Topical Bible: Hittites: Intermarry With the Israelites

◄ Hittites: Intermarry With the Israelites ►

Topical Encyclopedia

The Hittites were one of the several Canaanite tribes that inhabited the land of Canaan prior to and during the time of the Israelite conquest. They are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the groups that the Israelites encountered upon entering the Promised Land. The Hittites, along with other Canaanite nations, were descendants of Heth, a son of Canaan, who was the son of Ham, Noah's son (Genesis 10:15).

Biblical Context and Commandments

The Israelites were explicitly commanded by God not to intermarry with the Hittites and other Canaanite nations. This command was given to prevent the Israelites from being led astray into idolatry and the practices of the surrounding nations. In Deuteronomy 7:1-4 , God instructs the Israelites: "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. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you."

Instances of Intermarriage

Despite these clear instructions, there are instances recorded in the Bible where Israelites intermarried with Hittites. One notable example is Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, who took Hittite wives. Genesis 26:34-35 states, "When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah." This union was a source of distress for his parents, highlighting the cultural and religious tensions that such marriages could create.

Another significant instance is King Solomon, who, despite his wisdom, took many foreign wives, including Hittites, which led him into idolatry. 1 Kings 11:1-2 records, "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.' Yet Solomon clung to these women in love."

Consequences and Theological Implications

The intermarriage with Hittites and other Canaanite peoples often led to the Israelites adopting pagan practices and turning away from the worship of Yahweh. This disobedience resulted in various consequences, including divine judgment and the eventual downfall of the Israelite kingdom. The narrative of intermarriage serves as a cautionary tale within the biblical text, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness to God's commandments and the dangers of syncretism.

The issue of intermarriage with the Hittites and other Canaanite nations is a recurring theme that underscores the broader biblical narrative of Israel's struggle to maintain its covenant relationship with God amidst external influences. The biblical injunctions against such unions were not merely about ethnic purity but were deeply rooted in the theological concern for maintaining the distinctiveness of Israel as God's chosen people, set apart to serve Him and to be a light to the nations.

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Judges 3:5-7
And the children of Israel dwelled among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
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Ezra 9:1
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
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