What do we know about the Canaanites?

TL;DR:

The Canaanites were people living in the land promised to Israel. The Canaanites are described as idolatrous and wicked; judgment came upon them as a result.

The Canaanites, an ancient people group residing in the land promised to Abraham's descendants, are depicted in the Old Testament as idolatrous and wicked. Their resistance to surrendering to God led to the Israelites being used by God as an instrument of judgment against them and serves as a cautionary tale of moral decay and spiritual compromise. The Canaanites' downfall highlights the consequences of straying from God's will, urging us to maintain moral integrity amidst worldly influences.

from the old testament

Canaanites are an ancient people group that lived in the Land of Canaan, which is the land God promised to Abraham's descendants (Genesis 12:7).
The biblical description of the land is largely in Genesis 10 and Numbers 34 and is essentially modern day Lebanon and Israel, extending into some of Jordan and Syria.
The Bible mentions Canaanites more than 150 times. They descended from Noah's grandson Canaan (Genesis 9:18) and are described as idolatrous and wicked. The people are also described as large, fierce, and so difficult to defeat that the Israelites would need God's help to do so, which He promised (Joshua 1:3).
Sometimes the Bible uses "Canaanites" in a more general sense to describe all the people who lived in the land, including the Hivites, Girgashites, Jebusites, Amorites, Hittites, and Perizzites (Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 7:1; Judges 1:9–10).
When Moses sent twelve spies into the Promised Land, they reported that the land was wonderfully productive but that the people (the Canaanites) were strong and their cities fortified (Numbers 13:21–29). The spies also described very large humans in the area (Nephilim and descendants of Anak) and that they were afraid (Numbers 13:28, 33). Only Joshua and Caleb maintained their confidence that God would help them overtake the land. The Israelites' fear overtook their trust in God and they wanted to return to Egypt. God threatened to disinherit them and make a nation out of Moses. Moses interceded for the people, and God instead punished them through wandering in the desert for a generation (Numbers 14:1–38).
After that generation died, including Moses, Joshua followed God's plans and guidance, crossed the Jordan River, overtook Jericho, and entered Canaan through God's supernatural intervention and help (Joshua 1—6). A long struggle for the land ensued. There were still Canaanites in the area when the Israelites divided the land for the twelve tribes (Judges 1:27–36). Some Canaanites were enslaved, but others continued to fight. Because the Israelites did not completely follow God's instruction to subdue the entire land, the Canaanites were able to continue their fight and cause many problems through the time of the judges.

from the new testament

In Matthew 15:21–28, Jesus encounters a Canaanite woman whose faith He commends.
In Stephen’s address to the Sanhedrin, he recounts a famine that took place in Canaan (Acts 7:11).
In Acts 13:19, Paul mentions how God overthrew the nation of Canaan and gave the land to Israel.

implications for today

One significant lesson from the Canaanites is the danger of moral corruption and spiritual compromise. The Canaanites lived lives steeped into idolatry and wickedness, leading to their eventual downfall. God is the standard of our moral integrity, and He calls us to live according to His ways. Not following God leads us into sin and destruction that we never would have imagined. The Canaanites' resistance against God serves as a cautionary tale against allowing worldly influences to deter us from faithfully following God's will, highlighting the need for steadfastness and unwavering trust in Him amidst a different cultural climate or pressure.

understand

Canaanites, ancient inhabitants of the land promised to Abraham, are portrayed as idolatrous and wicked in the Bible.
The Canaanite territory corresponds to modern-day Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Syria.
The Bible narrates the Canaanites’ defeat by the Israelites with divine aid as well as ongoing struggles between the people groups during the time of the judges.

reflect

How do you think the story of the Canaanites challenges or informs your understanding of God's justice and mercy?
In what ways do you see parallels between the struggles faced by the Israelites in dealing with the Canaanites and challenges we encounter in our own spiritual journey?
How seriously do you take to heart the call to live the ways of God?

engage

The Israelites were commanded to destroy the Canaanites because of their wickedness and because of God’s promise of the land to Israel. People take major concern with this and call it the Canaanite genocide. When studying the Canaanite genocide, God’s mercy must be factored in as He gave them years to repent, gave clear limits on what was to occur, and had specific reasons for what happened to Canaan.
How do you interpret the portrayal of the Canaanites as idolatrous and wicked, and what implications does this have for understanding the consequences of moral compromise?
What lessons can we draw about persevering in faith and commitment to God's will despite opposition or adversity?