patrial from כְּנַעַן; a Kenaanite or inhabitant of Kenaan; by implication, a pedlar (the Canaanites standing for their neighbors the Ishmaelites, who conducted mercantile caravans); Canaanite, merchant, trafficker.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **Kᵉnaʻanîy**, represented by `{{H3669}}`, primarily refers to **a Kenaanite or inhabitant of Kenaan**. It appears 73 times across 71 unique verses. By implication, the term also describes a **pedlar, merchant, or trafficker**, reflecting the mercantile activities of the people in that region.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H3669}}` is most frequently used to identify the people inhabiting the land promised to Israel. The Lord promises to bring his people to the place of the Canaanites, a land flowing with milk and honey [[Exodus 3:8]]. They are consistently listed alongside other native tribes, such as the Hittites `{{H2850}}`, Amorites `{{H567}}`, Perizzites `{{H6522}}`, Hivites `{{H2340}}`, and Jebusites `{{H2983}}` ([[Joshua 3:10]], [[Deuteronomy 7:1]]). God commanded Israel to drive out these inhabitants [[Exodus 33:2]] and forbade intermarriage with them [[Genesis 24:3]]. However, several passages record Israel's failure to fully dispossess the Canaanites, who continued to dwell among them ([[Joshua 16:10]], [[Judges 1:27]]). The term is also used in its secondary sense, as when a capable woman delivers girdles to the **merchant** [[Proverbs 31:24]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words define the other peoples who, along with the Canaanites, occupied the promised land:
* `{{H2850}}` **Chittîy** (Hittite): A descendant of Cheth, the Hittites are one of the most frequently mentioned tribes alongside the Canaanites, inhabiting the land promised to Abraham's seed [[Nehemiah 9:8]].
* `{{H567}}` **ʼĔmôrîy** (Amorite): Meaning "a mountaineer," this term refers to one of the prominent Canaanitish tribes whose kings opposed Israel's entry into the land [[Joshua 5:1]].
* `{{H6522}}` **Pᵉrizzîy** (Perizzite): Described as an "inhabitant of the open country," the Perizzites dwelled in the land alongside the Canaanites when Abram and Lot arrived [[Genesis 13:7]].
* `{{H2983}}` **Yᵉbûwçîy** (Jebusite): An inhabitant of Jebus (later Jerusalem), this tribe is part of the seven nations greater and mightier than Israel that God promised to cast out [[Deuteronomy 7:1]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3669}}` is significant, highlighting key themes in God's relationship with Israel.
* **Fulfillment of Covenant:** The land of the Canaanites is the object of God's sworn promise to the fathers, establishing a direct link between God's faithfulness and Israel's inheritance ([[Exodus 13:11]], [[Nehemiah 9:8]]).
* **Divine Judgment:** God's command to utterly destroy the Canaanites is presented as a judgment against their "abominations" `{{H8441}}`, demonstrating divine authority over the nations ([[Deuteronomy 20:17]], [[Ezra 9:1]]).
* **Call to Separation:** The presence of the Canaanites represents a persistent call for Israel to remain separate. The prohibition against taking Canaanite wives [[Genesis 24:37]] and adopting their customs underscores the importance of holiness.
* **Eschatological Purity:** In a prophetic vision of a purified Jerusalem, it is declared that "in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts" [[Zechariah 14:21]], symbolizing a time of ultimate holiness.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3669}}` functions both as a patrial term for the inhabitants of Canaan and as a descriptor for a merchant. The Canaanites play a crucial role in the Old Testament narrative, representing the occupants of the land promised to Israel. Their presence serves as a vehicle for demonstrating God's covenant faithfulness, his judgment on sin, and the call for his people to live in consecrated separation. Ultimately, the prophetic removal of the Canaanite from God's house points to a future of absolute purity.
TRV