Deuteronomy 2:10
New International Version
(The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.

New Living Translation
(A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants.

English Standard Version
(The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim.

Berean Standard Bible
(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites.

King James Bible
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;

New King James Version
(The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim.

New American Standard Bible
(The Emim lived there previously, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.

NASB 1995
(The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.

NASB 1977
(The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.

Legacy Standard Bible
(The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.

Amplified Bible
(The Emim lived there in times past, a people great and numerous, and as tall as the Anakim.

Christian Standard Bible
The Emim, a great and numerous people as tall as the Anakim, had previously lived there.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Emim, a great and numerous people as tall as the Anakim, had previously lived there.

American Standard Version
(The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim:

Contemporary English Version
Before the LORD gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim.

English Revised Version
(The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Emites used to live there. These people were as strong, as numerous, and as tall as the people of Anak.

Good News Translation
A mighty race of giants called the Emim used to live in Ar. They were as tall as the Anakim, another race of giants.

International Standard Version
(The Emites, a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, lived there before.

Majority Standard Bible
(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites.

NET Bible
(The Emites used to live there, a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites.

New Heart English Bible
(The Emim lived there before, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim:

Webster's Bible Translation
(The Emims dwelt in it in times past, a people great, and many, and tall as the Anakims;

World English Bible
(The Emim lived there before, a great and numerous people, and tall as the Anakim.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The Emim have formerly dwelt in it, a people great, and numerous, and tall as the Anakim;

Young's Literal Translation
'The Emim formerly have dwelt in it, a people great, and numerous, and tall, as the Anakim;

Smith's Literal Translation
(The Emims dwelt in it before them, a people great and many and high as the Anakims;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Emims first were the inhabitants thereof, a people great, and strong, and so tall, that like the race of the Enacims,

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Emim were the first of its inhabitants, a people great and strong, and of such great height, like the race of the Anakim.

New American Bible
(Formerly the Emim lived there, a people great and numerous and as tall as the Anakim;

New Revised Standard Version
(The Emim—a large and numerous people, as tall as the Anakim—had formerly inhabited it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The Amney dwelt in it formerly, a people great and many and tall, like giants;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The Amney from the first have dwelt in it, a people great and many, and as high as giants;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Formerly the Ommin dwelt in it, a great and numerous nation and powerful, like the Enakim.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wanderings in the Wilderness
9Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.” 10(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites. 11Like the Anakites, they were also regarded as Rephaim, though the Moabites called them Emites.…

Cross References
Numbers 13:22
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.

Genesis 14:5-6
In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim, / and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert.

Amos 2:9
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like that of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.

Joshua 11:21-22
At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities. / No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.

Numbers 21:11-13
They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness opposite Moab to the east. / From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. / From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends into the Amorite territory. Now the Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.

Genesis 15:18-21
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— / the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, / Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, ...

Joshua 12:4-5
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. / He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

1 Samuel 17:4-7
Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height, / and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels, / and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. ...

2 Samuel 21:15-22
Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines. But David became exhausted. / Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David. / But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.” ...

1 Chronicles 20:4-8
Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued. / Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. / And there was also a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha, ...

Numbers 13:28-33
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. / The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.” / Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!” ...

Deuteronomy 9:2
The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?”

Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

Joshua 15:13-14
According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) / And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

Judges 1:20
Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.


Treasury of Scripture

The Emims dwelled therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;

Deuteronomy 2:11
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.

Genesis 14:5
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,

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Deuteronomy 2
1. The story is continued, that they were not to meddle with the Edomites
9. nor with the Moabites
16. nor with the Ammonites
24. but Sihon the Amorite was subdued by them














The Emites
The Emites, also known as the Emim, were a group of people mentioned in the Old Testament. The Hebrew root for "Emim" is "אֵימִים" (Eimim), which can be translated as "terrors" or "fearful ones." This name likely reflects the fear they instilled in others due to their formidable presence. Historically, the Emites were considered a powerful and numerous people, residing in the region of Moab before the Moabites. Their mention here serves to remind the Israelites of God's sovereignty in displacing mighty nations to fulfill His promises.

used to live there
This phrase indicates a past occupancy, suggesting that the Emites were no longer present in the land at the time of the Israelites' journey. The Hebrew verb "יָשַׁב" (yashav) means "to sit, dwell, or inhabit," emphasizing the Emites' established presence before being displaced. This historical context underscores the transient nature of human power and the enduring fulfillment of God's plans, as He orchestrates the rise and fall of nations according to His divine will.

a people great and many
The description of the Emites as "great and many" highlights their significant population and strength. The Hebrew word for "great" is "גָּדוֹל" (gadol), which can mean large in size, importance, or power. "Many" is derived from "רַב" (rav), indicating a multitude or abundance. This characterization serves to emphasize the formidable nature of the Emites, making their eventual displacement by the Moabites, and later the Israelites, a testament to God's power and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to His people.

as tall as the Anakites
The comparison to the Anakites, known for their great height and strength, further underscores the Emites' formidable stature. The Anakites were descendants of Anak, a race of giants mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the context of the Israelite spies' report in Numbers 13:33. The Hebrew word for "tall" is "רָם" (ram), meaning high or exalted. This comparison serves to remind the Israelites of God's ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, as He had done with the Anakites and would continue to do in their conquest of the Promised Land.

(10-12) These three verses which follow should be read parenthetically.

The Emims.--See Genesis 14:5-6, for the first mention of Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, and Horim. (The termination im is plural in Hebrew, and, like cherubim, does not need the additional s.) These tribes were flourishing in the time of Abraham, but were conquered before the exodus.

The children of Esau succeeded them.--A partial mixture of the two races resulted in this case, and from their union sprang the Amalekites, Israel's inveterate foes (Genesis 36:12; Genesis 36:22).

As Israel did unto the land of his possession.--On the east of Jordan in Moses' lifetime, as well as on the west of Jordan under Joshua. It is not necessary, therefore, to make the parenthesis (Deuteronomy 2:10-12) editorial, though it forms no essential part of Moses' speech. . . .

Verses 10-12. - The mention of the Moabites gives occasion to the author to introduce some notices of the ancient inhabitants of Edom and Moab. In Moab dwelt, in the earlier times, the Emim, a giant race, potent and numerous, like the 'Anakim. They were also, like the 'Anakim reckoned among the Rephaim, but were by the Moabites called Emim. The word Emim means frightful, and was given to these men probably because of their huge stature and fierce aspect. Anakims (see Deuteronomy 1:28). Rephaim seems to have been a generic name of these gigantic Canaanitish tribes (see Genesis 14:5; Genesis 15:20). The Horim appear from the name (from חוד, a cave) to have been a Troglodyte race, inhabiting the caves which abound in the Edomite range, and with whom, perhaps, originated the conception which was at a later period carried out in the marvelous rock city of Petra. Of their own origin nothing is known. As Israel did [or has done] unto the land of his possession. This cannot be regarded as uttered proleptically; it must either be the insertion of a later age, or it must refer to the conquest which had actually been made before this by the Israelites of the land to the east of the Jordan. and which is, in Deuteronomy 3:20, described as the possession which the Lord had given to the two tribes and a half to whom it had been assigned. The latter is the preferable supposition.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
(The Emites
הָאֵמִ֥ים (hā·’ê·mîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 368: terrors', an inhabitant of Moab

used to
לְפָנִ֖ים (lə·p̄ā·nîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

live
יָ֣שְׁבוּ (yā·šə·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

there,
בָ֑הּ (ḇāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

a people
עַ֣ם (‘am)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

great
גָּד֥וֹל (gā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

and many,
וְרַ֛ב (wə·raḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

as tall
וָרָ֖ם (wā·rām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

as the Anakites.
כָּעֲנָקִֽים׃ (kā·‘ă·nā·qîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6062: Anakim -- 'neck', a giant people around Hebron and in Philistia


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 2:10 The Emim lived therein before a people (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 2:9
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