Original Word: חִתִּי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Chittiy
Pronunciation: khit-TEE
Phonetic Spelling: (khit-tee')
KJV: Hittite, Hittities
NASB: Hittite, Hittites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H2845 (חֵת - Heth)]

1. a Chittite, or descendant of Cheth

Hittite, Hittities

Patronymically from Cheth; a Chittite, or descendant of Cheth -- Hittite, Hittities.

see HEBREW Cheth

Word Origin
from Cheth
Definition
desc. of Heth
NASB Translation
Hittite (35), Hittites (13).

חִתִּי adjective and

name, of a people Hittite(s) (Egyptian –-tá, –etá W Max Müll^{Asien u. Europa, 319 ff.}; Assyrian –atti, Schr^{KG 192 ff.} COT on Genesis 10:19 Dl^{Pa, 269 ff.}; Tel el-Amarna –atti, –atta Bez^{Tel el Amarn. Brit. Mus. 150}) — masculine always with article הַחִתִּי Genesis 23:10; Exodus 3:8 +; feminine חִתִּית Ezekiel 16:3,45; masculine plural הַחִתִּים Joshua 1:4 3t.; feminine plural חִתִּיֹּת 1 Kings 11:1; —

1. adjective , of seller of Machpelah to Abraham, עֶפְרוֺן הַחִתִּי Genesis 23:10; Genesis 49:29,30; Genesis 50:13; עֶפְרֹן בֶּןצֹֿחַר ׳הַח Genesis 25:9 (all P); of fathers of Esau's wives בְּאֵרִי ׳הַח Genesis 26:34; ׳אֵילוֺן הַח Genesis 26:34; Genesis 36:2 (all P); also of warriors of David, ׳אֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַח 1 Samuel 26:6, and especially ׳אוּרִיָּה הַח 2 Samuel 11:3,6,17,21,24; 2 Samuel 12:9,10; 2 Samuel 23:39; 1 Kings 15:5; 1 Chronicles 11:41; feminine singular = substantive, only of (religious) ancestry of Jerusalem Ezekiel 16:3 thy father was the Amorite, and thy mother was a Hittite woman חִתִּית, similarly Ezekiel 16:45; feminine plural = substantive of Solomon's foreign wives, חִתִּיֹּת 1 Kings 11:1 Hittite women (+ מוֺאֲבִיּוֺת, עַמּוֺנִיּוֺת, אֲדֹמִיֹּת, צֵדְנִיֹּת).

2. n. usually

a. collective הַחִתִּי the Hittites: in lists of Canaanitish peoples Genesis 15:20 (JE), Exodus 3:8,11 (both J), Exodus 13:5; Exodus 23:23,28; Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:11; Numbers 13:29; Joshua 3:10 (all J E), Deuteronomy 7:1; Deuteronomy 20:17; Joshua 9:1; Joshua 12:8; Joshua 24:11 (all D); read also for הַחִוִּי Judges 3:3 (so We Mey Bu^{Urg 350}); in Joshua 11:3 (D) strike out הַחִתִּי We Mey Bu^l.c., and read then הַחִתִּי for הַחִוִּי v^b (so ᵐ5, not ᵐ5^L); further 1 Kings 9:20 2Chronicles 8:7; Ezra 9:1; Nehemiah 9:8.

b. plural ׃הַחִתִּים כֹּל אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים Joshua 1:4 (D) nearly = land of Canaanites; ׳ארץ הַח specifically of northern home of Hittites Judges 1:26; so also 2 Samuel 24:6 where read אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים קֵ֫דְשָׁה (for ᵑ0 תחתים חָדְשִׁי, see חָדְשִׁי, קֵדֶשׁ); מַלְכֵי הַחִתִּים 1 Kings 10:29 2Chronicles 1:17 (both + מַלְכֵי אֲרָם), 2 Kings 7:6 (+ מַלְכֵי מִצְרַיִם, both feared by אֲרָם). Hence it appears that הַחִתִּי (םׅ had their proper seat in the north — where also they were encountered by Assyrians from time of Tiglath-Pileser I (see Schr Dl^{1. c}.), and by Egyptians from time of Tutmes III (see W Max Müll.^l.c.) — (compare also Judges 3:3; Joshua 11:3 above), but that individual Hittites were known in Israel (compare, besides 1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Samuel 11:3 etc., 1 Kings 9:20 above); that the Hittites were regarded (by J E D) as one of the peoples of Canaan, and that the name even came to be used in more General sense for Canaanites. Only in P do they appear as having a definite settlement in the south, and are designated by בְּנֵיחֵֿת (see חֵת), as well as by the adjective הַחִתִּי.

Identity within the Canon

חִתִּי (Strong’s Hebrew 2850) designates a member of the Hittite nation—one of the peoples God lists among the inhabitants of Canaan whom Israel was commanded to dispossess (for example, Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 7:1). While extra-biblical records reveal a vast Anatolian empire, Scripture’s focus is the Canaanite branch living from Hebron northward to Lebanon and the Orontes valley. Wherever they appear in the Old Testament, the Hittites function as a tangible reminder of the clash between covenant faithfulness and the seductive pull of idolatry.

Pre-Mosaic References: Covenant Promises and Patriarchal Dealings

Genesis first introduces Hittites in the land-grant vision to Abram: “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites’” (Genesis 15:18-21). The list bolsters the certainty of God’s oath by naming actual peoples then occupying Canaan, the Hittites included.

In the patriarchal narratives Hittites prove numerous around Hebron. Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah from “Ephron the Hittite” (Genesis 23:3-18) in a legally rigorous transaction. The narrative shows God’s promise unfolding through legitimate property rights while preserving the patriarch’s distinct identity—Abraham insists, “I am a foreigner and an outsider among you” (Genesis 23:4). Later, Isaac and Rebekah grieve when Esau marries Judith and Basemath, “daughters of Heth” (Genesis 26:34-35; 27:46). These marriages foreshadow the intermarriage prohibitions later codified at Sinai, revealing early hints of divided allegiance when covenant heirs unite with Hittite women.

Exodus to Deuteronomy: Theological Framing of the Conquest

When Moses recounts the exodus, Hittites consistently appear in God’s promise of dispossession (Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11). The repeated six- or seven-nation formula cements the inviolability of God’s word. Deuteronomy deepens the call to separation: “You must not intermarry with them… for they will turn your sons away from following Me” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The Hittites thus become an instrument for teaching Israel the holiness of covenant life, not merely a military target.

Joshua and Judges: From Siege to Coexistence

Joshua records the fulfillment phase. Rahab testifies that the hearts of Canaanites, Hittites included, melt at Israel’s advance (Joshua 2:9-11). Territory described in Joshua 1:4 sets Hittites as a northern boundary marker: “…all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea.” Though major strongholds fall (Joshua 11:3; 12:8), pockets remain.

Judges underscores those unresolved enclaves: Israel “failed to drive out” certain Hittite cities (Judges 3:5). Cohabitation breeds syncretism, validating Moses’ warnings and providing the backdrop for cyclical apostasy. The Hittite residue in the land exposes Israel’s partial obedience and God’s patient discipline.

United Monarchy: Political Integration and Spiritual Compromise

David’s reign reveals both righteous governance and moral failure in relation to Hittites. Uriah the Hittite embodies covenant fidelity—his refusal to enjoy conjugal comforts while the ark and armies camp in the open (2 Samuel 11:11) contrasts David’s lapse. David’s sin culminates in Uriah’s death (2 Samuel 11:14-17) and serves as a timeless warning that personal holiness cannot be assumed even among God’s anointed.

Solomon institutionalizes peaceful relations by conscripting Hittites for labor (1 Kings 9:20-21) and engaging in commerce. However, his silence toward their gods foreshadows the spiritual erosion traced in 1 Kings 11:1-8: “King Solomon loved many foreign women… from the nations about which the LORD had said… ‘You must not associate with them.’” The text never singles out Hittite idolatry, yet the larger pattern of pluralism invites judgment.

Divided Kingdom and Exile: Geopolitical Backdrop

When the Syrian king Ben-hadad besieges Samaria, Israel hears rumors that the Hittite kings have been hired as formidable allies (2 Kings 7:6). Centuries later Ezekiel draws on Hittite imagery to indict Jerusalem, declaring, “Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite” (Ezekiel 16:3). The prophetic usage is symbolic: by adopting the detestable practices of the nations, Judah has become spiritually indistinct from them.

Post-Exilic Allusions

In Ezra and Nehemiah the Hittite name reappears in lists of prohibited foreign marriages (Ezra 9:1; Nehemiah 9:8). Though the empire long since collapsed, the memory of Hittite influence remains a moral category. Restoration leaders discern that holiness demands separation from any union compromising covenant loyalty.

Doctrinal and Ministry Insights

1. Certainty of Promise. The Hittites, first named in God’s covenant pledge to Abram, underscore the historical concreteness of divine promises. As surely as real peoples occupied the land, so surely would God give it to Abram’s seed.
2. Partial Obedience Diminishes Blessing. Israel’s incomplete expulsion of Hittites illustrates that half-measures in holiness yield long-term trouble, an ongoing admonition for the church to pursue wholehearted obedience.
3. The Danger of Unequal Yokes. Esau’s marriages and Solomon’s alliances frame a principle reiterated in 2 Corinthians 6:14—partnerships that ignore spiritual compatibility threaten covenant fidelity.
4. God’s Sovereign Grace. Uriah, though ethnically Hittite, exemplifies covenant devotion more than the Israelite king himself, a foretaste of God’s intention to bless “all nations” through Abraham (Genesis 12:3). Ethnicity never trumps faith.
5. Typology of Judgment and Redemption. Ezekiel’s “Hittite mother” metaphor reveals sin’s capacity to redefine identity. Yet the same chapter ends with restoration (Ezekiel 16:60-63), teaching that God’s covenant mercy triumphs over the worst apostasies.

Key Representative References

Genesis 15:20; 23:3-18; 26:34-35

Exodus 3:8; 23:23

Deuteronomy 7:1-4

Joshua 1:4; 11:3

Judges 3:5

2 Samuel 11:3-17

1 Kings 9:20-21; 11:1

2 Kings 7:6

Ezra 9:1

Nehemiah 9:8

Ezekiel 16:3

Summary

The Hittites emerge across the Old Testament as both obstacle and object lesson. Their presence highlights God’s faithfulness to promise, Israel’s recurring compromise, and the universal scope of grace that ultimately gathers believers from every nation.

הַֽחִתִּ֑י הַֽחִתִּ֔י הַֽחִתִּ֔ים הַֽחִתִּ֛ים הַֽחִתִּֽי׃ הַֽחִתִּי֙ הַֽחִתִּי֩ הַחִתִּ֑י הַחִתִּ֑ים הַחִתִּ֔י הַחִתִּ֖י הַחִתִּ֗י הַחִתִּ֛ים הַחִתִּ֜י הַחִתִּ֤י הַחִתִּ֥י הַחִתִּֽי׃ החתי החתי׃ החתים וְ֠הַֽחִתִּי וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהַֽחִתִּי֙ וְהַחִתִּ֛י וְהַחִתִּ֨י וְהַחִתִּי֙ והחתי חִתִּ֔ית חִתִּֽית׃ חִתִּיֹּֽת׃ חתית חתית׃ chitTit chittiYot ha·ḥit·tî ha·ḥit·tîm hachitTi hachitTim haḥittî haḥittîm ḥit·tî·yōṯ ḥit·tîṯ ḥittîṯ ḥittîyōṯ veHachitTi wə·ha·ḥit·tî wəhaḥittîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts