Deuteronomy 2:10-11
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The name "Emim" itself means "terrible ones," highlighting that their terrifying reputation, due to their imposing stature, preceded them. This detail isn't just descriptive; it foreshadows the immense challenge and fear Israel would face, implying that even before seeing these giants, their reputation was enough to strike dread.
(The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just instructed Israel not to provoke or fight the Moabites, explaining that their land has already been given to Lot's descendants. This verse then briefly interrupts that instruction to describe who used to live in the land now occupied by the Moabites: the Emim, a people described as great, numerous, and as tall as the Anakim, setting the stage for understanding the powerful inhabitants Israel would encounter in the region. These descriptions of ancient, formidable peoples explain why these lands were given to Lot's descendants and Esau's descendants, rather than directly to Israel at this point.
Why give these people a name that means 'terrible' or 'frightful'? Discover the power packed into a single word.
The Emim, mentioned in this verse, had a name that spoke volumes about their reputation. The name 'Emim' itself is linked to a Hebrew word that means 'terrible' or 'frightful.' This wasn't just a casual nickname; it described a people known for striking fear into others, likely due to their immense size and strength, as the verse compares them to the Anakim.
This highlights how descriptions and reputations can be powerful. Their name served as a warning, a testament to their formidable presence in the land long before Israel arrived. It’s a reminder that people and nations often carry a legacy, defined by their actions and their perceived power.
Before Israel claimed the Promised Land, powerful nations already lived there. What does this tell us about God's plans?
This verse, and the surrounding context, reveals that the land Israel was destined to inherit was already occupied by formidable peoples like the Emim. They were described as 'great and many, and tall,' suggesting a significant and established population.
However, the broader narrative in Deuteronomy emphasizes that these lands were divinely allocated. God had a plan for the territory, and while powerful inhabitants like the Emim once possessed it, their dominion was temporary. The Moabites (in whose former territory the Emim lived) and the Edomites had already taken possession of lands previously held by these giants, illustrating a pattern of divine sovereignty over land and nations.
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This sets the stage for Israel’s own conquest, reminding them that their inheritance wasn't an empty land, but one that God had sovereignly prepared and would grant them, even against powerful opposition.
Understand the original words
Emim · Hebrew Noun
A group of ancient, pre-Israelite inhabitants often described as having formidable size or stature, emphasizing their dominance or fearsome nature in the land before God's people arrived.
Anakim · Hebrew Noun
A legendary, ancient people known for their extraordinary physical size and height, often representing significant obstacles or enemies in the conquest narrative.
Anāqîm · Hebrew Noun
A group of people described in the Old Testament as giants or men of great stature, often associated with the original inhabitants of Canaan. Their existence served as a source of fear for the Israelites but also highlighted the power of God in giving the land to His people.
Rephā'îm · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to ancient giants or a race of people known for their immense size. In scripture, they are often linked to pre-Israelite inhabitants of the promised land and symbolize formidable human obstacles.
'Êmîm · Hebrew Noun
A name given by the Moabites to a group of giants, reflecting the local cultural identification of these ancient inhabitants of the land. The name carries connotations of terror or awe.
The mention of the Emim, a people noted for their size and strength, serves as a powerful reminder that God has a history of dispossessing powerful nations to give land to His people. It underscores God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to Abraham's descendants.
c. 2000 BC
Chedorlaomer's Campaign
King Chedorlaomer of Elam and his allies wage war, defeating the Emim (also called Rephaim or Zuzim) in their land and taking plunder. This event is recorded in Genesis 14.
c. 1800 BC - 1400 BC
Moabite Settlement
The Moabites, descendants of Lot, settle in the land east of the Jordan River, displacing the Emim who had previously lived there.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Leave Egypt
The Israelites depart from Egypt, beginning their 40-year journey through the wilderness.
c. 1380 BC— this verse
Israelites Denied Passage Through Edom and Moab
Approaching the Promised Land from the south, the Israelites are prohibited by God from fighting or taking land from the descendants of Esau (Edom) and Lot (Moab).
c. 1380 BC
Israelites Conquer Sihon and Og
After being denied passage through Edom and Moab, the Israelites defeat Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, taking possession of their lands east of the Jordan.
This passage gives the earliest mention of the Emim (called 'Rephaim' here) and shows they were already a known people in the time of Abraham, being conquered by Chedorlaomer.
Numbers 13:33This verse directly compares the descendants of Anak (Anakim) to giants, reinforcing the description of the Emim in Deuteronomy as being similarly tall and imposing.
Joshua 13:12This verse confirms that Og, king of Bashan, was a remnant of the giants (also called Rephaim) who had previously inhabited the land, showing the Emim were part of a larger group of formidable ancient peoples.
Jeremiah 49:6This prophecy speaks of the Ammonites, who succeeded the Zamzummim (another giant-like people mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:20), suggesting a pattern of God dispossessing formidable peoples for new inhabitants.
gillDeuteronomy 2:10: "The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;"
The Emims dwelt there in time past,.... We read of them as early as the times of Chedorlaomer, Genesis 14:5 when their dwelling was in Kirjathaim, a city which Sihon king of the Amorites took from the Moabites, and which being taken from him, was with others given to the tribe of Reuben, Numbers 32:37 . These are by some thought to be the same with the Yemim which Anah found and met wi…
clarkeDeuteronomy 2:10: "The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;"
The Emims dwelt therein - Calmet supposes that these people were destroyed in the war made against them by Chedorlaomer and his allies, Genesis 14:5 . Lot possessed their country after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are generally esteemed as giants; probably they were a hardy, fierce, and terrible people, who lived, like the wandering Arabs, on the plunder of others. This…
The name "Emim" itself means "terrible ones," highlighting that their terrifying reputation, due to their imposing stature, preceded them. This detail isn't just descriptive; it foreshadows the immense challenge and fear Israel would face, implying that even before seeing these giants, their reputation was enough to strike dread.
God has just instructed Israel not to provoke or fight the Moabites, explaining that their land has already been given to Lot's descendants. This verse then briefly interrupts that instruction to describe who used to live in the land now occupied by the Moabites: the Emim, a people described as great, numerous, and as tall as the Anakim, setting the stage for understanding the powerful inhabitants Israel would encounter in the region. These descriptions of ancient, formidable peoples explain why these lands were given to Lot's descendants and Esau's descendants, rather than directly to Israel at this point.
God has just instructed Israel not to provoke or fight the Moabites, explaining that their land has already been given to Lot's descendants. This verse then briefly interrupts that instruction to describe who used to live in the land now occupied by the Moabites: the Emim, a people described as great, numerous, and as tall as the Anakim, setting the stage for understanding the powerful inhabitants Israel would encounter in the region. These descriptions of ancient, formidable peoples explain why these lands were given to Lot's descendants and Esau's descendants, rather than directly to Israel at this point.
"(The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim." — The name "Emim" itself means "terrible ones," highlighting that their terrifying reputation, due to their imposing stature, preceded them. This detail isn't just descriptive; it foreshadows the immen…
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Last reviewed October 2026
