Amorites

Summary: The Amorites dominated the region with powerful city-states like Babylon, where Hammurabi’s code was established.

Rephaim: A race of giants mentioned in various books (e.g., Deuteronomy), possibly contemporaneous with early Canaanite and Amorite cultures.

Kenizzites, Kadmonites: Mentioned in Genesis 15:19-21 as peoples inhabiting the land promised to Abraham, likely existing around the time of the Amorites.

The Amorites may also have been giants.

Amos 2:9-10 says, “the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars,” and Og was also an Amorite (Deuteronomy 3:8).

The Amorites were an ancient Semitic-speaking people who emerged in western Mesopotamia (modern-day Syria and Iraq) at the end of the third millennium BCE.

Here are some key points about the Amorites:

The Amorites originally inhabited the Syrian desert.

Perhaps the most famous Amorite contribution to history is the founding of the first Babylonian Empire by Amorite dynasties.

The most notable Amorite ruler was Hammurabi (reigned c.

The Amorites significantly influenced the cultural and political landscapes of Mesopotamia.

While the Amorites spoke a Semitic language, their language has not been preserved in extensive written records.

After the reign of Hammurabi and his successors, the power of the Amorite dynasties began to decline.

Genesis 15:16: In this passage, God tells Abram (Abraham) that his descendants will return to Canaan in the fourth generation because "the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

Exodus 3:8, 17: The land promised to the Israelites, described as "flowing with milk and honey," includes the land of the Amorites, among other peoples.

Numbers 13:29: The Amorites are mentioned as living in the Negev, the southern region of Canaan, encountered by the Israelite spies.

Numbers 21:21-31: This section describes Israel's conflict with Sihon, king of the Amorites.

Deuteronomy 1:44: In this passage, Moses recounts how the Amorites living in the mountains came out against the Israelites and chased them like bees.

Deuteronomy 3:2-11: Details the defeat of Og, king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaim, who is described as an Amorite.

Joshua 10:5-6, 12-14: The Amorite kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon united against the Israelite Gibeonites, leading to a significant battle in which Joshua famously commanded the sun to stand still.

Judges 1:34-36: The Amorites are mentioned as pressing the tribe of Dan into the mountain, for they would not allow them to come down to the plain.

Ezekiel 16:3, 45: Refers metaphorically to Jerusalem, saying its father was an Amorite and its mother a Hittite.

Amos 2:9-10: God reminds Israel of the destruction of the Amorites, described as tall as cedars and strong as oaks, before the Israelite conquest of Canaan.

The prior information sheds interesting light on Genesis 14:5-7, where Chedorlaomer “defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their hill country of Seir,” in addition to defeating Amalekites and Amorites.

The Amorites may also have been giants.

Amos 2:9-10 says, “the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars,” and Og was also an Amorite (Deuteronomy 3:8).

These groups, including the Amalekites, Amorites, and Anakim-Rephaim, were still in the land during the time of Joshua (Numbers 13:29, 33).

8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’

The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country.

Libyo-Amorite type (aquiline race)

Genesis 10

Noah’s offspring

[1] Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.[2] The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.[3] And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.[4] And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.[5] By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.[6] And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.[7] And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.[8] And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.[9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.[10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.[11] Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,[12] And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.[13] And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,[14] And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.[15] And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,[16] And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,[17] And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,[18] And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.[19] And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.[20] These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.[21] Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.[22] The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.[23] And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.[24] And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.[25] And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.[26] And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah,[27] And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,[28] And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,[29] And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.[30] And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.[31] These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.[32] These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.