The descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. Migrating from their original home, they seem to have reached the Persian Gulf, and to have there sojourned for some time. They thence "spread to the west, across the mountain chain of Lebanon to the very edge of the Mediterranean Sea, occupying all the land which later became Palestine, also to the north-west as far as the mountain chain of Taurus. This group was very numerous, and broken up into a great many peoples, as we can judge from the list of nations (Genesis 10), the 'sons of Canaan.'" Six different tribes are mentioned in Exodus 3:8,17; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11. In Exodus 13:5 the "Perizzites" are omitted. The "Girgashites" are mentioned in addition to the foregoing in Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 3:10.

The "Canaanites," as distinguished from the Amalekites, the Anakim, and the Rephaim, were "dwellers in the lowlands" (Numbers 13:29), the great plains and valleys, the richest and most important parts of Palestine. Tyre and Sidon, their famous cities, were the centres of great commercial activity; and hence the name "Canaanite" came to signify a "trader" or "merchant" (Job 41:6; Proverbs 31:24, lit. "Canaanites;" Compare Zephaniah 1:11; Ezekiel 17:4). The name "Canaanite" is also sometimes used to designate the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land in general (Genesis 12:6; Numbers 21:3; Judges 1:10).

The Israelites, when they were led to the Promised Land, were commanded utterly to destroy the descendants of Canaan then possessing it (Exodus 23:23; Numbers 33:52,53; Deuteronomy 20:16,17). This was to be done "by little and little," lest the beasts of the field should increase (Exodus 23:29; Deuteronomy 7:22,23). The history of these wars of conquest is given in the Book of Joshua. The extermination of these tribes, however, was never fully carried out. Jerusalem was not taken till the time of David (2 Samuel 5:6,7). In the days of Solomon bond-service was exacted from the fragments of the tribes still remaining in the land (1 Kings 9:20,21). Even after the return from captivity survivors of five of the Canaanitish tribes were still found in the land.

In the Tell-el-Amarna tablets Canaan is found under the forms of Kinakhna and Kinakhkhi. Under the name of Kanana the Canaanites appear on Egyptian monuments, wearing a coat of mail and helmet, and distinguished by the use of spear and javelin and the battle-axe. They were called Phoenicians by the Greeks and Poeni by the Romans. By race the Canaanites were Semitic. They were famous as merchants and seamen, as well as for their artistic skill. The chief object of their worship was the sun-god, who was addressed by the general name of Baal, "lord." Each locality had its special Baal, and the various local Baals were summed up under the name of Baalim, "lords."

* Ca’nan (low, flat ).

1. The fourth son of Ham, (Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8) the progenitor of the Phoenicians [ZIDON], and of the various nations who before the Israelite conquest people the seacoast of Palestine, and generally the while of the country westward of the Jordan. (Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:13) (B.C. 2347.)

2. The name "Canaan" is sometimes employed for the country itself.

* Ca’naan, The land of (lit. lowland ),

a name denoting the country west of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, and between those waters and the Mediterranean; given by God to Abraham’s posterity, the children of Israel. (Exodus 6:4; Leviticus 25:38) [PALESTINE]

* Ca’naanites, The,

a word used in two senses:

1. A tribe which inhabited a particular locality of the land west of the Jordan before the conquest; and

2. The people who inhabited generally the whole of that country.

3. In (Genesis 10:18-20) the seats of the Canaanite tribe are given as on the seashore and in the Jordan valley; comp. (Joshua 11:3)

4. Applied as a general name to the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land, as we have already seen was the case with "Canaan." Instances of this are, (Genesis 12:6; Numbers 21:3) The Canaanites were descendants of Canaan. Their language was very similar to the Hebrew. The Canaanites were probably given to commerce; and thus the name became probably in later times an occasional synonym for a merchant.

Canaanites, the

    * Descended from Ham
      Genesis 10:6

    * An accursed race
      Genesis 9:25,26

    * Different families of
      Genesis 10:15-18

    * Comprised seven distinct nations
      Deuteronomy 7:1

    * Possessions of, how bounded
      Genesis 10:19

    * Country of, fertile
      Exodus 3:17; Numbers 13:27

    * DESCRIBED AS
          o Great and mighty
            Numbers 13:28; Deuteronomy 7:1 
          o Idolatrous
            Deuteronomy 29:17 
          o Superstitious
            Deuteronomy 18:9-11 
          o Profane and wicked
            Leviticus 18:27 

    * Extremely numerous
      Deuteronomy 7:17

    * Had many strong cities
      Numbers 13:28; Deuteronomy 1:28

    * Expelled for wickedness
      Deuteronomy 9:4; 18:12

    * ABRAHAM
          o Called to dwell amongst
            Genesis 12:1-5 
          o Was promised the country of, of inheritance
            Genesis 13:14-17; 15:18; 17:8 
          o Had his faith tried by dwelling amongst
            Genesis 12:6; 13:7 

    * Kind to the patriarchs
      Genesis 14:13; 23:6

    * ISRAEL COMMANDED
          o To make no league with
            Deuteronomy 7:2; Judges 2:2 
          o Not to intermarry with
            Deuteronomy 7:3; Joshua 23:12 
          o Not to follow idols of
            Exodus 23:24; Deuteronomy 7:25 
          o Not to follow customs of
            Leviticus 18:26,27 
          o To destroy, without mercy
            Deuteronomy 7:2,24 
          o To destroy all vestiges of their idolatry
            Exodus 23:24; Deuteronomy 7:5,25 
          o Not to fear
            Deuteronomy 7:17,18; 31:7 

    * Terrified at the approach of Israel
      Exodus 15:15,16; Joshua 2:9-11; 5:1

    * Partially subdued by Israel
      Joshua 10:1-11:23; Judges 1:1-36

    * PART OF LEFT
          o To try Israel
            Judges 2:21,22; 3:1-4 
          o To chastise Israel
            Numbers 33:55; Judges 2:3; 4:2 

    * Israel ensnared by
      Judges 2:3,19; Psalms 106:36-38

    * Some descendants of, in our Lord’s time
      Matthew 15:22; Mark 7:26

# MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS

    * General References to
          o Genesis 11:31
          o Genesis 12:5
          o Genesis 13:12
          o Genesis 16:3
          o Genesis 17:8
          o Genesis 42:5
          o Genesis 49:30
          o Exodus 6:4
          o Exodus 15:15
          o Numbers 32:32
          o Joshua 5:12
          o 1 Chronicles 16:18
          o Isaiah 8:8
          o SEE Canaan, Land of
    * Promised to Abraham
          o Genesis 12:7
          o Genesis 13:15
          o Genesis 15:7
          o Genesis 15:18
          o Genesis 17:8
          o Genesis 50:24
          o Exodus 6:8
          o Leviticus 20:24
          o Numbers 14:8
          o Deuteronomy 6:10
          o Deuteronomy 31:20
          o Joshua 5:6
          o Judges 2:1
          o SEE Earthly; Heritage 
    * Fruitful Land
          o Exodus 3:8
          o Numbers 13:27
          o Deuteronomy 8:8
          o Deuteronomy 11:9
          o Jeremiah 2:7
    * Polluted, by sin
          o Leviticus 18:25
          o Numbers 35:34
          o Psalms 106:38
          o Isaiah 24:5
          o Jeremiah 2:7
          o Jeremiah 3:2
          o Jeremiah 16:18
          o Micah 2:10
          o SEE Pollutions
    * Heathen Cast out of, Because of sin
          o Exodus 34:24
          o Leviticus 18:24
          o Leviticus 20:23
          o Deuteronomy 6:19
          o Deuteronomy 7:1
          o Deuteronomy 9:4
          o Joshua 13:12
          o 2 Kings 16:3
          o 2 Kings 17:8
          o 2 Kings 21:2
          o 2 Chronicles 28:3
          o 2 Chronicles 33:2
          o Psalms 18:42
          o Psalms 78:55
          o Psalms 80:8
    * Wars of Extermination Waged against Early Inhabitants of
          o Numbers 31:7
          o Deuteronomy 7:2
          o Deuteronomy 13:15
          o Deuteronomy 20:17
          o 1 Samuel 15:3
          o SEE Destruction

# NAMES OFF

    * Ancient Names
          o Beulah
                + Isaiah 62:4
          o Canaan
          o SEE Canaan, Land of
          o Holy Land
                + Zechariah 2:12
          o Immanuel's Land
                + Isaiah 8:8
          o Land of Israel
                + 1 Samuel 13:19
          o Land of the Hebrews
                + Genesis 40:15
          o Land of the Jews
                + Acts 10:39
          o Land of Promise
                + Hebrews 11:9
          o Palestina
                + Exodus 15:14
          o Pleasant Land
                + Daniel 8:9
          o The Lord's Land
                + Hosea 9:3
          o Modern Name, Palestine

# DESCRIPTION OF

    * Genesis 13:10
    * Deuteronomy 8:7
    * Deuteronomy 11:11

# DIVISION OF

    * -By Joshua, among the tribes
          o Joshua, Chapters 14-17
                + -Into Provinces
                      # 1 Kings 4:7
                + Into Kingdoms
                      # 1 Kings 11:35
                + Into Roman Provinces
                      # Luke 3:1