The Torah records a remarkable exchange in (Genesis 10:15): "And Canaan begot Tziddon, his first-born, and Cheth." Generations later, the sons of Cheth — the Hittites — encountered Abraham when he came to bury Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
Their response was extraordinary. Rather than turning away a stranger or demanding payment upfront, they addressed Abraham with deep respect: "Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. In the choicest of our burial places bury your dead" (Genesis 23:5-6). They treated the patriarch with the honor due to royalty.
The Mekhilta records that God took notice of this kindness. The Holy One Blessed be He declared: "You honored My loved one. I, likewise, will call the land by your name." This is why the Promised Land carries the name of Canaan — because his descendants, the sons of Cheth, showed reverence to Abraham when it mattered most.
The teaching reinforces a powerful principle in rabbinic thought. Respect shown to the righteous does not go unrecorded. The Hittites' single act of generosity toward a grieving husband echoed through history, permanently linking their ancestor's name to the holiest land on earth.