Bible Dictionary
Horites
The Horites were a people who lived in the caves and mountainous country of Edom. They were dispossessed by the descendants of Esau and gradually disappeared as a distinct people.
Definition
The Horites were a people who lived in the caves and mountainous country of Edom. Their ancestor was Seir, who gave his name to the district. They were eventually dispossessed by the descendants of Esau and ceased to exist as a distinct people.
Biblical Usage
The Horites are mentioned among the early inhabitants of Seir and in genealogical notices of the descendants of Esau. Their displacement is used in the account of the peoples whom the descendants of Esau overcame.
Historical Background
They are described as a race of cave-dwellers inhabiting the limestone caves of Edom. The supplied material calls them a branch of the Hivites and associates them with the region of Mount Seir.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Cave-men, a race of Troglodytes who dwelt in the limestone caves which abounded in Edom. Their ancestor was “Seir,” who probably gave his name to the district where he lived. They were a branch of the Hivites (Gen. 14:6; 36:20-30; 1 Chr. 1:38, 39). They were dispossessed by the descendants of Esau, and as a people gradually became extinct (Deut. 2:12-22).