Study note

Deuteronomy 7:1

  • The Hittites were from Anatolia, which is now north-central Turkey. They set up colonies in distant places like Syria and were also linked to Canaan in the list of ancient nations (see Genesis 10:15; 23:3–20). The Hittite empire ended suddenly around 1200 BC. But people called Hittites still lived in Israel, such as "Uriah the Hittite" (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:39).

    It is impossible to prove that the Hittites of Anatolia were the same as those mentioned in the Old Testament, but they were probably similar in some ways.

  • Girgashites were an otherwise unknown Canaanite group (Genesis 10:16–17).

  • For Amorites, see study note on Deuteronomy 1:4.

  • The Canaanites were the original people of Canaan, living there since 3000 BC. They descended from Noah’s son Ham (see Genesis 9:18–27).

  • The Perizzites are not in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:16–17), so they might not have any connection to the Canaanites.

  • Many scholars think the Hivites were the same as the Horites (or Hurrians; see study note on Deuteronomy 2:1). They were a non-Semitic group found throughout the ancient Near East.

  • The Jebusites had a connection to Jerusalem (Judges 1:21; 2 Samuel 5:6–8). King David bought land from Araunah the Jebusite to build an altar (2 Samuel 24:15–25). This site was where Solomon later built his temple (2 Chronicles 3:1).