The Amorites were an ancient Semitic people frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. They are often depicted as one of the primary inhabitants of Canaan before the arrival of the Israelites. The Amorites are described as a formidable people, known for their strength and stature, and they played a significant role in the history of the Israelites as both adversaries and subjects of divine judgment.

Biblical References and Historical Context

The Amorites are first mentioned in Genesis 10:16 as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. They are listed among the various Canaanite tribes that inhabited the land promised to Abraham and his descendants. In Genesis 15:16, God tells Abraham that his descendants will return to the land of Canaan after four generations, for "the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete" . This indicates that the Amorites were a significant presence in the land and that their moral decline would eventually lead to divine judgment.

The Amorites are also noted for their involvement in the coalition of kings who fought against the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. In Joshua 10, five Amorite kings formed an alliance to attack Gibeon, a city that had made peace with Israel. Joshua led the Israelites in a miraculous victory, during which God caused the sun to stand still (Joshua 10:12-14).

Inheritance of the Land

The land of the Amorites was part of the territory promised by God to the descendants of Abraham. In Deuteronomy 1:7-8, God commands the Israelites to take possession of the land of the Amorites, along with the land of other Canaanite tribes. This command is reiterated in Deuteronomy 7:1-2, where God instructs the Israelites to drive out the Amorites and other nations from the land He has given them.

The conquest of the Amorite territory is further detailed in the accounts of the victories over Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, as recorded in Numbers 21:21-35 and Deuteronomy 3:1-11. These victories were seen as a fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to the descendants of Abraham.

Cultural and Religious Influence

The Amorites, like other Canaanite tribes, practiced idolatry and engaged in religious practices that were abominable to the Israelites. Their worship of deities such as Baal and Ashtoreth was characterized by rituals that included child sacrifice and temple prostitution. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against adopting these practices (Deuteronomy 12:29-31).

Despite their eventual defeat, the Amorites left a lasting impact on the cultural and religious landscape of the region. Their presence in the land served as a constant reminder to the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of remaining faithful to the covenant with God.

Legacy and Significance

The Amorites are emblematic of the broader struggle between the Israelites and the Canaanite peoples. Their account is a testament to God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to Abraham and his descendants. The narrative of the Amorites underscores the themes of divine judgment, the importance of obedience, and the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises throughout the biblical text.Genesis 15:21
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
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Genesis 48:22
Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
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Deuteronomy 1:20
And I said to you, You are come to the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God does give to us.
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Deuteronomy 2:26-36
And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,
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Deuteronomy 7:1
When 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;
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Joshua 3:10
And Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
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Judges 11:23
So now the LORD God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess it?
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Amos 2:10
Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
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Chapter xxii
... of the Amorites," as if the Amorites had dwelt in ... with reaffirmation of the former
promises given to Abraham in ... shall bless himself by thy descendants," ie, he ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxii.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... The Amorites were crushed by the Israelitish forces, though ... pushed northwards and
mingled with the descendants of Ishmael ... shadow of Sinai, and had given him his ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... of all the chief patriarchs are carefully given as if ... The Amorites build two towns,
Robel and Thamuathares; the ... It is said that while the descendants of Noah ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... that the general name for the Canaanite tribes was Amorites. ... The substance of their
speech is given in one unified ... the event as a whole that descendants of the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
... again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not ... be reconciled with that other explanation
given by Bochart ... of the country belonging to the descendants of Shem ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessings of noah upon.htm

The Israelites
... himself king of "the land of the Amorites," as Palestine ... it were, the private chapel
of his descendants; here were ... The sword had given him his crown, and the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
... with the Gibeonites, was kept by the descendants of both ... of the Canaanites, the Hittites,
the Amorites, and the ... merely with his people at any given period, but ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter v covenanting confers obligation.htm

Chapter x
... that oftentimes all Canaanites are simply called Amorites (cf ... in the lists of the
various descendants, that we ... was divided (niphlegah) and the name given to the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

Canaan
... Room was given for the introduction of a new form ... Like the Amorites and the Amorite
tribe of ... monuments, the Canaanites resembled their descendants, the modern ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Chapter ix
... men of pure mind and wholly given to the ... Now the descendants of Canaan, according
to Genesis 10:15 ... the Canaanites, collectively also called Amorites, were ripe ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter ix.htm

Who were the Amorites? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16)? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Sihon, king of the Amorites? | GotQuestions.org

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