Meaning of AMORITES

(Heb. "emori" = mountaineer).
A tribe or nation descended from Canaan, fourth son of Ham, youngest son of Noah (Gen. 10:16).

Groups of them dwelt at Hazezontamar, or En-gedi, west of the Dead Sea, and were attacked by Chedorlaomer in the days of Abraham (Gen. 14:7).

At that time, the iniquity of the Amorites had not yet reached its full extent (Gen. 15:16, 21). Being the most dominant tribe and the most corrupt people, they are sometimes taken as representatives of the Canaanites in general (Gen. 15:16; 1 Kings 21:26).

While Abraham was in Hebron, some confederated with him (Gen. 14:13). Thus we see a remnant from among the nations associated with the heir of promise, although Lot (a type of Israel in the flesh) had separated from him.

When Israel, after the exodus, approached the promised land, they had extended their dominions to the east, and refused to give way to the Israelites; They were defeated, their cities taken, and the people put to the sword, along with Sihon, their king (Num. 21:21-26; Deut. 2:24; Am. 2:9, 10).

Some must have escaped, because we read about them later; One of Jehovah's controversies with Israel was because they worshiped their false gods (Ezra 9:1, 2). Solomon made them tributaries (1 Kings 9:20, 21; 2 Chron. 8:7, 8).

The Gibeonites were a remnant of the Amorites (2 Sam. 21:2). After this, nothing more is heard from them. The low position of Jerusalem (Judah) by nature is described by presenting her origin, her father having been her Amorite, and her mother having been her Hittite, but in her grace God had compassion on her in the degradation of it, and raised it to great glory; painfully, she showed herself to be shamefully unfaithful (Ez. 16:3-43).