The Canaanites trace their lineage back to Canaan, the son of Ham, who was one of Noah’s three sons. After the flood, in Genesis 10:6, we read:
“The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.”
Canaan’s descendants became the inhabitants of the land later known as Canaan. Genesis 10:15-18 lists Canaan’s children, which form many of the enemy nations later encountered by Israel:
“Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.”
These names are significant—many of them reappear during the conquest accounts in Joshua and Judges.
The Land of Canaan
The land of Canaan was vast and fertile. It stretched from the Mediterranean Sea on the west to the Jordan River on the east, and from Lebanon in the north to the desert in the south. Genesis 10:19 gives boundaries:
“And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.”
This territory was strategically significant and agriculturally rich, often referred to as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). It was this land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:7).
The Sin of Canaan and God’s Judgment
Canaan was cursed because of Ham’s sin against Noah. In Genesis 9:25, Noah declares:
“Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.”
Though Ham was the offender, the curse fell on Canaan. This curse wasn’t arbitrary—God foreknew the wickedness that would come from Canaan’s descendants. By the time of Abraham, the Canaanites were already known for idolatry and moral corruption. Genesis 15:16 says,
“For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
God was patient—but their sin would reach a fullness that demanded judgment. Leviticus 18 details the depravity of the Canaanite culture—gross sexual immorality, incest, bestiality, and child sacrifice. Verse 27-28 says,
“For all these abominations the men of the land have done… lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it.”
Giants Among the Canaanites
One striking detail is the presence of giants among the Canaanites. Numbers 13:33 recounts the spies’ report:
“There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight…”
The Anakim, Rephaim, and Emim were tribes of giants. Deuteronomy 2:10-11 explains:
“The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.”
These beings were formidable and caused fear, yet God declared they would be defeated. Joshua 11:21-22 records how Joshua destroyed the Anakim from the hill country—except in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. This explains why Goliath, a giant from Gath, appears later in 1 Samuel 17.
Enemies of Israel
From the moment Israel approached the Promised Land, the Canaanite nations rose up against them. In Numbers 21:1, the king of Arad (a Canaanite) fought against Israel. But the central battles are seen in the Book of Joshua.
In Joshua 3-12, Israel begins the conquest. Jericho falls. Ai is taken. Five kings of the Amorites form an alliance against Israel in Joshua 10. But Joshua says in verse 8,
“Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand.”
The LORD rained down hailstones from heaven and extended the day for Israel’s victory. God commanded Israel to utterly destroy these nations—not out of cruelty, but to prevent Israel from adopting their abominations. Deuteronomy 20:17-18 states:
“But you shall utterly destroy them… lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations.”
This was not ethnic cleansing—it was divine judgment on persistent sin and rebellion. The land was not taken unjustly. It was given to Israel by divine right, and the Canaanites were judged by a holy God.
Their Final Fate
While many Canaanites were destroyed, some survived due to Israel’s disobedience. Judges 1:27-36 recounts multiple cities where Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants. These remaining Canaanites became a snare to Israel, just as God warned. Judges 2:2-3:
“But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?… They shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”
Eventually, some Canaanites were absorbed or destroyed through successive judgments—especially under David and Solomon. Others, like the Gibeonites (Joshua 9), made treaties and served under Israel.
By the time of Christ, Canaanite identity had largely disappeared, though the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:26 is referred to as “a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,” reflecting a lingering regional connection.
My Final Thoughts
The Canaanites stand as a sobering picture of what happens when sin is allowed to ripen to its full measure. They were a people blessed with a rich land and long-suffering mercy from God—but they rejected Him and filled their land with abominations.
Their giants caused fear, but God delivered Israel every time they trusted Him. The land was not taken by Israel’s strength but by God’s promise. This study reminds us of two things: the severity of God’s judgment and the faithfulness of His covenant. What God promises, He fulfills. And what He warns, He enforces.
Let their history be a lesson not only in judgment but in the holiness that God requires of His people.
