The Hivites are one of the seven nations that inhabited the land of Canaan before the arrival of the Israelites. They are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as part of the indigenous groups that the Israelites encountered during their conquest of the Promised Land. The Hivites are listed among the nations that God commanded the Israelites to drive out of Canaan due to their idolatrous practices and moral corruption.

Biblical References and Identity

The Hivites are first mentioned in Genesis 10:17 as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, making them part of the broader Canaanite family. In Genesis 34, the Hivites are specifically identified with the city of Shechem, where Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, defiled Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. This incident led to the violent retaliation by Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi.

In the conquest narratives, the Hivites are listed among the nations that the Israelites were to dispossess. Deuteronomy 7:1 states, "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."

Geographical Location

The Hivites are associated with several locations in the biblical text. They are mentioned in connection with the region of Gibeon, as seen in Joshua 9. The Gibeonites, who deceived Joshua into making a peace treaty with them, are identified as Hivites. Joshua 9:7 states, "The men of Israel said to the Hivites, 'Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a treaty with you?'"

Additionally, the Hivites are linked to the northern regions of Canaan. Joshua 11:3 refers to "the Canaanites in the east and west, the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites below Hermon in the land of Mizpah."

Cultural and Religious Practices

The Hivites, like other Canaanite nations, were known for their polytheistic and idolatrous practices, which were abominable to the Israelites. The worship of Baal and Asherah, along with other deities, was prevalent among the Canaanites, including the Hivites. These practices often involved rituals that were contrary to the laws given to the Israelites by God.

Interactions with Israel

The Hivites' most notable interaction with Israel is the aforementioned deception by the Gibeonites. Fearing the might of the Israelites, the Gibeonites resorted to trickery to secure a peace treaty, as described in Joshua 9. Despite the deceit, the Israelites honored the treaty, and the Gibeonites became servants, as woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD (Joshua 9:27).

In the broader narrative of Israel's conquest, the Hivites, along with the other Canaanite nations, were subject to God's judgment due to their wickedness. The Israelites were instructed to avoid intermarriage and to destroy the altars and idols of these nations to prevent the corruption of their own worship and practices.

Legacy

The Hivites, as part of the Canaanite nations, serve as a historical and theological backdrop to the narrative of Israel's establishment in the Promised Land. Their presence and eventual subjugation highlight the themes of divine judgment and the fulfillment of God's promises to the patriarchs. The interactions between the Israelites and the Hivites underscore the importance of obedience to God's commands and the dangers of compromise with surrounding pagan cultures.Deuteronomy 7:1
When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, 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 you;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

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

Canaan
... In the north they were known as Hivites, at Hebron they ... One of these bands may easily
have settled on its ... which, as we are told, was built seven years before ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... would "become one people." The Hivites apparently predominated ... length of Isaac's
life was one hundred and ... Seven years later when Joseph was thirtyseven, Jacob ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Hearken and Look; Or, Encouragement for Believers
... to overrun the nations; the Hittites, the Hivites, the Amorites ... and holy songs,
ascending unto the one Jehovah and ... to wax again; and she, of the Seven Hills, is ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/hearken and look or encouragement.htm

What does it mean that “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16)? | GotQuestions.org

Why did God command the extermination / genocide of the Canaanites, women and children included? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Moses send twelve spies into the Promised Land? | GotQuestions.org

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