{"id":56225,"date":"2024-05-22T11:08:07","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T08:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=56225"},"modified":"2025-09-24T18:55:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T15:55:02","slug":"56225","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2024\/05\/22\/56225\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfde\ufe0f Who Were the Hivites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Answer:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Hivites<\/strong> were one of the seven Canaanite nations<\/strong> that God commanded Israel<\/em> to completely remove from the Promised Land because of their deep moral corruption and idolatry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Joshua 3:10 (ESV)<\/strong>
“Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.”<\/em><\/p>\n

These nations were not removed because Israel was more righteous \u2014 rather, they were judged because of their persistent sin and rebellion<\/strong> against God (Deuteronomy 9:4\u20136).<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udccd Where Did the Hivites Live?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Hivites were spread across several regions in ancient Canaan:<\/p>\n

1\ufe0f\u20e3 Northern Territory \u2014 Mount Lebanon<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Judges 3:3 (ESV)<\/strong>
“These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.”<\/em><\/p>\n

This places part of the Hivite population in the northernmost region<\/strong> of the land \u2014 bordering modern-day Lebanon and Syria.<\/p>\n

2\ufe0f\u20e3 Central Region \u2014 Near Gibeon and Mizpah<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Joshua 11:3 (ESV)<\/strong>
“To the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.”<\/em><\/p>\n

This group lived closer to Israel’s central territory<\/strong>, which explains their significant interaction with the Israelites during Joshua\u2019s conquest.<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83c\udfad The Gibeonite Deception: Hivites in Disguise<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the most striking stories about the Hivites is found in Joshua 9<\/strong>, where a Hivite city \u2014 Gibeon<\/strong> \u2014 deceived Israel<\/strong> into making a peace treaty.<\/p>\n

Pretending to come from a distant land, they wore old clothes and carried moldy bread to convince Joshua that they were not Canaanites \u2014 though they were.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Joshua 9:3\u20136, 14\u201315 (ESV)<\/strong>
“But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning…”<\/em>
“So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them…”<\/em><\/p>\n

This deception led to a binding covenant<\/strong>, which Israel could not break \u2014 even though God had commanded them not to make covenants with the people of the land (Exodus 23:32\u201333; Deuteronomy 7:2). As a result, the Gibeonites were spared but made permanent servants<\/strong> (Joshua 9:27).<\/p>\n

Theological Insight:<\/strong> This incident highlights the importance of seeking God\u2019s guidance<\/strong> in every decision. Failure to inquire of the Lord led to a compromise<\/strong>, even by well-meaning leaders like Joshua.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2696\ufe0f Why Did God Command Their Removal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

God\u2019s command to destroy these nations was not arbitrary or cruel \u2014 it was righteous judgment<\/strong> on cultures filled with unrepentant evil<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Deuteronomy 18:9\u201312 (ESV)<\/strong>
“When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations… whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD.”<\/em><\/p>\n

These included:<\/h3>\n