The Canaanites were a group of ancient people who inhabited the land of Canaan, a region that roughly corresponds to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Jordan and Syria. The Bible frequently references the Canaanites in the context of the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land, a land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Divine Mandate for Expulsion

The expulsion of the Canaanites is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, where God commands the Israelites to drive out the inhabitants of the land He has given them. This directive is rooted in the covenantal promise made to Abraham and his descendants. In Genesis 15:18-21, God delineates the boundaries of the land promised to Abraham's offspring, which includes the territory occupied by the Canaanites.

The command to expel the Canaanites is explicitly stated in several passages. In Exodus 23:23-24 , God instructs, "For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them. You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces."

Reasons for Expulsion

The expulsion of the Canaanites is often justified in the biblical narrative by their idolatrous practices and moral corruption. The Canaanites were known for their worship of deities such as Baal and Asherah, which included practices that were abhorrent to the God of Israel, such as child sacrifice and ritual prostitution. In Leviticus 18:24-25 , God warns the Israelites, "Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. The land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants."

Implementation of the Command

The book of Joshua details the military campaigns led by Joshua to conquer the land of Canaan. Joshua 11:23 states, "So Joshua took the entire land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. Then the land had rest from war." Despite this, the complete expulsion of the Canaanites was not fully realized, as some groups remained in the land, leading to future conflicts and spiritual challenges for the Israelites.

Continued Presence and Influence

The incomplete expulsion of the Canaanites had significant implications for the Israelites. Judges 1:27-28 notes, "At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their surrounding settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely."

The presence of the Canaanites and their cultural and religious practices posed a continual threat to the spiritual purity and covenantal faithfulness of the Israelites. This led to periods of syncretism and idolatry, which were met with prophetic rebuke and divine judgment throughout Israel's history.

Theological Implications

The command to expel the Canaanites is often viewed through the lens of divine justice and holiness. The narrative underscores the seriousness with which God views idolatry and moral corruption, as well as His commitment to fulfilling His promises to His chosen people. The expulsion serves as a reminder of the call to holiness and the dangers of compromising with surrounding cultures that are contrary to God's revealed will.Exodus 33:2
And I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 34:11
Observe you that which I command you this day: behold, I drive out before you the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Nave's Topical Index

How the Lands from which the Canaanites were Expelled, had Been ...
... tradition tells us, [1359] these same lands of the Canaanites into which ... the righteous
judgment of God is shown, as He expelled from the land of others ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xxiv how the lands.htm

Chapter xiii
... Genesis 34:30 and Jude 1:4, 5 together with the Canaanites, and were ... definitely cast
off Christ, they were definitely as a nation expelled from the land. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiii.htm

Afraid of Giants
... Amorites, dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by ... applied to the arid
stretch of land between the ... They seem to have expelled the Hittites, who held ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/afraid of giants.htm

Almost at the Same Time, when Abraham was Now a Hundred Years Old. ...
... Then Sara expelled the maid-servant by whom Abraham had had ... buried in Hebron, a town
of the Canaanites, for Abraham ... the girl, to bring her into the land of the ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter vii almost at the.htm

The Pioneer's Influence Upon a Nation's Ideals.
... In one account Hagar is expelled and Ishmael is born ... of duty and are confined to
no place or land. ... him into close contact with its inhabitants, the Canaanites. ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study v the pioneers influence.htm

The Israelites
... out of the reach of the cultured Canaanites and the ... When the Hyksos conquerors are
finally expelled, we find that ... The land has passed out of the hands of the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

Canaan
... Egyptians recovered their independence and had expelled them from ... libraries now grew
up in "the land of the ... passed away for ever, and the Canaanites were left ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... they had been treated as the Canaanites were treated by ... The older population, expelled
or enslaved by the conquering ... it was known as "the Red Land," along with ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

Introduction
... lowlands were in the hands of the Canaanites, a people ... governed Egypt under
Khu-n-Aten were expelled or slain ... of their kinsfolk as still remained in the land. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm

Egypt
... and Babylonia were intriguing with disaffected Canaanites, and the ... in the strip of
pasture-land which borders ... government of the country were expelled or slain ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

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

Why was Abraham promised land that belonged to others (Genesis 12)? | GotQuestions.org

What is the story of Deborah and Barak? | GotQuestions.org

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