Original Word: חֹרִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Choriy
Pronunciation: kho-ree'
Phonetic Spelling: (kho-ree')
KJV: Horims, Horites
NASB: Horites, Hori, Horite
Word Origin: [from H2356 (חוֹר חוֹר - hole)]

1. cave-dweller or troglodyte
2. a Chorite or aboriginal Idumaean

Horims, Horites

From chowr; cave-dweller or troglodyte; a Chorite or aboriginal Idumaean -- Horims, Horites.

see HEBREW chowr

Word Origin
from the same as chor
Definition
inhab. of Edom, also the name of an Edomite, also the name of a Simeonite
NASB Translation
Hori (3), Horite (1), Horites (6).

II. חֹרִי, חוֺרִי proper name, of a people see below III. חרר.

חֲרֵי יוֺנים, חֲרֵיהֶם see [ חרא, חרי].

II. חֹרִי, חוֺרִי adjective, usually

proper name, of a people or

person (probably = cave-dweller, so Thes Rob Ges MV VB; see also W Max Müll^{Asien u. Europa 136, 155, 156}) —

1. adjective, of a people ׳שֵׂעִיר הַח Genesis 36:20 Seir the Horite (P); read ׳הַחִ also Genesis 36:2 for ᵑ0 הַחִוִּי

2. proper name, of a people always with article; usually singular collective הַחֹרִיִ, ancient inhabitants of land of Edom Genesis 14:6 (בְּהַרֲרָם שֵׂעִיר); in P called בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֺם Genesis 36:21 (see Genesis 36:20); compare Genesis 36:29; Genesis 36:30; according to Deuteronomy 2:12 (where alone הַחֹרִים), Deuteronomy 2:22 they were driven out by sons of Esau (yet see Genesis 36:1 c. and Di); ᵐ5 ὁ Ξορραιος, οἱ Ξορραιοι, (Genesis 36:29,30 Ξορρ(ε)ι).

3. proper name, masculine person

a. חֹרִי an Edomite Genesis 36:22 = 1 Chronicles 1:39; ᵐ5 Ξορρ(ε)ι.

b. חִוֺרי a Simeonite Numbers 13:5, but ᵐ5 Σουρ(ε)ι, ᵐ5^L Σουδρι. — I. חֹרִי see below I. חור.

חרשׂ (√ of following; compare Arabic verb scratch, lacerate, irritation, etc.)

Designation and Identity

חֹרִי (Horite, “cave dweller”) names the aboriginal people of the mountainous region of Seir. Scripture treats them as a distinctive ethnic group present before the rise of the Edomites, yet integrated closely enough to have fully formed clan structures (“chiefs”) and a patriarch, Seir.

Geographical Sphere – Mount Seir

Mount Seir stretches south-east of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Its limestone and sandstone ridges offer countless natural caves, matching the Horites’ designation. Later Edomite strongholds such as Sela (Petra) lie in this same terrain, indicating cultural continuity even after the Horites disappeared as an identifiable nation.

Biblical Occurrences and Narrative Function

Genesis 14:6 sets the earliest biblical timestamp: the coalition of eastern kings “struck the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the wilderness”. Their mention alongside Rephaim, Zuzim, and Emim establishes them among the ancient giants or formidable peoples of Canaan’s periphery.

The genealogies of Genesis 36 record their clans (Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, and others) and list them as “chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom” (Genesis 36:21). The pattern shows peaceful intermarriage and later absorption into Esau’s line; Seir’s grand-sons become tribal leaders within Edom.

Deuteronomy 2:12 and Deuteronomy 2:22 recall that “the descendants of Esau drove them out and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place”. Moses cites this providential displacement to encourage Israel: if God granted territory to Edom after removing the Horites, He will surely grant Canaan to Israel after removing the Amorites.

Historical and Archaeological Insights

External texts place Hurrian movements through the Near East during the second millennium B.C. Many scholars link the Horites with Hurrian elements, explaining non-Semitic names such as Dishon and Dishan. Cave-dwelling communities and petroglyphs discovered in southern Jordan and the Negev align with the biblical timeframe, echoing a culture adapted to rugged highlands and caravan routes.

Theological Themes

1. Divine sovereignty over nations: The Horites rise, flourish, and vanish according to an unseen timetable, displaying the truth later voiced by Daniel that God “removes kings and establishes them.”
2. Covenant boundaries: God honors His promise to Esau (Genesis 36:8) by giving him Seir, lending weight to Israel’s own inheritance and reinforcing the principle of respecting God-ordained borders (Deuteronomy 2:5).
3. Gospel anticipation: The Horites’ assimilation into Edom ultimately folds them into the lineage standing opposite yet related to Israel. Obadiah foresees Edom’s judgment and future restoration under Messiah, hinting that descendants of the Horites would find redemption only in the universal lordship of Christ.

Ministry Applications

• Nations and cultures, however entrenched, remain transient; the church’s mission rests in an unshakable kingdom.
• God’s past faithfulness in reallocating land bolsters confidence in His future promises. Believers can face cultural upheaval with hope, knowing history moves toward Christ’s reign.
• The Horite narrative urges respect for God’s assignments today—whether national borders or personal callings—encouraging contentment and obedience.

Key References

Genesis 14:6; Genesis 36:20-21, 36:29; Deuteronomy 2:12, 2:22

הַחֹרִ֑י הַחֹרִ֔י הַחֹרִ֖י הַחֹרִ֛י הַחֹרִי֙ הַחֹרִים֮ החרי החרים ha·ḥō·rî ha·ḥō·rîm hachoRi hachoRim haḥōrî haḥōrîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts