Interesting Facts

• Amori is listed as one of the sons of Canaan.
• The Amorites are identified as one of the seven nations dwelling in the land of Canaan.
• There is a divine pronouncement that the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
• The “cities of the Amorites” are mentioned as part of the land that Jacob took as an everlasting possession.
• Two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, are credited with destroying eight cities of the Amorites because of the matter concerning their sister Dinah.

Genealogy

• Amori was a son of Canaan.
• Canaan was a son of Ham.
• Ham was a son of Noah.
• Thus, Amori was a grandson of Ham and a great-grandson of Noah.
• The descendants of Amori are known as the Amorites, representing one of the families or nations that descended from Canaan. The provided sources do not offer specific details regarding Amori’s direct offspring beyond the collective designation of the Amorites.

Historical Context

The emergence of Amori and the Amorites falls within the post-diluvian epoch, tracing their lineage back to Noah through Ham and Canaan. Following the dispersion of peoples after the event at Babel, the descendants of Ham, including Canaan and his progeny, established themselves in the southern territories. The Amorites, as one of the Canaanite nations, became inhabitants of the land that would later be significant in the narratives of Abraham and his descendants. The interaction between Jacob’s family and the Amorites, particularly the incident involving Dinah and the subsequent destruction of their cities by Simeon and Levi, highlights a period of conflict and tension between these groups. Furthermore, the assembly of seven kings of the Amorites with their armies to wage war against the sons of Jacob demonstrates a collective political and military presence of the Amorites in the region during Jacob’s time. The counsel given to these Amorite kings by their advisors, cautioning them against conflict with the Hebrews by recounting the acts of their God, suggests an awareness of the divine favor believed to rest upon the lineage of Abraham. The land of the Amorites was eventually considered part of the inheritance that Jacob claimed as an everlasting possession for his descendants.

Narrative

The narrative pertaining to Amori as an individual is limited to his inclusion within the genealogical lists as a son of Canaan. His significance within the scriptural accounts is primarily embodied by his descendants, the Amorites, who feature in several key episodes. Notably, the account of Simeon and Levi’s forceful retaliation against the Shechemites is extended to the destruction of eight cities of the Amorites, an act that provoked Jacob’s displeasure. This narrative underscores the Amorites as a distinct and apparently interconnected group of city-dwellers in the land of Canaan. Later, the Amorites are depicted as a military force, assembling under seven kings with the intent to confront Jacob’s sons. However, this planned conflict seems to have been averted, at least in part, due to the counsel received by the Amorite kings, which emphasized the perceived power and divine protection of the Hebrews. The claim by Jacob to the “cities of the Amorites” as part of his inheritance further positions them within the broader narrative of land ownership and succession in the ancient Levant. While the sources do not provide specific dialogues or personal actions of an individual named Amori, the collective actions and interactions of the Amorites with the patriarchs and their families serve to illustrate their role as one of the prominent Canaanite populations inhabiting the promised land.