Heth
“Dread or terror”
Summary
Heth was a son of Canaan and ancestor of the Hittites, the people from whom Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah as a burial place for Sarah.
☩Ancestor of the Hittites
Heth appears in the Table of Nations as a son of Canaan (grandson of Noah through Ham), listed after Sidon the firstborn but before the Jebusite, Amorite, and other Canaanite peoples. From Heth descended the Hittites (literally "sons of Heth"), who were therefore a Hamitic race, distinct from Abraham's Semitic lineage.
☩The Sons of Heth
In the account of Sarah's burial, the Hittites dwelling near Hebron are consistently called "sons of Heth" or "children of Heth." Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite through negotiations conducted respectfully with the assembled elders at the city gate. This dignified transaction reflects the Hittites' important social standing in Canaan.
☩Later Intermarriage Concerns
Rebekah expressed weariness with life because of Esau's Hittite wives, "daughters of Heth," whose presence grieved Isaac and Rebekah. This concern about intermarriage with Canaanite peoples reflected the spiritual danger of adopting pagan practices.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Heth," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Heth," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Heth," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Heth," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).