The Jebusites were a Canaanite people who occupied Jebus, later called Jerusalem. They were among the nations Israel was commanded to dispossess, and their stronghold was finally captured by David.
Definition
The Jebusites were descendants of Jebus, the third son of Canaan, and inhabitants of Jebus, or Jerusalem. They were counted among the Canaanite nations destined for destruction. Though defeated by Joshua and sacked by Judah, they retained the citadel of Jebus until David captured it and made the city his capital.
Biblical Usage
The Jebusites appear among the nations Israel was commanded to dispossess. Their king was defeated, but the people were not completely driven from Jerusalem until David occupied the stronghold. Araunah the Jebusite later owned the site purchased by David for the temple’s future location.
Historical Background
They were associated with Jerusalem and joined Jabin’s rising against Joshua. David’s capture of their citadel established Jerusalem as the capital in place of Hebron. Araunah is the last prominent Jebusite mentioned in the supplied material.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The name of the original inhabitants of Jebus, mentioned frequently among the seven nations doomed to destruction (Gen. 10:16; 15:21; Ex. 3:8, 17; 13:5, etc.). At the time of the arrival of the Israelites in Palestine they were ruled by Adonizedek (Josh. 10:1, 23). They were defeated by Joshua, and their king was slain; but they were not entirely driven out of Jebus till the time of David, who made it the capital of his kingdom instead of Hebron. The site on which the temple was afterwards built belonged to Araunah, a Jebusite, from whom it was purchased by David, who refused to accept it as a free gift (2 Sam. 24:16-25; 1 Chr. 21:24, 25).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(descendants of Jebus), The, were descended from the third son of Canaan. (Genesis 10:16; 1 Chronicles 1:14) The actual people first appear in the invaluable report of the spies. (Numbers 13:29) When Jabin organized his rising against Joshua, the Jebusites joined him. (Joshua 11:3) “Jebus, which is Jerusalem,” lost its king in the slaughter of Beth-horon, (Joshua 10:1,5,26) comp. Josh 12:10 Was sacked and burned by the men of Judah, (Judges 1:21) and its citadel finally scaled and occupied by David. (2 Samuel 5:6) After this they emerge from the darkness but once, in the person of Araunah the Jebusite, “Araunah the king,” who appears before us in true kingly dignity in his well-known transaction with David. (2 Samuel 24:23; 1 Chronicles 21:24,25)
