Topical Bible: The Canaanites: Kind to the Patriarchs

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Canaanites, an ancient people inhabiting the land of Canaan, are often depicted in the Bible as adversaries of the Israelites. However, there are notable instances where the Canaanites showed kindness and hospitality to the patriarchs of Israel, reflecting a more complex relationship between these groups.

Abraham and the Canaanites

Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, had several interactions with the Canaanites that were marked by mutual respect and kindness. In Genesis 12:6-7 , Abraham travels through the land of Canaan and receives a promise from God that this land would be given to his descendants. Despite being a foreigner, Abraham is able to dwell peacefully among the Canaanites, indicating a level of acceptance and tolerance.

One of the most significant interactions occurs in Genesis 23, where Abraham seeks to purchase a burial site for his wife Sarah. The Hittites, a Canaanite people, show great respect for Abraham, referring to him as "a mighty prince among us" (Genesis 23:6). They offer him the choice of their tombs, demonstrating their esteem and willingness to accommodate his needs. Abraham insists on paying for the land, and Ephron the Hittite sells him the cave of Machpelah, further illustrating a transaction based on mutual respect and fairness.

Isaac and the Canaanites

Isaac, Abraham's son, also experiences kindness from the Canaanites. In Genesis 26, Isaac settles in Gerar, a Philistine city in Canaan, during a time of famine. King Abimelech of Gerar initially shows concern over Isaac's presence but later recognizes the blessing of God upon him. In Genesis 26:28-29 , Abimelech acknowledges, "We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you. So we said, 'There should be an oath between us—between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you.'" This covenant of peace and cooperation highlights the amicable relations between Isaac and the Canaanites.

Jacob and the Canaanites

Jacob, Isaac's son, also encounters Canaanite kindness. In Genesis 33, after reconciling with his brother Esau, Jacob arrives safely in the city of Shechem in Canaan. He purchases a plot of land from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver (Genesis 33:19). This transaction, like Abraham's purchase, is conducted with respect and fairness, allowing Jacob to settle peacefully in the land.

Conclusion

The interactions between the patriarchs and the Canaanites reveal moments of kindness, respect, and cooperation. These instances provide a nuanced understanding of the relationships between the Israelites and the Canaanites, highlighting the potential for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect amidst the broader narrative of conflict and conquest.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 14:13
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelled in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 23:6
Hear us, my lord: you are a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchers bury your dead; none of us shall withhold from you his sepulcher, but that you may bury your dead.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
... The Canaanites, Philistines (Kappadokes), and Hittites shall perish ... After this the
patriarchs shall rise again, and they ... urges his sons to be kind and merciful ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm

Chapter xlviii
... was by this time a kind of established ... and resolutely defended himself"for the
patriarchs could on ... Shechem and the surrounding territory from the Canaanites. ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlviii.htm

Chapter xxxix
... by the laxity of morals characteristic of the Canaanites. ... has preserved the ideal
of the godly patriarchs. ... 2. It pleased Yahweh to lend His kind help to Joseph ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxix.htm

The Call of Moses
... affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the ... now by the burning bush
was a kind of external ... and full of blessedness to us as to the patriarchs. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the call of moses.htm

Chapter xii
... the posterity of Abram was already occupied by the Canaanites. ... have deemed the failings
of its patriarchs material for ... were intended to be of a kind that would ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xii.htm

Chapter xx
... been so forgetful, but even the patriarchs were frail ... above the level of the idolatrous
Canaanites dwelling in ... A kind of rejuvenation in connection with the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xx.htm

Canaan
... by the Israelites or by the patriarchs their forefathers. ... the manners and religion
of the Canaanites, worshipping at ... heads they wear a curious kind of pleated ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... Wounds come to a kind of crisis on the third ... the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites
and Perizzites ... an invaluable sidelight on the lives of the patriarchs. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Chapter xxiv
... of the exalted conception of God prevailing among the patriarchs. ... to perpetuate pure
Semitic stock, for the Canaanites were Hamites ... And she said: Drink, kind sir ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiv.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... names of the wives of the patriarchs from Adam to ... hostilities between the Egyptians
and the Canaanites, during which ... more than this, he invented a kind of drill ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm