The Hivites

The Hivites (Hebrew "chivim" wicked) lived in the northern section of Canaan below Mount Hermon. They also inhabited Shechem during the time of Jacob. The Gibeonites who made a peace treaty with Joshua were Hivites. The main cities of the Hivites were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. All of their cities were in the territory of Benjamin or near the border.

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.

The Hivites descended from Canaan, the fourth son of Ham. Canaan was cursed by Noah, and this curse passed onto his sons. Moses gave the command that the Hivites were to be utterly destroyed.

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 - When the LORD 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; and when the LORD your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them; then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them;

The Israelites conquered the Hivites but later the Hivites made friends with the Israelites. Solomon chose them to be servants in his Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 9:20-21).

The names of any Hivites are scarce and therefore it is difficult to know the language that they spoke, but it was no doubt similar to the other Canaanite tribes in the land and close to ancient Hebrew.

One of Esau's wives was a "daughter of Canaan", a daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite.

The religion of the ancient Canaanites was idolatrous. They made their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Moloch, and they worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth, which included temple prostitution.

Scriptures

Deuteronomy 7:1 - When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and theHivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

Exodus 13:5 - And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

Exodus 3:8 - And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Exodus 3:17 - And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

Joshua 24:11 - And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.

Judges 3:3 - [Namely], five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

Exodus 23:23 - For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

Deuteronomy 20:17 - But thou shalt utterly destroy them; [namely], the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

Joshua 12:8 - In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

Joshua 3:10 - And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God [is] among you, and [that] he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

Joshua 11:19 - There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all [other] they took in battle.

Judges 3:5 - And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

2 Samuel 24:7 - And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, [even] to Beersheba.

1 Kings 9:20 - [And] all the people [that were] left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which [were] not of the children of Israel,

2 Chronicles 8:7 - [As for] all the people [that were] left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which [were] not of Israel,

Joshua 9:7 - And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?