Meaning of CANAANITES

The descendants of Canaan, son of Ham, grouped into the different branches of the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Aramites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hammatites.

Their territory was “from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, to Gaza; and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma and Zeboim, as far as Lasa” (Gen. 10:15-19).

In Gen. 15:18-21, where the land promised to Abram extends to the Euphrates River, ten nations are mentioned: the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmoneites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites (cp. Deut. 7: 1; Josh. 3:10).

Here and in other passages the Canaanites are only one people among many; In other passages the term Canaanite seems to include any of the inhabitants of Canaan, as in Joseph. 17:12, 13; Neh. 9:24; Abd. twenty; Zac. 14:21.

This same term is translated "merchant" in Jb. 41:6; Pr. 31:24; Isaiah 23:8; also in Zac. 14:21 could mean "there will be no more merchant in the house of Jehovah of hosts" (as the KJV translates; cp. Jn. 2:16).