Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Heth is a significant figure in the genealogical and historical narratives of the Old Testament. He is recognized as the second son of Canaan, who was the son of Ham, one of Noah's three sons. Heth is primarily known as the progenitor of the Hittites, a prominent group mentioned frequently in the biblical text.
Genealogy and Lineage:Heth is listed in the Table of Nations in
Genesis 10, which outlines the descendants of Noah's sons after the Flood.
Genesis 10:15 states, "Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites." This passage identifies Heth as a direct descendant of Canaan, placing him within the broader context of the Canaanite tribes.
The Hittites:The descendants of Heth, known as the Hittites, became a significant people group in the ancient Near East. They are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as inhabitants of the land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants. The Hittites are often listed among the various Canaanite tribes that the Israelites encountered upon entering the Promised Land.
Biblical References and Interactions:The Hittites appear in several key biblical narratives. In
Genesis 23, Abraham negotiates with Ephron the Hittite to purchase the cave of Machpelah as a burial site for his wife Sarah. This transaction is significant as it marks the first recorded purchase of land in Canaan by Abraham, establishing a foothold for his descendants in the Promised Land.
In the time of King David, the Hittites are mentioned in the context of David's mighty men. Uriah the Hittite, one of David's loyal soldiers, is a notable figure in the narrative of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). Uriah's honorable character and tragic fate highlight the complex interactions between the Israelites and the Hittites.
Cultural and Historical Context:The Hittites were known for their advanced civilization, which extended beyond the biblical narrative. Archaeological discoveries have revealed that the Hittites established a powerful empire in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) during the second millennium BC. Their influence and interactions with neighboring cultures, including Egypt and Mesopotamia, are well-documented in extrabiblical sources.
Theological Significance:From a theological perspective, the mention of Heth and the Hittites in the Bible underscores the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham. Despite the presence of established and powerful peoples like the Hittites in Canaan, God's covenant with Abraham assured that his descendants would inherit the land. The interactions between the Israelites and the Hittites serve as a backdrop for the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through the history of Israel.
Conclusion:While Heth himself is not a central figure in the biblical narrative, his descendants, the Hittites, play a significant role in the history of Israel. Their presence in the land of Canaan and interactions with the patriarchs and kings of Israel highlight the complex dynamics of God's promises and the unfolding of His divine plan throughout the Old Testament.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Hethtrembling; fear
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Heth(terror), the forefather of the nation of the Hittites. In the genealogical tables of (Genesis 10:15) and 1Chr 1:13 Heth is a son of Canaan. (Genesis 24:3,4;28:1,2)
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Dread, a descendant of Canaan, and the ancestor of the Hittites (
Genesis 10:18;
Deuteronomy 7:1), who dwelt in the vicinity of Hebron (
Genesis 23:3, 7). The Hittites were a Hamitic race. They are called "the sons of Heth" (
Genesis 23:3, 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HETH (1)chath cheth: The eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "ch". It came also to be used for the number 8. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.
HETH (2)
heth (cheth): InGenesis 23:10 the ancestor of the Hittites. As the various peoples who occupied Canaan were thought to belong to one stock,Genesis 10:15 (1 Chronicles 1:13) makes Heth the (2nd) son of Canaan. InGenesis 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 inGenesis 10:15, 16, where Heth is placed between Sidon and the Jebusites.
SeeHITTITES.
Strong's Hebrew
2850. Chitti -- descendant ofHeth... descendant of
Heth. Transliteration: Chitti Phonetic Spelling: (khit-tee') Short
Definition: Hittite.
... of
Heth NASB Word Usage Hittite (35), Hittites (13).
...2845. Cheth -- a son of Canaan and probably ancestor of the...
... Cheth. 2846 . a son of Canaan and probably ancestor of the Hittites. Transliteration:
Cheth Phonetic Spelling: (khayth) Short Definition:Heth....Heth....
Library
Chapter xxiii
... 3, 4. And Abraham arose from beside his dead and spoke to the children ofHeth,
saying: I am a stranger and sojourner among you; give me a grave for my own...
Abraham
... I will go to the right.' He is then, as again with the king of Sodom, and with the
three strangers at the tent door, and with the children ofHeth, when he is...
Home-Example.
... "I am weary of my life," says Rebecca, "because of the daughters ofHeth; if Jacob
take a wife of the daughters ofHeth, such as these, what good shall my life...
The Heavenly Pathway and the Earthly Heart
... Her exaggerated expressions of passionate dislike to 'the daughters ofHeth' have
no religious basis. They are partly feigned and partly petulance....
Chapter x
... And Canaan begat Sidon, his first-born, andHeth and the Jebusite and the Amorite
and the Girgashite and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite and the...
Man's Chief End
... of honour. Genesis 23:3. Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the children
ofHeth.' Piety is no enemy to courtesy. (2.) A divine...
Scripture Phrases and Passages Clearly Assert "The Resurrection of...
... For when he requested of the sons ofHeth a spot to bury Sarah in, he said to them,
"Give me the possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead...
Exhortations to those who are Called
... "Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the children ofHeth" (Genesis 23:7). Though
they were of a heathenish race, yet Abraham gave them a civil respect. St....
The Bitterness and Blessedness of the Brevity of Life
... sorrow long since calmed and consoled, when 'Abraham stood up from before his dead,'
and craved a burying-place for his Sarah from the sons ofHeth, his first...
Here Beginneth the Life of Isaac
... And Rebekah went to Isaac her husband and said: I am weary of my life because of
the daughters ofHeth, if Jacob take to him a wife of that kindred, I will no...
Thesaurus
Heth (13 Occurrences)... race. They are called "the sons of
Heth" (Genesis 23:3, 5, 7, 10, 16, 18,
20). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
HETH (1). chath
...Al-tash-heth (1 Occurrence)
Al-tash-heth. Al-tashheth, Al-tash-heth. Alter . Multi-Version
Concordance Al-tash-heth (1 Occurrence). Psalms 74:23...
Ben-zo'heth (1 Occurrence)
Ben-zo'heth. Ben-zoheth, Ben-zo'heth. Beon . Multi-Version
Concordance Ben-zo'heth (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 4:20...
Hittite (45 Occurrences)
... Genesis 23:10 Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children ofHeth.
Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of...
Ephron (13 Occurrences)
... Genesis 23:10 Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children ofHeth.
Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of...
Audience (17 Occurrences)
... Genesis 23:10 And Ephron dwelt among the children ofHeth: and Ephron the Hittite
answered Abraham in the audience of the children ofHeth, even of all that...
Hethlon (2 Occurrences)
...heth'-lon (chethlon; Peshitta chethron): Name of a place associated with Zedad on
the ideal northern boundary of Israel, as given in Ezekiel 47:15 and 48:1...
Entering (124 Occurrences)
... Genesis 23:10 And Ephron is sitting in the midst of the sons ofHeth, and Ephron
the Hittite answereth Abraham in the ears of the sons ofHeth, of all those...
Gates (156 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Genesis 23:10 And Ephron dwelt
among the children ofHeth. And Ephron the Hittite answered...
Weary (77 Occurrences)
... Genesis 27:46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the
daughters ofHeth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters...
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