Topical Bible: Perizzites

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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 entrance into the Promised Land. The name "Perizzite" is thought to mean "villagers" or "dwellers in the open country," suggesting that they lived in rural areas rather than fortified cities.

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 peoples, 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 part of God's judgment on the Canaanites for their iniquity (Genesis 15:16). However, the Israelites did not fully obey God's command to drive out all the inhabitants of the land. Judges 1:4-5 records that the Israelites fought against the Canaanites and Perizzites, but they did not completely eliminate them: "When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek" .

The failure to fully remove the Perizzites and other Canaanite peoples led to ongoing issues for Israel, as these groups often influenced the Israelites to turn away from God and follow pagan practices. 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 Religious Influence

The Perizzites, like other Canaanite tribes, practiced polytheism and were known for their idolatrous worship, which included rituals that were abominable to the Israelites. The influence of the Perizzites and other Canaanite peoples posed a significant threat to the religious purity and covenant faithfulness of Israel. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against adopting the customs and religious practices of the Canaanites, including the Perizzites, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 20:17-18.

Legacy

The Perizzites, as a distinct people, eventually disappear from the biblical narrative, likely due to assimilation and intermarriage with other groups. Their presence and the challenges they posed to Israel serve as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God's commands and the dangers of compromising with surrounding cultures. The account of the Perizzites is a testament to the broader theme of Israel's struggle to maintain its identity and covenant relationship with God amidst the influences of the surrounding nations.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Perizzites

dwelling in villages

ATS Bible Dictionary

Perizzites

Genesis 15:20, ancient inhabitants of Palestine, who had mingled with the Canaanites, or were themselves descendants of Canaan. They appear to have dwelt in the center of Canaan, Gen 34...30; Jos 11...3; 17.15; Jud 1...4-5; but there were some of them on each side of the river Jordan, in the mountains, and in the plains. In several places of Scripture, the Canaanites and Perizzites are mentioned as the chief people of the country; as in the time of Abraham and Lot, Genesis 13:7. Some remnants of this race existed in Solomon's day, and were subjected by him to a tribute of service, 1 Kings 9:20. See CANAANITES.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Villagers; dwellers in the open country, the Canaanitish nation inhabiting the fertile regions south and south-west of Carmel. "They were the graziers, farmers, and peasants of the time." They were to be driven out of the land by the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8, 17; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11). They are afterwards named among the conquered tribes (Joshua 24:11). Still lingering in the land, however, they were reduced to servitude by Solomon (1 Kings 9:20).

Strong's Hebrew

6522. Perizzi -- a people in the land of Canaan
... Word Origin perhaps from the same as perazah Definition a people in the land of
Canaan NASB Word Usage Perizzite (13), Perizzites (10). Perizzite. ...
/hebrew/6522.htm - 6k

Library

Chapter xiii
... This additional statement does not, therefore, give indication of a time when
Canaanites and Perizzites were no longer in the land, and does not, therefore ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiii.htm

"It is I, be not Afraid. " Extracted from Knox's Admonition to ...
... house for fear of his brother Esau; when he returned from Laban; and when he feared
the inhabitants of the region of the Canaanites and Perizzites for the ...
/.../knox/the pulpit of the reformation nos 1 2 and 3 /it is i be not.htm

Joshua's Conquest.
... While there were many war-like people crowded into Palestine, seven, the Hittites,
the Girgashites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, the Amorites ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter viii joshuas conquest.htm

'The Waters Saw Thee; they were Afraid'
... 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 ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the waters saw thee they.htm

The Call of Moses
... have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the call of moses.htm

Of the Meaning of the Sacrifice Abraham was Commanded to Offer ...
... from the river of Egypt unto the great river Euphrates: the Kenites, and the Kenizzites,
and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 24 of the meaning of.htm

Here Next Followeth the History of Moses
... this land into a good land and spacious, into a land that floweth milk and honey,
unto the places of Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here next followeth the history.htm

Moses
... land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon ix moses.htm

Divine Sovereignty.
... But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the
Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the Lord ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xlv divine sovereignty.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... Simeon and unto Levi: Ye have brought trouble upon me by causing me to become odious
to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and Perizzites, whereas I ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Thesaurus

Perizzites (23 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Perizzites (23 Occurrences). ... (BBE NIV). Genesis 15:20 the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, (WEB KJV DBY WBS NIV). ...
/p/perizzites.htm - 15k

Hivites (24 Occurrences)
... land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the ...
/h/hivites.htm - 15k

Jebusites (29 Occurrences)
... land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the ...
/j/jebusites.htm - 17k

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)
... 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 ...
/p/perizzite.htm - 16k

Per'izzites (21 Occurrences)
Per'izzites. Perizzites, Per'izzites. Perjured . Multi-Version Concordance
Per'izzites (21 Occurrences). Genesis 13:7 And there ...
/p/per'izzites.htm - 13k

Girgashites (7 Occurrences)
... to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the
Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the ...
/g/girgashites.htm - 8k

Hittite (45 Occurrences)
... Hittite (45 Occurrences). Genesis 15:20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/h/hittite.htm - 22k

Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 9:20 All the people that were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the
Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel ...
/j/jeb'usites.htm - 16k

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

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

Resources

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

Who was Adoni-Bezek? | GotQuestions.org

Why did the Israelites have to abandon their foreign wives and children? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Perizzites (23 Occurrences)

Genesis 13:7
And there was an argument between the keepers of Abram's cattle and the keepers of Lot's cattle: at that time the Canaanites and Perizzites were still living in the land.
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 15:20
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
(WEB KJV DBY WBS NIV)

Genesis 34:30
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Exodus 3:8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
(KJV DBY WBS NIV)

Exodus 3:17
And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
(KJV DBY WBS NIV)

Exodus 23:23
For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
(KJV DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Exodus 33:2
and I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite--
(See NIV)

Exodus 34:11
Observe thou that which I am commanding thee this day; behold, I am driving out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
(See NIV)

Deuteronomy 7:1
When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, 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 thou;
(KJV BBE DBY NAS NIV)

Deuteronomy 20:17
But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
(KJV DBY WBS NIV)

Joshua 3:10
And Joshua said, Hereby ye 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.
(KJV DBY WBS NIV)

Joshua 9:1
Now on hearing the news of these things, all the kings on the west side of Jordan, in the hill-country and the lowlands and by the Great Sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,
(BBE NIV)

Joshua 11:3
And to the Canaanites on the east and on the west, and to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill-country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
(BBE NIV)

Joshua 12:8
In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
(KJV BBE DBY WBS 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."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Joshua 24:11
And you went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
(KJV BBE DBY WBS 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.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS NAS NIV)

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

Nehemiah 9:8
And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:
(KJV DBY WBS NIV)

Subtopics

Perizzites

Perizzites: Doomed to Destruction

Perizzites: Not all Destroyed; Israelites Intermarry With

Perizzites: One of the Seven Nations in the Land of Canaan

Perizzites: Territory of, Given to Abraham

Related Terms

Defeated (88 Occurrences)

Perizzites (23 Occurrences)

Perjured (1 Occurrence)

Ado'ni-be'zek (2 Occurrences)

Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences)