חִתִּי (chit.ti)
chit.ti
Hittite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 45 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The word chitti refers to a Hittite, meaning a descendant of Heth. Heth was one of Canaan’s sons, making this term an ethnic identifier for a people group prominent in the patriarchal narratives and later Israelite history. The name itself is linked to the root chet, which carries the sense of fear or terror, perhaps reflecting the reputation these neighbors held among their neighbors.
While the Hittites originally inhabited central Anatolia, biblical texts place them prominently around Hebron and in the broader region of Canaan. They appear frequently as landowners, such as when Abraham purchases a burial cave from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23), and later as political adversaries or allies. In Kings and Chronicles, they are sometimes grouped with other kings to illustrate the extent of Solomon’s influence or the challenges faced by later rulers.
The term highlights the complex social landscape of ancient Israel, where interactions with powerful neighboring groups were constant. It serves as a reminder that the land promised to Israel was already inhabited by diverse nations with their own histories and political structures, requiring negotiation, conflict, and coexistence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The term Hittite identifies a people group descended from Heth, appearing frequently in the biblical narrative as neighbors of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Genesis 23, Ephron the Hittite engages in a formal land transaction with Abraham for the cave of Machpelah. This interaction shows that the patriarchs lived among established communities, negotiating property rights with respect and fairness rather than through force.
Later texts list the Hittites alongside other nations inhabiting Canaan before Israel’s arrival. These accounts highlight a complex social landscape where diverse groups coexisted, traded, and sometimes conflicted. The presence of Hittite individuals in these stories reminds us that God’s promises unfolded within real historical settings involving actual people with their own histories and legal customs.
Understanding this background helps readers see the biblical world as populated by many distinct communities. It invites reflection on how faith communities have historically navigated relationships with surrounding cultures, whether through peaceful coexistence or difficult transitions. The text simply records these interactions without moralizing about every detail.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 45 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Hittite18×
- the/ Hittite[s]12×
- and/ the/ Hittite[s]9×
- the/ Hittites5×
- the/ Hethite1×
- Hittite [women]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/חִתִּ֖י5×
- הַ/חִתִּ֤י4×
- הַ/חִתִּ֜י4×
- וְ/הַ֣/חִתִּ֔י3×
- הַֽ/חִתִּי֙3×
- הַֽ/חִתִּ֔י3×
- הַ/חִתִּֽי\׃3×
- הַֽ/חִתִּֽי\׃2×
- הַ/חִתִּ֛ים2×
- הַ/חִתִּ֔י2×
- חִתִּיֹּֽת\׃1×
- וְ֠/הַֽ/חִתִּי1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 23:10
Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
This verse shows Ephron the Hittite conducting business publicly at the city gate, highlighting the legal standing and social integration of Hittites in Canaanite society.
-
Exodus 3:8
I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Here the Hittites are listed among the nations inhabiting the promised land, framing them as part of the broader demographic context God addresses in the Exodus narrative.
-
Genesis 25:9
Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre,
This reference confirms that the patriarchs buried their dead in land purchased from a Hittite owner, underscoring the continuity of this specific family connection across generations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the word Hittite mean in the Bible?
Who was Ephron the Hittite?
Why are Hittites mentioned alongside other nations?
Every Occurrence (45 verses across 14 books)
Genesis 8 verses
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
Genesis 23:10Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the…
Genesis 25:9Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite,…
Genesis 26:34When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of…
Genesis 36:2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter…
Genesis 49:29He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in…
Genesis 49:30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with…
Genesis 50:13for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham…