Son of Ham; father of Sidon and Heth
Canaan
Named in 9 verses across 2 books, first in Genesis 9:18.
כְּנַ֫עַןCanaan
The name means “merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
- Father
- Ham
- People
- Early Patriarch
About Canaan Written by AI
Canaan was the fourth son of Ham and the grandson of Noah (Gen. 9:18, 22; 10:6; 1Chr. 1:8). He became the progenitor of the Canaanite tribes, which inhabited the land that would later be promised to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 10:15-19; 1Chr. 1:13-16). Canaan's sons included Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth, the ancestor of the Hittites. Other descendants of Canaan included the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. After Noah's drunkenness, Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his brothers (Gen. 9:22). In response, Noah cursed Canaan, stating that he would be a servant to his brothers (Gen. 9:25-27). This curse was likely a prophetic declaration about the future subjugation of the Canaanite tribes by the Israelites. The land of Canaan became synonymous with the region God promised to Abraham, and the Canaanites were among the inhabitants the Israelites were to displace and conquer (Gen. 12:5-7; Ex. 3:8; Deut. 7:1-3).
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
This entry is on the name Canaan, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.
(1.) The fourth son of Ham (Gen. 10:6). His descendants were under a curse in consequence of the transgression of his father (9:22-27). His eldest son, Zidon, was the father of the Sidonians and Phoenicians. He had eleven sons, who were the founders of as many tribes (10:15-18).
(2.) The country which derived its name from the preceding. The name as first used by the Phoenicians denoted only the maritime plain on which Sidon was built. But in the time of Moses and Joshua it denoted the whole country to the west of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Deut. 11:30). In Josh. 5:12 the LXX. read, “land of the Phoenicians,” instead of “land of Canaan.”
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The name signifies “the lowlands,” as distinguished from the land of Gilead on the east of Jordan, which was a mountainous district. The extent and boundaries of Canaan are fully set forth in different parts of Scripture (Gen. 10:19; 17:8; Num. 13:29; 34:8). (See CANAANITES, PALESTINE.)
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
Where the Bible names him
- Genesis 9:18
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.
- Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.
- Genesis 9:25
he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
- Genesis 9:26
He also declared: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the servant of Shem.
- Genesis 9:27
May God expand the territory of Japheth; may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.”
- Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
- Genesis 10:15
And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
- 1 Chronicles 1:8
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
- 1 Chronicles 1:13
And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.