Giants in the Bible
How many giants were there?
THOUSANDS.
12 individual named giants mentioned in the Bible
RAPHA
Rapha, according to the Septuagint version of 2 Samuel 21:16, was the parent of Jesbi, the name in that version for the giant referred to in the Massoretic text as Ishbi-benob. In the Latin Vulgate, he is referred to as Arapha or Arafa.
The Masoretes – Library of Rickandria
Early ancestor of all the giant clans in what became the region of Palestine, which included the:
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Deu 2:10
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims. Deu 2:11
The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them. Deu 2:12
And Ishbibenob, 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. 2Sa 21:16
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. 2Sa 21:17
And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob:
then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. 2Sa 21:18
And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 2Sa 21:19
And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a 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. 2Sa 21:20
And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him. 2Sa 21:21
These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 2Sa 21:22
And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant:
and they were subdued. 1Ch 20:4
And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam. 1Ch 20:5
And yet again there was 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 the son of the giant. 1Ch 20:6
But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him. 1Ch 20:7
These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 1Ch 20:8
Father of a clan of giants living southern Cannaan.
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. Num 13:28
Forefather of Anak and the Anakim.
And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. Jos 21:11
Honored as:
“the greatest man among the Anakites”
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims.
And the land had rest from war. Jos 14:15
The Anakite name for Hebron was Kiriath-Arba meaning “City of Arba”.
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. Jos 15:13
SEPHER
Because Debir was an Anakite city like Hebron (Jos 11:21), and because the former Anakite name for Debir was Kiriath-Sepher meaning “City of Sepher,” it must be that Sepher was the name of another Anakite patriarch like Arba.
And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir:
and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher. Jos 15:15
Og (Hebrew: עוֹג, romanized: ʿŌg [ʕoɡ]; Arabic: عوج, romanized: ʿŪj [ʕuːdʒ]; Ancient Greek: ῍Ωγ, romanized: Ōg) was, according to the Hebrew Bible and other sources, an Amorite king of Bashan who was slain along with his army by Moses and his men at the battle of Edrei. In Arabic literature he is referred to as ʿŪj ibn ʿAnāq (عوج بن عنق, “Og son of Anaq,” Anaq being a daughter of Adam in Islamic tradition).
The king of Bashan identified as the last of “the Rephaites”.
Since other giants after Og are also Rephaites, the reference most likely means that Og was the last pure blooded (100%) giant sired by an angel mixing with a human woman (see explanation of the Nephilim).
Bashan where Og ruled is in the region of Mount Hermon, and that according to the book of Enoch is where angels sired the Nephilim.
Og is the largest giant mentioned in the Bible—his bed was 13.5 feet long meaning Og was himself about 13 feet tall.
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. Deu 3:11
Og with his army attacked the Israelites east of the Jordan in a battle at Edrei while they were still commanded by Moses.
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. Deu 3:1
Og was defeated and killed, and his territory was assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Manasseh (/məˈnæsə/) or Menashe (Hebrew: מְנַשֶּׁה, Modern: Mənašše, Tiberian: Mănašše) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the first son of Joseph and Asenath (Genesis 41:50–52). Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom the Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On (Genesis 41:50–52). Manasseh was born in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel from Canaan (Genesis 48:5).
AHIMAN
One of the three giant sons of Anak (the other two being Sheshai and Talmai) whom Caleb and the Israelite spies saw in Mount Hebron (Book of Numbers 13:22) when they went in to explore the Promised Land. They were afterwards driven out and slain (Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:10).
A descendant of Arba and Anak who lived in Kiriath-Arba (later named Hebron) when Israel invaded Canaan.
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.) Num 13:22
One of 3 giants driven out of Hebron by Caleb.
And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. Jdg 1:10
And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. Jos 15:14
And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said:
and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. Jdg 1:20
SHESHAI
Sheshai /ˈʃiːˌʃaɪ/ (Biblical Hebrew: שֵׁשַׁי, romanized: Šēšay) was a clan of Anakim living in Hebron named for a son of Anak in the Bible (Numbers 13:22). The clans were driven out of the city by Caleb (Joshua 15:14) and the Tribe of Judah (Judges 1:10).
The two brothers of Sheshai were Ahiman and Talmai.
The Egyptologists and archaeologists Aharon Kempinski and Donald B. Redford have proposed that Sheshi, a Canaanite king ruling over parts of Egypt for some time between 1750 BC and 1650 BC during the Second Intermediate Period, may be the historical figure that gave rise to the Biblical Sheshai.
TALMAI
Talmai, Ahiman and Sheshai were Nephilim, three giant sons of Anak whom Caleb and the spies saw in Mount Hebron (Book of Numbers 13:22) when they went in to explore the land. They were afterwards driven out and slain (Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:10).
GOLIATH
Goliath (/ɡəˈlaɪəθ/ gə-LY-əth) was a Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath’s immense stature vary among biblical sources, with various texts describing him as either 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) or 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challenge to the Israelites, daring them to send forth a champion to engage him in single combat; he was ultimately defeated by the young shepherd David, employing a sling and stone as a weapon. The narrative signified King Saul’s unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for the Kingdom of Israel. Some modern scholars believe that the original slayer of Goliath may have been Elhanan, son of Jair, who features in 2 Samuel 21:19, in which Elhanan kills Goliath the Gittite, and that the authors of the Deuteronomistic history changed the original text to credit the victory to the more famous figure David. The phrase “David and Goliath” has taken on a more popular meaning denoting an underdog situation, a contest wherein a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger adversary.
And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 2 Samuel 21:19
The “champion” of the Philistine army opposing the Israelites under Saul.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 1 Sam 17:4 KJV
He was 9 feet tall, wore armor weighing 125 pounds, and his spearhead weighed 15 pounds.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 1Sa 17:4
And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 1Sa 17:5
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 1Sa 17:6
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. 1Sa 17:7
Was descended from the Anakim giants whom Joshua allowed to survive in:
- Gaza
- Gath
- Ashdod
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. Jos 11:22
LAHMI
One of the giants living in Gath.
The brother of Goliath.
Was killed by one of David’s men named Elhanan son of Jair.
And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 2Sa 21:19
Used a spear of similar size to one used by Goliath.
And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam. 1Ch 20:5
One of the giants living in Gath with the Philistines in southern Canaan.
Was killed by David’s nephew Abishai, son of David’s sister Zeruiah, who rescued David when this giant went after David during a battle between the Philistines and Israelites.
Abishai was a military leader under the biblical King David. He was the eldest son of David’s sister Zeruiah. According to Josephus (Antiquities, VII, 1, 3) his father was called Suri. The meaning of his name is “Father of a gift”.
He was the brother of Joab and Asahel.
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. 2Sa 21:15
And Ishbibenob, 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. 2Sa 21:16
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. 2Sa 21:17
These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 2Sa 21:22
Used a spearhead weighing 7.5 pounds (2 Sam 21:16) which was merely half the size of Goliath’s spearhead.
SAPH also called SIPPAI
One of the giants subjugated by the Philistines in southern Canaan.
Another giant who lived with the Philistines in Gath.
Was killed by one of David’s men named Sibbachai the Hushathite
Discovering Sibbekai: A Giant-Slayer’s Legacy
And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant:
and they were subdued. 1Ch 20:4
These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 1Ch 20:8
And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob:
then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. 2Sa 21:18
These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 2Sa 21:22
Unnamed individual giants mentioned in the Bible
A giant with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot.
And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a 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. 2Sa 21:20
And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him. 2Sa 21:21
These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 2Sa 21:22
And yet again there was 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 the son of the giant. 1Ch 20:6
But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him. 1Ch 20:7
These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. 1Ch 20:8
One of the giants subjugated by the Philistines in southern Canaan.
Another giant who lived with the Philistines in Gath.
Taunted Israel in battle and was killed Jonathan, the son David’s brother Shimea.
A “huge Egyptian”.
And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour.
But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. 2Sa 2:21
And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 1Ch 11:23
Was 7.5 feet tall.
Was killed by Benaiah son of Jehoiada.
Benaiah was unarmed but snatched away the Egyptian’s own spear and killed him with it
Families of giants mentioned in the Bible
Families of Anakites living in Hebron and Debir.
And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it: Jos 10:36
And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein. Jos 10:37
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it: Jos 10:38
And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining:
as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king. Jos 10:39
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. Jos 14:12
And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Jos 14:13
Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. Jos 14:14
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. Jos 14:15
Goliath’s family of giants who lived in Gath.
And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 2Sa 21:19
And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam. 1Ch 20:5
At least 3 cities of giants mentioned in the Bible
Anakites giants lived in 3 of their own cities:
- Hebron (formerly Kiriath-Arba)
- Debir (formerly Kiriath-Sepher)
- Anab
These Anakite cities were located:
“in the hill country of Judah”
And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel:
Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities. Jos 11:21
Some Anakite giants also resided with the Philistines
Philistine cities where Anakite giants resided included:
These Philistine cities with Anakite residents were located on the coastal plain below the hill country of Judah.
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. Jos 11:22
Anakite giants of southern Canaan lived in:
“large cities that have walls up to the sky”
A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Deu 9:2
This most likely referred to the Anakite cities of:
- Hebron
- Debir
- Anab
May or may not have referred to the Philistine cities of:
- Gaza
- Gath
- Ashdod
Clans of giants mentioned in the Bible
ANAKITES or ANAKIM or SONS OF ANAK
Were Rephaites meaning they were giants descended from Rapha, a subgroup descended from the Nephilim.
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims. Deu 2:11
Were giants descended from the Nephilim.
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. Num 13:33
Were:
“people of great size”
And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. Num 13:32
Were:
“stronger and taller”
than regular people.
Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. Deu 1:28
A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Deu 9:2
Were all descendants of a giant named Arba.
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. Jos 15:13
And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. Jos 21:11
Were descendants of a giant named Anak who lived in southern Canaan.
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.) Num 13:22
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. Num 13:28
EMITES or EMIM
Described as:
“strong and numerous”
and
“tall as the Anakites”
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Deu 2:10
Were Rephaites meaning they were giants descended from Rapha, a subgroup descended from the Nephilim.
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, Gen 14:5
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims. Deu 2:11
Rapha, according to the Septuagint version of 2 Samuel 21:16, was the parent of Jesbi, the name in that version for the giant referred to in the Massoretic text as Ishbi-benob.
And Ishbibenob, 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. 2 Samuel 21:16
In the Latin Vulgate, he is referred to as Arapha or Arafa.
The Masoretes – Library of Rickandria
Lived east of the Jordan river in a region of Moab.
Were defeated in Abraham’s day by King Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:5)
Chedorlaomer, also spelled Kedorlaomer (/ˌkɛdərˈleɪəmər/; Hebrew: כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר, Modern: Kədorla’ōmer, Tiberian: Kŏḏorlā‘ōmer; Greek: Χοδολλογομόρ Khodollogomor), is a king of Elam mentioned in Genesis 14. Genesis portrays him as allied with three other kings, campaigning against five Canaanite city-states in response to an uprising in the days of Abraham.
ZAMZUMMITES or ZAMZUMMIM or ZUZITES or ZUZIM
Described as: (Deu 2:21)
“strong and numerous”
and
“tall as the Anakites”
Were Rephaites (Gen 14:5; Deut 2:20) meaning they were giants descended from Rapha, a subgroup descended from the Nephilim.
Lived east of the Jordan river in the region of the Ammonites (Deu 2:20).
Were defeated in Abraham’s day by King Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:5).
Were later destroyed by the Ammonites (Deu 2:21).
HORITES
Were Rephaites (Gen 14:5-6) meaning they were giants descended from Rapha, a subgroup descended from the Nephilim.
Lived in the:
“hill country of Seir”
a region of Edom.
And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. Gen 14:6
The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them. Deu 2:12
Were defeated in Abraham’s day by King Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:5-6).
Were later destroyed by:
“the descendants of Esau,”
the Edomites.
Esau is the elder son of Isaac in the Hebrew Bible. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis and by the prophets Obadiah and Malachi. The story of Jacob and Esau reflects the historical relationship between Israel and Edom, aiming to explain why Israel, despite being a younger kingdom, dominated Edom. The Christian New Testament alludes to him in the Epistle to the Romans and in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
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: Deu 2:22
AVVITES
Mentioned only once at the end of a list of Rephaites.
Lived in the coast land of southern Canaan in villages near Gaza.
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.) Deu 2:23
Were destroyed and replaced by the Caphtorites (ancestors of the Philistines who arrived from the island of Cypress/Caphtor).
An entire race of giants mentioned in the Bible
Race of “renown heros” resulting from the sexual mixing of angels (sons of God) with human women (Gen 6:2)
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. Gen 6:2
“Heroes” in Gen 6:2 were not necessarily good people.
Nephilim were “heroes” in the same sense that Goliath was called a “hero” of the Philistines.
Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.
And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 1 Sam 17:51
This resulted in offspring of exceptional size and strength.
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. Num 13:33
This giant race aggravated the exceptional wickedness of men living before the flood and was a factor in God’s decision to “wipe mankind from the face of the earth” by a flood.
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:5
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Gen 6:6
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. Gen 6:7
Angels continued siring Nephilim with human women even after the flood (Gen 6:4) which explains why descendants of the Nephilim resided in Canaan when Israel invaded under Joshua (Num 13:33).
According to Jude, Enoch son of Jared, before the flood, in the 7 generation following Adam, stood firm against an explosion of wickedness among men that led to angelic intervention.
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, Jde 1:14
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Jde 1:15
Since the sort of wickedness to which Jude refers required angelic intervention, it may well have concerned the Nephilim.
REPHAITES or REPHAIM or DESCENDANTS OF RAPHA
Initially referred to descendants of an individual giant named Rapha, and then became general term for several giant clans living in the region of Canaan.
Rephaites were Nephilim because the Anakites (a clan of Rephaites) are identified as Nephilim. (Num 13:33)
Rephaite clans included:
- the Anakim
- the Emim
- the Zamzummim
- the Horites
- the Avvites
Were in the region of Canaan during Abraham’s day.
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, Gen 15:20
Several Rephaite clans were defeated by King Chedorlaomer in Abraham’s day (Gen 14:5-6).
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, Gen 14:5
And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. Gen 14:6
Og, King of Bashan, is identified as the last individual “remnant of the Rephaites”.
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. Deu 3:11
But since other giants after Og are also referred to as Rephaites, this reference most likely means that Og was the last pure blooded (100%) giant sired by an angel mixing with a human woman
Giant killers named in the Bible
CHEDORLAOMER, the king of Elam (region of Persia) who defeated several clans of giant people in the region of Canaan during the day of Abraham (Gen 14:5-6).
The unknown Israelite who killed Og, the giant king of Bashan (Deu 3:3).
Caleb (/ˈkeɪləb/ KAY-ləb; Hebrew: כָּלֵב, Tiberian vocalization: Kālēḇ, Modern Israeli Hebrew: Kalév [kaˈlev]) is a figure who appears in the Hebrew Bible as a representative of the Tribe of Judah during the Israelites‘ journey to the Promised Land. Following the Israelite conquest of Canaan, Caleb was described as a Kenizzite and is said to have received lands originally intended for the Tribe of Judah. The Calebites, his descendants, likely comprised a mixed population of Edomite and Judean elements. They resided in southern Judah and in the northern part of the Negev region. A reference to him is also found in the Quran, although his name is not mentioned (Al-Ma’idah: 20–26).
CALEB who killed the giants:
- Ahiman
- Sheshai
- Talmai
And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. Jos 15:14
And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. Jdg 1:10
And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said:
and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. Jdg 1:20
OTHNIEL, Caleb’s son-in-law, who killed giants living in Debir (Josh 15:17; 10:39)
Othniel (/ˈɒθniəl/; Hebrew: עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן־קְנַז, ʿOṯnīʾēl ben Qǝnaz) was the first of the biblical judges. The etymology of his name is uncertain but may mean “God/He is my strength” or “God has helped me”.
David
David (/ˈdeɪvɪd/; Biblical Hebrew: דָּוִד, romanized: Dāwīḏ, “beloved one”) was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
DAVID who killed the giant Goliath.
Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.
And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 1 Sam 17:51
BENAIAH, SON OF JEHOIADA who killed a “huge Egyptian” who was 7.5 feet tall (1 Chron 11:23)
ELHANAN, SON OF JAIR who killed the giant Lahmi, brother of Goliath (2 Sam 21:19;1 Chron 20:5)
ABISHAI, SON OF ZERUIAH, David’s nephew, who killed the giant Ishbi-Benob (2 Sam 21:16-17)
SIBBACHAI, THE HUSHATHITE who killed the giant either called Saph or Sippai (2 Sam 21:18; 1 Chron 20:4)
JONATHAN, SON OF SHIMEA, David’s nephew, who killed an unnamed giant with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot (2 Sam 21:20-21; 1 Chron 20:6-7)
Regions where giants lived
The “region of Argob” in Bashan ruled by Og the giant king (Deu 3:4)
Anakites were scattered throughout the “hill country of Judah and Israel” (Josh 11:21)
The main Anakite centers were the cities of:
- Hebron (formerly Kiriath-Arba)
- Debir (formerly Kiriath-Sepher)
- Anab in the hill country of Judah
(Josh 11:21)
Some Anakites also lived in the coastal plain region with the Philistines in the cities of:
- Gaza
- Gath
- Ashdod
(Josh 11:22)
Emim lived east of the Jordan river in a region of Moab (Gen 14:5; Deu 2:11).
Zamzummim lived east of the Jordan river in the region of the Ammonites (Deu 2:20).
Horites lived below the Dead Sea in the “hill country of Seir” (Gen 14:6; Deu 2:12) a
region of Edom
Avvites lived in the coast land of southern Canaan in villages near Gaza (Deu 2:23)
The place where a coalition of eastern kings led by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam (in the region of Persia) defeated the combined armies of several giant clans was named Shaveh Kiriathaim (Wasteland of Kiriathaim).
This place is a valley located in the high plain above the Arnon River east of the Dead Sea in the region of Moab (Gen 14:5).
How the clans of giant were related
Arba was the “forefather of Anak,” the patriarch of the Anakim clan (Josh 15:13; 21:11)
Anakim were descended from the Nephilim. (Num 13:33)
Rapha was the early ancestor of all the giant clans living throughout the region of what became Palestine. Giant clans descended from Rapha were referred to as Rephaites and
included:
- the Anakites
- the Emites
- the Zamzummites
- the Horites
- the Avvites
- Gen 14:5-6
- Deu 2:10-12,23
- 2 Sam 21:16,18,20,22
- 1 Chron 20:4,6,8
Since the Anakites were giants descended both from Rapha (Deu 2:10-11) and the
Nephilim (Num 13:33), that means all Rephaites (descendants of Rapha) were descended
from the Nephilim.
The Nephilim were the original giants (Gen 6:4).
Key stories involving giants
- HORITES
- AVVITES
A race of giants called Nephilim begin with angels mixing with women not only before
but also after the flood (Gen 6:1-4).
Chedorlaomer, king of Elam (region of Persia), forms a coalition of kings who invade the
region of Canaan and defeated several clans of giant people descended from the Nephilim
during the day of Abraham (Gen 14:5-6).
Spies sent by Moses discover giants (descendants of the Nephilim) living in walled cities
in southern Canaan.
10 of the spies conclude that opposing the giants was hopeless, but
Caleb and Joshua had faith that God would enable them to overcome (Num 13:27-33).
Moses leads Israel in killing Og the giant king of Bashan and defeating his entire army.
Israel then takes the land of Bashan at their own (Deu 3:1-11).
Caleb drives out and kills all the giants living in Hebron, formally called Kiriath-Arba,
(Josh 10:36-37; 14:12-15)
Othniel, Caleb’s son-in-law, drives out and kills all the giants living in Debir, formerly
called Kiriath-Sepher, (Josh 10:38-39; 15:15-17)
Joshua destroys all the Anakites except those in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod (Josh 11:22)
Philistines destroy the Avvites near Gaza (Deut 2:23) and subdue other giant clans in
southern Canaan (1 Chron 20:4).
Moabites subdue the Emim living in the region of Moab (Deu 2:11).
Ammonites drive out the Zamzummim living in the region of Ammon (Deu 2:21).
Edomites drive out the Horites living in the region of Edom (Deu 2:12).
David kills the giant Goliath (1 Sam 17:51).
Benaiah, son of Jehoiada kills a 7.5 foot Egyptian (1 Chron 11:23).
Elhanan kills the giant Lahmi (2 Sam 21:19; 1 Chron 20:5).
Abishai kills the giant Ishi-Benob (2 Sam 21:16-17).
Sibbachai kills the giant called Saph or Sippai (2 Sam 21:18; 1 Chron 20:4).
Jonathan son of Shimea kills the unnamed giant with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on
each foot (2 Sam 21:20-21; 1 Chron 20:6-7).
Where did all these giants come from?
All giants in the Bible are descended from the Nephilim.
The name Nephilim literally means “fallen ones”.
The Nephilim came from angels mixing with human women (Gen 6:2), which occurred
not only before but also after the flood (Gen 6:4).
Not all theologians agree, but this is the only explanation that explains why their offspring (the Nephilim) would be unusually strong and tall (aside from incestuous inbreeding as in the case of Canaan with Ham’s illicit union with his mother – creating his own brother son).
This is a very ancient interpretation supported by the book of Enoch.
Enoch is not part of the Bible, but its reliability is validated by the book of Jude in the Bible which includes a quote taken from the book of Enoch (Jude 1:14-15).
The book of Enoch records how
“in the days of Jared”
(who lived before Noah and died just before the flood) angels disobeyed God (defiled themselves) by having sexual relations with women who gave birth to a race of giants called the Nephilim.
Jared or Jered (Hebrew: יֶרֶד Yereḏ, in pausa יָרֶד Yāreḏ, “to descend”; Greek: Ἰάρετ or Ἰάρεδ Iáret; Arabic: يَارَد Yārad), in the Book of Genesis, was a sixth-generation descendant of Adam and Eve. His primary history is recounted in Genesis 5:18–20.
The book of Enoch also reports that all this activity involving angels and women (activity giving rise to the Nephilim) took place in the region geographically located near (or on) Mount Hermon just north of Bashan (where the giant Og later reigned as king).
Mount Hermon (Arabic: جبل الشيخ / ALA-LC: Jabal al-Shaykh (‘Mountain of the Sheikh‘, Levantine Arabic pronunciation: [ʒa.bal eʃ.ʃeːx]), Hebrew: הַר חֶרְמוֹן, Har Ḥermōn) is a mountain cluster constituting the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m (9,232 ft) above sea level, is the highest point in Syria, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. On the top, in the United Nations buffer zone between Syrian and Israeli-occupied territories, is the highest permanently manned UN position in the world, known as “Hermon Hotel”, located at 2,814 meters (9,232 ft). The southern slopes of Mount Hermon extend to the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, where the Mount Hermon ski resort is located with a top elevation of 2,040 meters (6,690 ft).
This interpretation not only explains the origin of giants in the Bible, but also explains the reference in the New Testament to angels who are now imprisoned waiting judgment because in the days of Noah they “disobeyed” God (1Pe 3:19) by
“not keeping their position”
and
“leaving their properly assigned place” (Jude 1:6)
Observations about giants mentioned in the Bible
It appears that the race of giants mentioned in the Bible as existing after Noah’s flood began in the region of Mount Hermon, east of the Jordan and north of Bashan
Over time, this race of giants evolved into various clannal (tribal) groups some of whom migrated southward east of the Jordan River through the region of Ammon, then to Moab and lastly to Edom (south of the Dead Sea).
Eventually some branches of this giant race migrated across the Jordan River with some settling into the hill country of southern Canaan, and some migrating as far as the coastal plain in the region of Gaza.
While these giant descendants of the Nephilim were much larger and stronger that other men and for that reason struck fear in those who opposed them, it also appears they were not especially bright (and were perhaps slow) because they lost to everyone who opposed them—the coalition led by Chedorlaomer,
- the Philistines
- the Moabites
- the Ammonites
and the Edomites, as well as the Israelites.
Over time this race of giants intermarried with non-giants, and king Og of Bashan seems to have been the last of the original race or pure blood descendants of the Nephilim.
This may also explain why giants in the Bible were growing shorter over time.
During the day of Moses, the giant Og was 13 feet tall, but 400 years later in David’s day the giant Goliath was just 9 feet tall.
And Goliath’s younger colleague, Ishbi-Benob, seems to have been weaker than Goliath because he used a spearhead that was only half the size of Goliath’s spearhead.
The Israelites under Joshua (especially Caleb) destroyed most of the race of giants remaining in the region of Canaan.
But they did not destroy all because they left a few who were living in the Philistine cities of:
- Gaza
- Gath
- Ashdod
The giants killed by David and his men about 200 or 300 years later were not 100% pure blood giants (they were mixed blooded) and were the last remaining vestiges of those who were descended from the Nephilim.
No giants survived anywhere on earth after David rose to power in about 1005 BC.
Why were giants born and why did God allow it?
The angels who disobeyed God by mixing with women to generate a race of giants where not the same angels who fell in Satan’s rebellion before the Garden of Eden.
This second group of fallen angels were motivated by different reasons than the first group, and their reasons seem to have something to do with generating a race of beings (the Nephilim) that were neither entirely human nor entirely angelic.
What these angels did parroted God’s idea of incarnation (embodiment of divinity).
This angered God by interfering with his plan for redeeming humanity, and it is likely that the reason motivating the angels who did this had something to do with redemption.
That is, they may have been trying to force God to include their fallen colleagues (angels who fell with Satan) in his plan to redeem humanity.
Their logic may have been that, if God saved angels mixed with men, then he would have to save fallen angels as well as fallen men.
What those angels planned did not work.
But since nothing takes God by surprise, and since nothing ever occurs outside God’s control, that means God must have known what was occurring and allowed it for some time not only before but also after Noah’s flood.
And if God allowed it to occur for as long as he did, then He must have had a really good reason for allowing this mixed race of angelic-human giants to grow into quite a sizeable population.
The Bible does not reveal God’s reasons for allowing this race of giants to arise (especially after the flood), but they most likely have something to do with:
- Affirming the justice of God’s punishment of fallen angels
- Affirming the uniqueness of God’s plan for redeeming fallen humanity
- Affirming the fairness of excluding angels from God’s redemption of men
- Demonstrating God’s absolute control over the means of salvation and the impossibility of ever manipulating God eternal plan to redeem humanity without in any way compromising the fairness of eternal damnation for fallen angels
- Highlighting the amazing wonder of God incarnating himself in order to save fallen men and women who repent.
The Women in the Jesus Bloodline – Library of Rickandria
GIANTS – Library of Rickandria