Giants: 1. Heb. 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. Heb. 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
(Genesis 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
(2 Samuel 21:16,18,20,22) "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 Chronicles 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.)
(Psalms 88:10)
(Proverbs 2:18; 9:18; 21:16) in all these places the Revised Version
marg. has "the shades." (See also)
(Isaiah 03:14)
3. Heb. 'Anakim
(Deuteronomy 2:10,11,21; Joshua 11:21,22; 14:12,15) called "sons
of Anak,"
(Numbers 13:33) "children of Anak,"
(Numbers 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. Heb. '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. Heb. Zamzummim (q.v.),
(Deuteronomy 2:20) so called by the Amorites.
6. Heb. 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.
