The Amorites were an ancient Semitic people mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. They originally inhabited a mountainous region in the southern part of the land that would later become known as Canaan. The Amorites are often depicted as formidable and warlike, playing a significant role in the history of the Israelites.

Geographical Location and Origin

The Amorites are first mentioned in the context of the patriarchal narratives. They are described as dwelling in the hill country, which is consistent with their identification as mountain people. Genesis 14:7 notes their presence in Hazazon-tamar, and they are later associated with the hill country of the Amorites in Deuteronomy 1:7 : "Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, the hill country, the foothills, the Negev, and the seacoast—to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon as far as the great river, the Euphrates."

Cultural and Historical Context

The Amorites were part of the broader Canaanite culture but were distinguished by their own unique identity. They are often mentioned alongside other Canaanite tribes such as the Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. The Amorites were known for their fortified cities and advanced military capabilities, which made them a significant power in the region.

Biblical Interactions with Israel

The Amorites are frequently mentioned in the context of Israel's conquest of Canaan. In Numbers 21:21-25 , the Israelites request passage through the land of the Amorites, ruled by King Sihon. When Sihon refuses and attacks, the Israelites defeat him and take possession of his territory. This victory is recounted in Deuteronomy 2:24-37 , where God instructs the Israelites to begin the conquest of the land by defeating Sihon and the Amorites.

The Amorites also appear in the narrative of the conquest of Jericho and Ai, as described in the book of Joshua. Joshua 10:5 records a coalition of Amorite kings who join forces against Israel, only to be defeated by Joshua's forces with divine intervention: "So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped by Gibeon and fought against it."

Religious Practices and Influence

The Amorites, like other Canaanite peoples, practiced polytheism and were known for their idolatrous worship, which included the worship of deities such as Baal and Asherah. Their religious practices were often in direct opposition to the monotheistic worship of Yahweh, leading to frequent conflicts with the Israelites. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against adopting the religious customs of the Amorites, as seen in Judges 6:10 : "And I said to you: I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you did not obey Me."

Legacy and Significance

The Amorites' legacy is intertwined with the history of Israel's emergence as a nation in the Promised Land. Their presence and subsequent defeat by the Israelites are seen as a fulfillment of God's promises to the patriarchs. The Amorites serve as a symbol of the challenges and opposition faced by the Israelites in their quest to establish a covenant community in accordance with divine mandates. Their account is a testament to the faithfulness of God in delivering His people and establishing them in the land He promised to their ancestors.Numbers 13:29
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 1:7,20
Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and to all the places near thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and to Lebanon, to the great river, the river Euphrates.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 1:36
And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Nations of the South-East
... in the Book of Lamentations,[11] inhabited it. ... them from their two assailants, the
Amorites on the ... suggested that the Egyptians were originally emigrants from ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

Canaan
... Like the Amorites and the Amorite tribe of Jebusites ... and the sea-coast were inhabited
by Canaanites ... of Phoenicia believed that they had originally migrated from ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... Zahi originally comprised that portion of the desert and of ... It was inhabited then,
as at the time of the Babylonian conquest, by the Amorites, who probably ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... this to the races of the interior"the Amorites and Hittites ... The tribes who inhabited
it had been brought early ... by this nation must have been originally to the ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... erected statues in "the land of the Amorites." But the ... and its site has never been
inhabited again ... Originally the "spirit" of the evening-star, she had become a ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... and elevated plateaus which they inhabited were subject to ... The Amorites, the people
of Zahi, Alasia, and ... the word "Pedasos" signified "mountain," probably in ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire
... is met with on a statue originally dedicated by ... The nations who had hitherto inhabited
these regions, now ... the empire, in the country of the Amorites, they came ...
/.../chapter iiithe close of the.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... Sec.7, p.750), it was originally called Typhon, and was ... the attacks of the pillaging
tribes who inhabited it. ... and Cole-Syria, Amurru, the land of the Amorites. ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.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

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