Heth חֵת
Son of Canaan and ancestor of the Hittites.
Biography
Heth, also known as the Hittites, was a descendant of Canaan, the son of Ham, according to the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 (Gen.10.15; 1Ch.1.13). The Hittites were a prominent people group in the ancient Near East, and they are frequently mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Abraham had dealings with the Hittites when he purchased the cave of Machpelah as a burial site for his wife Sarah (Gen.23). This cave later became the burial place for Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Israel (or 'Jacob') (Gen.25.9-10; 49.29-32; 50.13). Esau, Isaac's son, married two Hittite women, which caused grief for his parents (Gen.26.34-35; 27.46). The Hittites are listed among the inhabitants of the Promised Land that God would drive out before the Israelites (Exo.3.8,17; 13.5; 23.23,28; 33.2; 34.11; Deu.7.1; 20.17; Jos.1.4; 3.10; 9.1; 11.3; 12.8; 24.11; Jdg.3.5; 1Ki.9.20; 2Ch.8.7; Ezr.9.1; Neh.9.8). During the time of the united monarchy, the Hittites are mentioned in connection with David's reign, particularly in the story of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's mighty men (2Sa.11; 23.39; 1Ch.11.41). Solomon had trade relations with the Hittites and even married Hittite women (1Ki.10.29; 11.1; 2Ch.1.17). The Hittites are also mentioned in the prophetic books as a point of comparison or as part of a list of nations (Isa.1.1; Ezk.16.3,45).
Family
Siblings
- Sidon Early PatriarchSon of CanaanFirstborn son of Canaan, ancestor of the Sidonians.View full profile →
- Jebusites Early PatriarchCanaanite tribeCanaanite tribe inhabiting Jerusalem before David's conquestView full profile →
- Amorites Early PatriarchCanaanitesCanaanite people group, enemies of IsraelView full profile →
- Girgashites Early PatriarchCanaanitesA Canaanite people group living in the Promised Land.View full profile →
- Hivites Early PatriarchCanaanitesA Canaanite people group.View full profile →
- Arkites Early PatriarchCanaanitesCanaanite people group descended from CanaanView full profile →
- Sinites Early PatriarchCanaanitesCanaanite people group descended from Canaan.View full profile →
- Arvadites Early PatriarchCanaanitesCanaanite descendants of Canaan, son of HamView full profile →
- Zemarites Early PatriarchCanaanitesCanaanite people groupView full profile →
- Hamathites Early PatriarchCanaanitesA Canaanite people group descended from Canaan.View full profile →
In Scripture
14 biblical books ; 6 with study contentGenesis 5 verses
- Genesis 10:15
"Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 23:3
"Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 23:5
"The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 23:7
"Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 23:10
"Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,"
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1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 1:13
"Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth,"
Exodus 5 verses
- Exodus 3:8
"I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite."
Study Exodus → - Exodus 3:17
"I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’"
Study Exodus → - Exodus 13:5
"It shall be, when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month."
Study Exodus → - Exodus 23:23
"For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off."
Study Exodus → - Exodus 23:28
"I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you."
Study Exodus →
Numbers 1 verse
- Numbers 13:29
"Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.”"
Deuteronomy 2 verses
- Deuteronomy 7:1
"When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you;"
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 20:17
"but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you;"
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Joshua 5 verses
- Joshua 1:4
"From the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 3:10
"Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 9:1
"When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it"
Study Joshua → - Joshua 11:3
"to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 12:8
"in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:"
Study Joshua →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | חֵת | H2845 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | חֵת | H2845 |
| Group | Hebrew | חִתִּי | H2850 |
Heth (2)
f> (1Ch 1:13) makes Heth the (2nd) son of Canaan. In Ge 23 the "sons of Heth" occupy Hebron, but they were known to have come there from the north. A reference to this seems to be preserved in the order of the names in Ge 10:15,16, where Heth is placed between Sidon and the Jebusites.
See HITTITES.
heth'-lon (chethlon; Peshitta chethron): Name of a place associated with Zedad on the ideal northern boundary of Israel, as given in Eze 47:15 and 48:1, but not named in <ref osis