Giants
<< Giant
Giants

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) Hebrews nephilim, meaning "violent" or "causing to fall" (Genesis 6:4). These were the violent tyrants of those days, those who fell upon others. The word may also be derived from a root signifying "wonder," and hence "monsters" or "prodigies." In Numbers 13:33 this name is given to a Canaanitish tribe, a race of large stature, "the sons of Anak." The Revised Version, in these passages, simply transliterates the original, and reads "Nephilim."

(2.) Hebrews rephaim, a race of giants (Deuteronomy 3:11) who lived on the east of Jordan, from whom Og was descended. They were probably the original inhabitants of the land before the immigration of the Canaanites. They were conquered by Chedorlaomer (Genesis 14:5), and their territories were promised as a possession to Abraham (15:20). The Anakim, Zuzim, and Emim were branches of this stock.

In Job 26:5 (R.V., "they that are deceased;" marg., "the shades, " the "Rephaim") and Isaiah 14:9 this Hebrew word is rendered (A.V.) "dead." It means here "the shades," the departed spirits in Sheol. In Samuel 21:16, 18, 20, 33, "the giant" is (A.V.) the rendering of the singular form ha raphah, which may possibly be the name of the father of the four giants referred to here, or of the founder of the Rephaim. The Vulgate here reads "Arapha," whence Milton (in Samson Agonistes) has borrowed the name "Harapha." (See also 1 Chron. 20:5, 6, 8; Deuteronomy 2:11, 20; 3:13; Joshua 15:8, etc., where the word is similarly rendered "giant.") It is rendered "dead" in (A.V.) Psalm 88:10; Proverbs 2:18; 9:18; 21:16: in all these places the Revised Version marg. has "the shades." (See also Isaiah 26:14.)

(3.) Hebrews `Anakim (Deuteronomy 2:10, 11, 21; Joshua 11:21, 22; 14:12, 15; called "sons of Anak, " Numbers 13:33; "children of Anak, 13:22; Joshua 15:14), a nomad race of giants descended from Arba (Joshua 14:15), the father of Anak, that dwelt in the south of Palestine near Hebron (Genesis 23:2; Joshua 15:13). They were a Cushite tribe of the same race as the Philistines and the Egyptian shepherd kings. David on several occasions encountered them (2 Samuel 21:15-22). From this race sprung Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4).

(4.) Hebrews `emin, a warlike tribe of the ancient Canaanites. They were "great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims" (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:10, 11).

(5.) Hebrews Zamzummim (q.v.), Deuteronomy 2:20 so called by the Amorites.

(6.) Hebrews gibbor (Job 16:14), a mighty one, i.e., a champion or hero. In its plural form (gibborim) it is rendered "mighty men" (2 Samuel 23:8-39; 1 Kings 1:8; 1 Chronicles 11:9-47; 29:24.) The band of six hundred whom David gathered around him when he was a fugitive were so designated. They were divided into three divisions of two hundred each, and thirty divisions of twenty each. The captians of the thirty divisions were called "the thirty," the captains of the two hundred "the three," and the captain over the whole was called "chief among the captains" (2 Samuel 23:8). The sons born of the marriages mentioned in Genesis 6:4 are also called by this Hebrew name.

Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia

GIANTS

ji'-ants The word appears in the King James Version as the translation of the Hebrew words nephilim (Genesis 6:4 Numbers 13:33); repha'im (Deuteronomy 2:11, 20; Deuteronomy 3:11, 13 Joshua 12:4, etc.); rapha' (1 Chronicles 20:4, 6, 8), or raphah (2 Samuel 21:16, 18, 20, 22); in one instance of gibbor, literally, "mighty one" (Job 16:14).

In the first two cases the Revised Version (British and American) changes "giants" into the Hebrew words "Nephilim," nephilim, and "Rephaim," repha'im, respectively (see these words). The "Nephilim of Genesis 6:4 are not to be confounded with the "mighty men" subsequently described as the offspring of the unlawful marriages, of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men." It is told that they overspread the earth prior to these unhallowed unions. That the word, whatever its etymology, bears the sense of men of immense stature is evident from the later passages; Numbers 13:33. The same is true of the "Rephaim," as shown by the instance of Og (Deuteronomy 3:11 Joshua 12:4). There is no doubt about the meaning of the word in the ease of the giants mentioned in 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20.

See also ANTEDILUVIANS.

James Orr

GIANTS, VALLEY OF THE

See REPHAIM, VALLEY OF.

VALLEY OF GIANTS

See REPHAIM, VALE OF.

Multi-Version Concordance

Giants (18 Occurrences)

Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (KJV DBY WBS)

Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (KJV DBY WBS)

Deuteronomy 2:11 Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims. (KJV DBY WBS)

Deuteronomy 2:20 (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; (KJV DBY WBS)

Deuteronomy 3:11 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. (KJV DBY WBS)

Deuteronomy 3:13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. (KJV DBY WBS)

Joshua 12:4 And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, (KJV DBY WBS)

Joshua 13:12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out. (KJV DBY WBS)

Joshua 15:8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward: (KJV WBS)

Joshua 17:15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. (KJV DBY WBS)

Joshua 18:16 And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to Enrogel, (KJV WBS)

2 Samuel 21:16 And Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with new armour, thought to have slain David. (See RSV)

2 Samuel 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. (See RSV)

2 Samuel 21:20 And there was again war at Gath, where was a champion, 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. (See RSV)

2 Samuel 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. (See RSV)

1 Chronicles 20:4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued. (See JPS NAS RSV)

1 Chronicles 20:6 And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born unto the giant. (See NAS RSV)

1 Chronicles 20:8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. (See NAS RSV)




<< Giant
Giants

Reference Bible