Bible Dictionary
PERIZZITE
The Perizzites were an ancient people of Canaan whose name means villagers or country dwellers. They are frequently mentioned alongside the Canaanites and were among the peoples Israel encountered in the land.
Definition
The Perizzites were an ancient people of Canaan. Their name signifies villager or country dweller, corresponding to the Egyptian fellah. They are frequently mentioned with the Canaanites and are associated with villages or unwalled settlements.
Biblical Usage
The Perizzites appear in accounts concerning Shechem, Bezek, and possibly Gezer. They are included among the peoples encountered in the land and are sometimes used in expressions referring to villages or unwalled towns.
Historical Background
The supplied material distinguishes the Perizzites from the sons of Canaan listed in Genesis 10, explaining the name as a social or settlement designation rather than necessarily a tribal genealogy.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>per'-i-zit, pe-riz'-it (perizzi; Pherezaios): Signifies "a villager," and so corresponds with the Egyptian fellah. Hence, the Perizzite is not included among the sons of Canaan in Ge 10, and is also coupled with the Canaanite (Ge 13:7; 34:30; Jud 1:4). We hear, accordingly, of Canaanites and Perizzites at Shechem (Ge 34:30), at Bezek in Judah (Jud 1:4) and, according to the reading of the Septuagint, at Gezer (Jos 16:10). In De 3:5 and 1Sa 6:18, where the King James Version has "unwalled towns" and "country villages," the Septuagint has "Perizzite," the literal translation of the Hebrew being "cities of the Perizzite" or "villager" and "village of the Perizzite." The same expression occurs in Es 9:19, where it is used of the Jews in Elam. In Jos 17:15,18, where the Manassites are instructed to take possession of the forest land of Carmel, "Perizzites and Rephaim" are given as the equivalent of "Canaanite."</p><p>A. H. Sayce</p>