Giants in the Land

I. Genesis 14:5 “And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that

were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in

Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim” -- (this about 436 years after the Flood)

Rephaims

1. Strong’s H7497 (רפה רפא raw-faw', raw-faw‘ / From H7495 in the sense of

invigorating; a giant: - giant, Rapha, Rephaim (-s). See also H1051.

2. Wilson’s OT Word Studies / Rephaim was an ancient Canaanitish tribe beyond Jordan,

celebrated for their gigantic stature.

3. Could you describe a giant as “invigorating”? Invigorating means “to give vigor to; fill with life

and energy; energize.” Vigor means “active strength or force; healthy physical or mental energy

or power; vitality; energetic activity; energy; intensity.” Yes, I would say a giant could meet that

definition.

Zuzims

• Strong’s H2104 / זּוזים / zu z ym/ zoo-zeem‘ / Plural probably from the same as H2123;

prominent; Zuzites, an aboriginal tribe of Palestine: - Zuzims

• Strong’s H2123 / זיז / z yz / zeez / From an unused root apparently meaning to be conspicuous;

fulness of the breast; also a moving creature: - abundance, wild beast.

• Could you describe a giant as “prominent”? Prominent means “standing out so as to be seen

easily; conspicuous; particularly noticeable.” Yes, I would say a giant could be prominent.

Emims

• Strong’s H368 / אימים ay-meem‘ / Plural of H367; terrors; Emim, an early

Canaanitish (or Moabitish) tribe: - Emims.

• Strong’s H367 / אמה אימה ay-maw', ay-maw‘ / From the same as H366;

fright; concretely an idol (as a bugbear): - dread. fear, horror, idol, terrible, terror.

• Could you describe a giant as a terror? Terror means “intense, sharp, overmastering fear; an

instance or cause of intense fear or anxiety; quality of causing terror.” Yes, I’d say you could

describe a giant as a terror.

• Cross-Reference: Deuteronomy 2:10-11: “The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people

great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims;

but the Moabites call them Emims.”

• Side point: the English word “giants” in verse 11 is actually the same Hebrew word used

in the aforementioned Rephaim reference (H7497, Rapha).

Did you notice the words “ancient Canaanitish tribe”, “aboriginal tribe of Palestine” and “early

Canaanitish tribe” used in either the Strong’s or Wilson’s description of the word meanings? These

peoples had been on the earth a long time and were well established. Where do you think they came

from? That’s a study for another day!

II. Deuteronomy 2:10-11: “The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and

many, and tall, as the Anakims; which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but

the Moabites call them Emims.”

Anakims

The Anakims were descended from one Anak

• H6062 / ענקי an-aw-kee‘ / Patronymic from H6061; an Anakite or descendant of

Anak: - Anakim.

• H6061 / ענק aw-nawk‘ / The same as H6060; Anak, a Canaanite: - Anak.

• H6060 / ענק aw-nawk‘ / From H6059; a necklace (as if strangling): - chain.

• H6059 / ענק aw-nak‘ / A primitive root; properly to choke; used only as

denominative from H6060, to collar, that is, adorn with a necklace; figuratively to fit out

with supplies: - compass about as a chain, furnish, liberally.

• Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names defines Anak as “Neck-chain: Long-Necked”.

Do you think a giant’s neck might seem long to us? Yes, I think so. But it could also have been

that this particular line of giants had an unusually long neck anyway.

• Scriptures referencing Anak, the son of Arba:

• Jos 15:13 And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of

Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the

father of Anak, which city is Hebron.

• Side point: city of Arba = city of Hebron

• Jos 14:15 And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great

man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.

• Side point: city of Arba = city of Hebron = city of Kirjatharba

• Side point: the American Standard Version renders the verse as “Arba was the

greatest man among the Anakim.”

• Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions defines the word “Great” used

here (H1419, ga do l) as a possibility of many things. Consider: (1) large

in magnitude and extent, (2) in number, (3) in intensity, (4) loud in

sound, (5) older in age, (6) in importance, (7) in substance, (8) in

haughty things, or (9) simply in greatness.

• Num 13:22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman,

Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years

before Zoan in Egypt.)

• Side point: This Anak, son of Arba, had three distinguished descendants noted

here in the days of Moses and Joshua living in Hebron.

• Side point: Remember, this is the story of the 12 spies sent into the land by

Moses. Now, go read verses 23-33. Did you notice things like one cluster of

grapes had to borne between two grown men on a staff? Big men need big

food, huh? Did you notice verse 28? They said the people there “be strong”

and their cities were “walled” and “very great”. Giants would have been strong,

superhuman in fact. Their cities may have even been bigger than most and their

walls could have been much taller and stronger than most because giants may

have built them! Did you notice they also referenced the “children of Anak”

there? What did they call them in verse 33? They said they “saw the giants, the

sons of Anak, which come of the giants.” They said they were “as grasshoppers”

to them. Well, of course, they would have physically appeared so much smaller

than the giants. These were huge people!

III. Deuteronomy 2:18-23: “Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:

(19) And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them

not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of

Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a

possession. (20) (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in

old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; (21) A people great, and

many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they

succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: (22) As he did to the children of Esau,

which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they

succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day: (23) And the Avims

which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of

Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)”

Zamzummins

• Strong’s H2157 / זמזם / zamzo m / From H2161; intriguing; a Zamzumite, or native tribe of

Palestine: - Zamzummin.

• Strong’s H2161 / זמם / za mam / A primitive root; to plan, usually in a bad sense: - consider,

devise, imagine, plot, purpose, think (evil). • Notice that verses 20 and 21 directly says they were “as the Anakims”, the giants. They were a

people “great” and “tall”. • Notice also that they were destroyed by the LORD before the Ammonites dwelt in their land.

Perhaps this was an especially bad strain of giants and God was getting a head start on the annihilation of the giants?

Horims

• Strong’s H2752 / חרי / cho r y / From H2356; cave dweller or troglodyte; a Chorite or aboriginal

Idumaean: - Horims, Horites.

• Have you ever seem pictures of Petra? Have you ever seen the movie “Indiana Jones and the

Last Crusade”? If you have, you’ve seen Petra. Their excavated dwellings are still there in the

sandstone cliffs and mountains of Edom. Impressive dwellings. Go look at a picture and notice

the size of the front door. Ever wonder how normal man could build such awesome things?

Could it have been easier for giants?

Avims

• Strong’s H5757 / עּוי / ‛avviy / Patrial from H5755; an Avvite or native of Avvah (only plural): -

Avims, Avites.

• Strong’s H5755 / עּוה עּוא / ‛ivva h ‛avva '/ For H5754; Ivvah or Avva, a region of Assyria: - Ava,

Ivah

• Strong’s H5754 / עּוה / ‛avva h '/ Intensive from H5753 abbreviated; overthrow: - X overturn.

• Strong’s H5753 / עוה / ‛a va h / A primitive root, to crook, literally or figuratively: - do amiss, bow

down, make crooked, commit iniquity, pervert, (do) perverse (-ly), trouble, X turn, do wickedly, do wrong.

• So following the word meaning trail, we can see that these people may have been a wicked people, perverting good and overthrowing others. Sounds like it could be giants to me.

IV. Deuteronomy 3:1-5, 11: “Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the

king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. (2) And

the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his

land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the

Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. (3) So the LORD our God delivered into our

hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none

was left to him remaining. (4) And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a

city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the

kingdom of Og in Bashan. (5) All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and

bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.” (11) For only Og king of Bashan

remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it

not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four

cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

• Notice verse 5 states that the cities had “high” walls, gates and bars. Again, cities of

giants might be particularly taller than normal.

• Notice verse 11 outright states that Og was a remaining descendant of the giants.

Notice how large his bed was.

V. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2-51)

• Our most famous “gi t” sto is loc ted e e.

• Notice verse 4 states that he was from Gath. Look back at Joshua 11:21-22. Part of the

conquest of Canaan was an extermination of the giant race. However, they didn’t kill them

all. Notice what it says in verse 22: “There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the

children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.” We see this

statement is absolutely true over here in 1 Samuel 17!

VI. The brothers of Goliath (2 Samuel 21:15-22)

• “Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his

servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. (16) And 1Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three

hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain

David. (17) But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and

killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us

to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. (18) And it came to pass after this, that

there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew 2Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. (19) And there was again a battle in Gob with

the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew 3the brother of

Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. (20) And there was

yet a battle in Gath, where was 4a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers,

and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

(21) And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

(22) These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the

hand of his servants.”

• This verse describes four of Goliath’s brothers, though only two are called by name.

• This is very interesting (and highly coincidental) that counting Goliath, there were five (5)

giants. Didn’t David pick up “5 smooth stones”? (1 Samuel 17:40)

~ Enjoy! - Manuel Stricklin, 3/14/13