were the anakim the giants who roamed in the old testament anakim were the descendants of anak joshua chapter 15 verse 13 states arba was the forefather of anak kiryat arba also known as hebron was located in judah and part of the land of kanaan many scholars have identified the anakim as a remnant of palestine's original inhabitants before the canaanites a cushite tribe from babel the anakim terrified the israelites and were compared to giants when the israelites arrived in the promised land god instructed them to scout the territory twelve spies investigated the area and discovered the
anakim living there caleb believed the people could defeat the giants but the other 11 men were skeptical the spies spread negative information about the area to the rest of the israelites they were compared to grasshoppers in the anakim's eyes caleb had joshua on his side despite the anakim size and strength he believed the lord would come through and help his people take the promised land the rest of the israelites were skeptical they moaned and grumbled questioning god and his plan the lord sentenced the israelites to 40 years of wandering in the desert because of their
unbelief only caleb and joshua would enter the promised land and every israelite over the age of 20 would perish in the wilderness he declared what does the bible say about the anakin after 40 years of wandering and moses's death it was time for the israelites forefathers to enter the promised land the atticum on the other hand remained in the area joshua and his army began defeating their enemies to take what was theirs after many battles the anakim were the last people to destroy the earthly giants could not match god's strength joshua's army overtook the giants
killing them and taking their land the only ones remained in gaza goth and ashdod finally the israelites inherited the promised land caleb recalls god's faithfulness and his promise to the people to inherit the land a few chapters later in joshua 14. even though he is now 85 years old he is adamant about driving out the anakim himself scholars disagree on the exact timeline of caleb's conquest according to one theory caleb defeated the anakim while under joshua's authority as seen in joshua 11. the other viewpoint holds that the giants reappeared after the original battle and caleb
drives them out once more in any case caleb drives them out of hebron and inherits the land the name anakim most likely means long nect which translates to tall the hebrews believe they were descended from the nephilim a powerful race that ruled the pre-flood world genesis chapter 6 verse 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 bear children to them the same became mighty men which were of old men of renown numbers chapter 13 verse 33
and there we saw the giants the sons of enoch which come of the giants and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers and so we were in their sight moses emphasized the task that awaited them on the other side of the jordan river driving out nations greater and stronger than israel whose inhabitants resembled giants but he quickly assured the people that the lord would act as a consuming fire ahead of them ensuring victory deuteronomy chapter 9 verses 4 through 6 after the lord your god has driven them out before you do not say to
yourself the lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness no it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the lord is going to drive them out before you it is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land but on account of the wickedness of these nations the lord your god will drive them out before you to accomplish what he swore to your fathers to abraham isaac and jacob understand then that it is not because of
your righteousness that the lord your god is giving you this good land to possess for you are a stiff-necked people then moses warned against another type of spiritual arrogance do not say to yourself the lord brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness god on the other hand was removing the canaanites from the land due to their great wickedness and to fulfill the promise he made to abraham isaac and jacob in other words israel received the promised land because god despises evil and keeps his promises if israel was tempted to
believe that they were inherently righteous they needed to put that notion to rest moses didn't hold back when he said you are a stiff-necked people numbers chapter 13 verse 33 we saw the nephilim there the descendants of anak come from the nephilim we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them fear gripped the israelites who saw themselves as grasshoppers in their sight numbers chapter 13 verse 33 and they rebelled against god deuteronomy chapter 1 verses 26-28 refusing to enter the land god had promised them deuteronomy chapter 1 verses 26-28
notwithstanding ye would not go up but rebelled against the commandment of the lord your god and ye murmured in your tents and said because the lord hated us he hath brought us forth out of the land of egypt to deliver us into the hand of the amorites to destroy us 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 moses exhorted the israelites not to be afraid
of the anakim deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 19 but they refuse to believe god's promises deuteronomy chapter 1 verses 32-33 yet in this thing ye did not believe the lord your god who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents in in fire by night to shoe you by what way ye should go and in a cloud by day as a result god was enraged deuteronomy chapter 1 verses 34 through 39 and barred the evil generation from entering the promised land deuteronomy chapter 1 verses 34-39 and the lord
heard the voice of your words and must wrath and swear saying surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land which i swear to give unto your fathers save caleb the son of jepuna he shall see it and to him i will give the land that he hath trodden upon and to his children because he hath wholly followed the lord also the lord was angry with me for your sakes saying thou also shalt not go in thither but joshua the son of none which standeth before thee he shall
go in thither encourage him for he shall cause israel to inherit it moreover your little ones which ye said should be a prey and your children which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil they shall go in thither and unto them will i give it and they shall possess it the only exceptions were joshua and caleb deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 35 through 36 surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land which i swear to give unto your fathers save caleb the son of jepuna he
shall see it and to him will i give the land that he hath trodden upon and to his children because he hath wholly followed the lord the children of israel were forced to wander in the wilderness for another 38 years due to their fear of the anakim and their rebellion against god during the conquest of canaan jai
