Topical Bible: Perizzite

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Perizzites were one of the ancient Canaanite tribes mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. They are often listed among the inhabitants of the land of Canaan that the Israelites encountered upon their return from Egypt. The name "Perizzite" is thought to mean "villagers" or "dwellers in the open country," suggesting that they lived in unwalled towns or rural areas.

Biblical References

The Perizzites are first mentioned in Genesis 13:7, where a conflict arises between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot: "And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and Perizzites were dwelling in the land" . This indicates their presence in the land even during the time of the patriarchs.

In Genesis 15:18-21, God makes a covenant with Abram, promising him the land of various tribes, including the Perizzites: "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 Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites'" .

The Perizzites are also mentioned in the context of the conquest of Canaan. In Exodus 3:8, God speaks to Moses about delivering the Israelites from Egypt and bringing them to a land flowing with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

During the conquest under Joshua, the Perizzites are again listed among the peoples to be driven out. Joshua 3:10 states, "Joshua continued, 'By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites'" .

Role in Israel's History

The Perizzites, like other Canaanite tribes, were to be dispossessed by the Israelites as they took possession of the Promised Land. However, the Israelites did not fully obey God's command to drive out all the inhabitants, leading to future complications. Judges 1:4-5 recounts an early victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites: "When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek" .

Despite these victories, the Perizzites continued to coexist with the Israelites, which led to intermarriage and idolatry, contrary to God's commands. This is highlighted in Judges 3:5-6: "Thus the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods" .

Cultural and Historical Context

The Perizzites, as part of the broader Canaanite culture, were likely involved in the agricultural lifestyle typical of the region. Their mention alongside other Canaanite tribes suggests they shared similar religious practices, which often included the worship of Baal and Asherah, deities that were a constant snare to the Israelites.

The presence of the Perizzites in the biblical narrative serves as a reminder of the challenges Israel faced in maintaining their covenantal identity amidst surrounding pagan cultures. Their account is intertwined with the broader theme of Israel's struggle to remain faithful to God while living in a land filled with idolatrous influences.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

PERIZZITE

per'-i-zit, pe-riz'-it (perizzi; Pherezaios): Signifies "a villager," and so corresponds with the Egyptian fellah. Hence, the Perizzite is not included among the sons of Canaan in Genesis 10, and is also coupled with the Canaanite (Genesis 13:7; Genesis 34:30 Judges 1:4). We hear, accordingly, of Canaanites and Perizzites at Shechem (Genesis 34:30), at Bezek in Judah (Judges 1:4) and, according to the reading of the Septuagint, at Gezer (Joshua 16:10). In Deuteronomy 3:5 and 1 Samuel 6:18, where the King James Version has "unwalled towns" and "country villages," the Septuagint has "Perizzite," the literal translation of the Hebrew being "cities of the Perizzite" or "villager" and "village of the Perizzite." The same expression occurs in Esther 9:19, where it is used of the Jews in Elam. In Joshua 17:15, 18, where the Manassites are instructed to take possession of the forest land of Carmel, "Perizzites and Rephaim" are given as the equivalent of "Canaanite."

A. H. Sayce

Strong's Hebrew

6522. Perizzi -- a people in the land of Canaan
... 6521, 6522. Perizzi. 6523 . a people in the land of Canaan. Transliteration:
Perizzi Phonetic Spelling: (per-iz-zee') Short Definition: Perizzite. ... Perizzite ...
/hebrew/6522.htm - 6k

Library

The Importance of a Choice
... And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of
Lot's cattle; and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the importance of a choice.htm

Chapter xiii
... And so there was strife between the keepers of Abram's cattle and the keepers of
Lot's cattle, and (besides) the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling in ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiii.htm

Of the Meaning of the Seven Nations of Whose Lands Israel Took ...
... in to possess, and shall have destroyed many nations before thee, the Hittite, and
the Girgashites, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, 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 ...
... to possess, and shall have destroyed many nations before thee, the Hittite, and
the Gergeshite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xix that the beginning.htm

Out of St. Luke's Fifth ChapterAre Found Proofs of Christ's ...
... classifies the "Sins of the Nations," as Tertullian's idea seems to have suggested:
(1) Pride, Amorite; (2) Envy, Hittite; (3) Wrath, Perizzite; (4) Gluttony ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ix out of st lukes.htm

Canaan
... Scriptures. "Perizzite," in fact, means "villager," and the word is a
descriptive title rather than the name of a people or a race. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... The conquerors "dwelt among the Canaanites: the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the
Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite: and they took their daughters to ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Nature of Covenanting.
... made at Sinai, which is expressed in the words, "Behold, I drive out before thee
the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter i nature of covenanting.htm

Thesaurus

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia PERIZZITE. per'-i-zit, pe-riz'-it (perizzi;
Pherezaios): Signifies "a villager," and so corresponds with the Egyptian fellah. ...
/p/perizzite.htm - 16k

Per'izzites (21 Occurrences)
... And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land. (See RSV). Genesis
15:20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, (See RSV). ...
/p/per'izzites.htm - 13k

Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences)
... a good land and 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 ...
/j/jeb'usites.htm - 16k

Hivite (25 Occurrences)
... of that land 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 ...
/h/hivite.htm - 17k

Hittite (45 Occurrences)
... of that land 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 ...
/h/hittite.htm - 22k

Girgashite (7 Occurrences)
... go to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before you, the Hittite, and the
Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the ...
/g/girgashite.htm - 11k

Jebusite (39 Occurrences)
... of that land 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 ...
/j/jebusite.htm - 25k

Gir'gashites (6 Occurrences)
... to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the
Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the ...
/g/gir'gashites.htm - 8k

Amorite (81 Occurrences)
... of that land 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 ...
/a/amorite.htm - 34k

Canaanite (74 Occurrences)
... Genesis 13:7 There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the
herdsmen of Lot's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the ...
/c/canaanite.htm - 36k

Resources

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

Who were the Perizzites in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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Concordance

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)

Genesis 13:7
There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land at that time.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 15:20
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 3:8
I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land 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 Jebusite.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 3:17
and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 23:23
For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 33:2
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:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 34:11
Observe that which I command you this day. Behold, I drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Deuteronomy 7:1
When Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before you, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS NIV)

Deuteronomy 20:17
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Yahweh your God has commanded you;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 3:10
Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 9:1
It happened, when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 11:3
to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 12:8
in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 17:15
Joshua said to them, "If you are a great people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim; since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 24:11
"'You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Judges 1:4
Judah went up; and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they struck of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Judges 1:5
They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Judges 3:5
The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 9:20
As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel;
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 8:7
As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel;
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Ezra 9:1
Now when these things were done, the princes drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples 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.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Nehemiah 9:8
and found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his seed, and have performed your words; for you are righteous.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Perizzite

Related Terms

Perizzites (23 Occurrences)

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)