it has been confused with "Horite" in some passages of the Hebrew text. In Joshua 9:7 the Septuagint reads "Horite" as also does Codex A in Genesis 34:2, and in Genesis 36:2 a comparison with 36:24, 25 shows that "Horite" must be substituted for "Hivite."

2. Geographical Situation:

In Judges 3:3 the Hittites are described as dwelling "in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon unto the entrance of Hamath," and in accordance with this the Hivite is described in Joshua 11:3 as being "under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh," and in 2 Samuel 24:7 they are mentioned immediately after "the stronghold of Tyre." Hence, the Septuagint (Codex Alexandrinus) reading must be right in Genesis 34:2 and Joshua 9:7, which makes the inhabitants of Shechem and Gibeon Horites instead of Hivites; indeed, in Genesis 48:22 the people of Shechem are called Amorite, though this was a general name for the population of Canaan in the patriarchal period. No name resembling Hivite has yet been found in the Egyptian or Babylonian inscriptions.

A. H. Sayce

2340. Chivvi -- probably "villagers," a Canaanite tribe
... 2339, 2340. Chivvi. 2341 . probably "villagers," a Canaanite tribe.
Transliteration: Chivvi Phonetic Spelling: (khiv-vee') Short Definition: Hivite. ... ...
/hebrew/2340.htm - 6k

7928. Shekem -- a man of Manasseh
... Shechem. For shkem; Shekem, the name of a Hivite and two Israelites -- Shechem.
see HEBREW shkem. 7927, 7928. Shekem. 7929 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7928.htm - 6k

Chapter xxxvi
... women who were Canaanites: Adah, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, and Oholibamah,
the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter of Zibeon, the Hivite; and besides ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvi.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... 1-3. And Dinah, the daughter that Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women
of the country; and Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, a prince of the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Canaan
... Another word of similar signification is Hivite. ... In two passages, it is
true, "Hivite" seems to be used with an ethnic meaning. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

How they are to be Admonished who Lament Sins of Deed, and those ...
... For it is written, Dinah went out to see the women of that land; and when Sichem,
the son of Hemor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he loved her ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxix how they are.htm

Of the Meaning of the Seven Nations of Whose Lands Israel Took ...
... and shall have destroyed many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashites,
and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xvi of the meaning.htm

That the Beginning of Our Good Will and Its Completion Comes from ...
... and shall have destroyed many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Gergeshite,
and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xix that the beginning.htm

Chapter x
... And Canaan begat Sidon, his first-born, and Heth and the Jebusite and the Amorite
and the Girgashite and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

Out of St. Luke's Fifth ChapterAre Found Proofs of Christ's ...
... idea seems to have suggested: (1) Pride, Amorite; (2) Envy, Hittite; (3) Wrath,
Perizzite; (4) Gluttony, Girgashite; (5) Lechery, Hivite; (6) Covetousness ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ix out of st lukes.htm

The Sin of Unbelief
... destroyed Israel; it was not the howling wilderness which devoured them; it was
not the Jordan which proved a barrier to Canaan; neither Hivite or Jebusite ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the sin of unbelief.htm

[Endnotes]
... "Raamah, Naphtuhim, Amorite, Almodad, "Sabtechab,Pathrusim, Girgasite, Sheleph,
"Sheba, Caslubim, Hivite, Hazarmaveth, "Dedan, Caphtorim, Arkite, Jerah, "Nimrod ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/endnotes.htm

Hivite (25 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia HIVITE. ... No name resembling Hivite has yet been
found in the Egyptian or Babylonian inscriptions. AH Sayce. ...
/h/hivite.htm - 17k

Per'izzites (21 Occurrences)
... a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite,
and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the ...
/p/per'izzites.htm - 13k

Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences)
... a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite,
and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the ...
/j/jeb'usites.htm - 16k

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)
... to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of
the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the ...
/p/perizzite.htm - 16k

Hittite (45 Occurrences)
... wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and
Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite; (WEB KJV ...
/h/hittite.htm - 22k

Jebusite (39 Occurrences)
... to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of
the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the ...
/j/jebusite.htm - 25k

Hivites (24 Occurrences)
... They were probably a branch of the Hittites. At the time of Jacob's return to Canaan,
Hamor the Hivite was the "prince of the land" (Genesis 24:2-28). ...
/h/hivites.htm - 15k

Amorite (81 Occurrences)
... to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of
the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the ...
/a/amorite.htm - 34k

Canaanite (74 Occurrences)
... to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of
the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the ...
/c/canaanite.htm - 36k

Zibeon (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Robber; or dyed. (1.) A Hivite (Genesis 36:2). (2.) A
Horite, and son of Seir (Genesis 36:20). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/z/zibeon.htm - 9k

Who was Simeon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Levi in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Does God killing people make Him a murderer? | GotQuestions.org

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