Deuteronomy 2:10-12
(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 Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.)
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text highlights the Emim as "a people great and many, and tall, as the Anakim," but the crucial insight is the naming of this fearsome group. Their name, "Emim," is directly linked to the word for "terror" or "dread" in the ancient language, revealing that their reputation for might and stature was not just physical, but deeply instilled fear in all who encountered them. This detail underscores the powerful opposition Israel would face and the supernatural strength God provided.
God has just told the Israelites not to bother the Moabites, explaining that He gave them their land. Moses then pauses the narrative to describe who the Emim were, a giant, formidable people who formerly lived in that region, highlighting their immense stature and numbers just like the Anakim. This description serves as a preamble to explaining how other peoples, like the Moabites and Edomites, came to possess lands previously held by these formidable groups, setting the stage for Israel's own conquest of Canaan.
The Bible mentions groups of people who were 'great and many, and tall.' But was their size the only thing that made them stand out?
When we read about people like the Emim, it's easy to focus just on their physical stature. The text here in Deuteronomy 2:10 describes them as 'great and many, and tall, as the Anakim.' The commentaries highlight that their name, 'Emim,' likely means 'terrible' or 'frightful.' This suggests their fearsome reputation wasn't solely due to their size, but also their fierceness and the terror they inspired. They were a people whose presence commanded fear, likely through a combination of their formidable appearance and their way of life, perhaps through raiding and conquest, as some scholars suggest. This reminds us that the 'giants' of Scripture were often defined by more than just their height; their reputation and impact on others were significant parts of their identity.
How did these 'giant' peoples come to inhabit the lands Israel was about to enter?
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The passage in Deuteronomy 2 is crucial because it explains the historical context of the lands east of the Jordan River. Before the Moabites and Ammonites (descendants of Lot) settled these regions, they were inhabited by peoples like the Emim and the Zuzim. The commentaries point out that these earlier inhabitants were 'giants' or at least a people known for their power and stature. What's fascinating is that the Moabites and Ammonites, and later the Israelites, didn't necessarily claim these lands by original right but through conquest and divine decree. The text emphasizes that God gave these lands to the descendants of Lot, and then later, God gave the land of Canaan to Israel. This highlights a pattern: God is the ultimate owner of all land, and He sovereignly grants possession to nations and peoples according to His purposes. Even when Israel is told to bypass the Moabites and Ammonites, it’s because God had already given them their territories.
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.
yārash · Hebrew Verb
To drive out, dispossess, or take the place of another people, often through conquest or divine providence. In the context of Israel, this denotes the Lord giving land previously occupied by other nations to His people.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, the covenant-keeping Creator who reveals Himself to His people. He is the sovereign orchestrator of history, justice, and redemption.
This verse reminds us that the lands the Israelites were destined to inherit had long histories, often involving powerful, even giant-like peoples like the Emim, who were themselves displaced by earlier migrations.
c. 2000 BC
Chedorlaomer's Campaign
King Chedorlaomer of Elam and his allies wage war against rebellious kings in the Jordan valley, including the king of Sodom. During this campaign, they defeat the Emim in the region of Moab.
c. 1800 BC - 1400 BC
Moabites Settle and Displace Emim
The Moabites, descendants of Lot, gradually establish themselves in the land east of the Jordan River, displacing or absorbing the Emim. The Emim were known for their great size and numbers.
c. 1400 BC
Israelite Exodus Begins
The Israelites, after centuries of slavery in Egypt, begin their journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. This marks the start of a long period of wandering and preparation.
c. 1400 BC - 1362 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
For 38 years after their rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites are forbidden to enter the Promised Land. During this time, the older generation of warriors dies off.
c. 1362 BC— this verse
Israelites Seek Passage Through Moab's Territory
As the Israelites approach the borders of the Promised Land from the east, they are given strict instructions not to attack or provoke the Moabites, who now inhabit the land formerly held by the Emim.
This passage first mentions the Emim, noting their existence and location in the land of Canaan before their later displacement by the Moabites.
Numbers 13:33This verse describes the spies' report of seeing giants, the Nephilim (often equated with Anakim), providing a parallel to the Emim's described stature and the fear they instilled.
Joshua 12:4This passage refers to Og, king of Bashan, who was one of the last of the Rephaim (a giant-like people often grouped with Anakim and Emim), showing the continued presence and eventual defeat of these formidable groups in the land.
1 Samuel 17:4This verse describes Goliath, an Anakite, reinforcing the biblical theme of exceptionally tall and strong peoples inhabiting the land that God would give to Israel.
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 text highlights the Emim as "a people great and many, and tall, as the Anakim," but the crucial insight is the naming of this fearsome group. Their name, "Emim," is directly linked to the word for "terror" or "dread" in the ancient language, revealing that their reputation for might and stature was not just physical, but deeply instilled fear in all who encountered them. This detail underscores the powerful opposition Israel would face and the supernatural strength God provided.
God has just told the Israelites not to bother the Moabites, explaining that He gave them their land. Moses then pauses the narrative to describe who the Emim were, a giant, formidable people who formerly lived in that region, highlighting their immense stature and numbers just like the Anakim. This description serves as a preamble to explaining how other peoples, like the Moabites and Edomites, came to possess lands previously held by these formidable groups, setting the stage for Israel's own conquest of Canaan.
God has just told the Israelites not to bother the Moabites, explaining that He gave them their land. Moses then pauses the narrative to describe who the Emim were, a giant, formidable people who formerly lived in that region, highlighting their immense stature and numbers just like the Anakim. This description serves as a preamble to explaining how other peoples, like the Moabites and Edomites, came to possess lands previously held by these formidable groups, setting the stage for Israel's own conquest of Canaan.
"(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 Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossesse…" — The text highlights the Emim as "a people great and many, and tall, as the Anakim," but the crucial insight is the naming of this fearsome group. Their name, "Emim," is directly linked to the word…
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