Hazerim
A Word, Not a Place
In the King James Version, "Hazerim" appears to be a place name in Deuteronomy 2:23, giving the impression that the Avvim lived in a specific location called Hazerim. However, the Hebrew word "chatserim" is actually the plural of "chatser," meaning "enclosure," "courtyard," or "unwalled village." Modern translations correctly render it as a common noun: the Avvim lived "in villages" rather than in a place named Hazerim. This distinction, clarified in the Revised Version and subsequent translations, significantly affects how the passage is understood.
The Context in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 2:23 provides a brief historical note about the displacement of ancient peoples in Canaan: "As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place." Moses includes this detail as part of a broader survey of how God directed population movements throughout the region. Just as the descendants of Esau displaced the Horites from Seir and the Moabites displaced the Emim, so the Caphtorim (ancestors of the Philistines) displaced the Avvim from the southwestern coastal region.
The Avvim and Their Villages
The Avvim were an ancient people who inhabited the southwestern coastal plain of Canaan, in the region stretching toward Gaza. The description of their dwellings as "chatserim" (unwalled villages) indicates they lived in open, unfortified settlements rather than in walled cities. This detail helps explain their vulnerability to the Caphtorim invaders, who overwhelmed and displaced them. Unwalled villages offered no defensive advantage against a military force.
The Caphtorim Invasion
The Caphtorim came from Caphtor, generally identified with Crete or the broader Aegean region. Their displacement of the Avvim is one of the earliest biblical references to the migration of sea peoples into the Levant, a historical phenomenon well documented in Egyptian and other ancient Near Eastern records. The Philistines, who later became Israel's formidable enemies, were descendants of these Caphtorim settlers (Amos 9:7; Jeremiah 47:4).
The Word Chatser in Other Contexts
The word "chatser" and its plural "chatserim" appear frequently in the Old Testament in various contexts. It describes the courtyard of the tabernacle (Exodus 27:9), the courts of the temple (Psalm 84:2), and numerous unwalled settlements throughout Israel (Joshua 15:32-47; Nehemiah 11:25-30). The common thread is an enclosed or designated space, whether a sacred courtyard or an open village. Understanding this word enriches the reader's appreciation for the varied landscape of ancient Israelite settlement, where fortified cities and open villages coexisted.
Biblical Context
Hazerim (chatserim) appears in Deuteronomy 2:23 as a description of the Avvite settlements in southwestern Palestine. The word 'chatser' appears throughout the Old Testament for courtyards and unwalled villages (Exodus 27:9; Joshua 15:32-47; Psalm 84:2; Nehemiah 11:25-30). The passage in Deuteronomy is part of Moses's review of how God directed the movements of nations before Israel's own conquest of Canaan.
Theological Significance
The passage containing 'hazerim' teaches that God is sovereign over all nations, not just Israel. The displacement of the Avvim by the Caphtorim, like the movements of the Edomites and Moabites described in the same chapter, was directed by God's providence. This broader divine governance of history provides the context for Israel's own entry into Canaan: God has been directing population movements throughout history, and Israel's inheritance of the promised land is part of this larger plan.
Historical Background
The migration of the Caphtorim (proto-Philistines) from the Aegean region to the Levantine coast is connected to the larger phenomenon of Sea Peoples migrations documented in Egyptian records from the late Bronze Age (approximately 1200 BC). Archaeological evidence from sites along the southern coastal plain confirms significant cultural changes during this period, consistent with the arrival of new populations. The Avvim are otherwise poorly attested, representing one of the pre-Israelite populations of Canaan whose history survives only in brief biblical notes.