Bible Dictionary: Anakim

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Anakim

(long-necked), a race of giants, descendants of Arba, (Joshua 15:13; 21:11) dwelling in the southern part of Canaan, and particularly at Hebron, which from their progenitor received the name of "city of Arba." Anak was the name of the race rather than that of an individual. (Joshua 14:15) The race appears to have been divided into three tribes or families, bearing the names Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. Though the war-like appearance of the Anakim had struck the Israelites with terror in the time of Moses, (Numbers 13:28; 9:2) they were nevertheless dispossessed by Joshua, (Joshua 11:21,22) and their chief city, Hebron, became the possession of Caleb. (Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:20) After this time they vanish from history.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The descendants of Anak (Joshua 11:21; Numbers 13:33; Deuteronomy 9:2). They dwelt in the south of Palestine, in the neighbourhood of Hebron (Genesis 23:2; Joshua 15:13). In the days of Abraham (Genesis 14:5, 6) they inhabited the region afterwards known as Edom and Moab, east of the Jordan. They were probably a remnant of the original inhabitants of Palestine before the Canaanites, a Cushite tribe from Babel, and of the same race as the Phoenicians and the Egyptian shepherd kings. Their formidable warlike appearance, as described by the spies sent to search the land, filled the Israelites with terror. They seem to have identified them with the Nephilim, the "giants" (Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33) of the antediluvian age. There were various tribes of Anakim (Joshua 15:14). Joshua finally expelled them from the land, except a remnant that found a refuge in the cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:22). The Philistine giants whom David encountered (2 Samuel 21:15-22) were descendants of the Anakim. (see GIANTS.)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n. pl.) Alt. of Anaks.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ANAKIM

an'-a-kim (`anaqim; Enakim, or Enakeim; also called "sons of Anak" (Numbers 13:33), and "sons of the Anakim" (Deuteronomy 1:28)): The spies (Numbers 13:33) compared them to the Nephilim or "giants" of Genesis 6:4, and according to Deuteronomy 2:11 they were reckoned among the REPHAIM (which see). In Numbers 13:22 the chiefs of Hebron are said to be descendants of Anak, while "the father of Anak" is stated in Jos (15:13; 21:11) to be Arba after whom Hebron was called "the city of Arba." Jos "cut off the Anakim. from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab,. and from all the hill-country of Israel," remnants of them being left in the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath and Ashdod (Joshua 11:21, 22). As compared with the Israelites, they were tall like giants (Numbers 13:33), and it would therefore seem that the "giant" Goliath and his family were of their race.

At Hebron, at the time of the Israelite conquest, we may gather that they formed the body-guard of the Amorite king (see Joshua 10:5) under their three leaders Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai (Numbers 13:22 Joshua 15:14 Judges 1:20). Tell el-Amarna Letters show that the Canaanite princes were accustomed to surround themselves with bodyguards of foreign mercenaries. It appears probable that the Anakim came from the Aegean like the Philistines, to whom they may have been related. The name Anak is a masculine corresponding with a feminine which we meet with in the name of the goddess Onka, who according to the Greek writers, Stephanus of Byzantium and Hesychius, was the "Phoen," i.e. Syrian equivalent of Athena. Anket or Anukit was also the name of the goddess worshipped by the Egyptians at the First Cataract. In the name Ahi-man it is possible that "-man" denotes a non-Semitic deity.

A. H. Sayce

Strong's Hebrew

6062. Anaq -- "neck," a giant people around Hebron and in ...
... Anaq. 6063 . "neck," a giant people around Hebron and in Philistia. Transliteration:
Anaq Phonetic Spelling: (an-aw-kee') Short Definition: Anakim. ... Anakim. ...
/hebrew/6062.htm - 6k

704. Arba -- Arba
... Word Origin part of the place name Qiryath, qv. Arba The same as arba'; Arba, one
of the Anakim -- Arba. see HEBREW arba'. 703, 704. Arba. 705 . ...
/hebrew/704.htm - 5k

Library

Conflicts with Giant Mistake
... Really he is not a true Anakim, but a Gibeonite, who are foes until they are conquered,
and then they become hewers of wood and drawers of water for us"they ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter eight conflicts with giant.htm

Canaan on Earth
... the land of Canaan, fighting for their own inheritance; and though each tribe had
its lot marked out, yet they had to conquer the giant Anakim, and encounter ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/canaan on earth.htm

Two Ways of Seeing
... "How could Israel fight with such fellows, anyway?" The ten were full of doubts,
and they looked through their doubts, and their doubts magnified the Anakim. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk eight two ways of.htm

Statement of the Reasons Wherefore the Matters, Treated of Shortly ...
... audience. [2100] The Anakim, or "sons of Anak." Cf. Deuteronomy 9:2; Joshua
11:21-22. [2101] The Valley of Rephaim. 2 Sam. v. 18. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter i statement of the.htm

Canaan
... their own. In the north they were known as Hivites, at Hebron they were called
Anakim, at Jerusalem they were Jebusites. The Amorite ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Afraid of Giants
... It is well to see the Anakim in their full formidableness, and to feel that we are
'as grasshoppers in our own sight' and in theirs, if the sight drives us to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/afraid of giants.htm

The Way.
... How could a rich man believe he would be of more value without his money? that
the casting of it away would make him one of God's Anakim? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/the way.htm

The Sixth vision "On Earth"
... must have led to abnormal forms, which would account for the half-human, or
super-human beings, which became the Nephilim, the Rephaim, and Anakim of Scripture ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the sixth vision on earth.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... men of prodigious strength"Zuzim; as having a buzzing and indistinct manner of
speech"Zamzummim; as formidable monsters**"Emim or Anakim, before whom ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Thesaurus

Anakim (10 Occurrences)
... There were various tribes of Anakim (Joshua 15:14). ... The Philistine giants whom David
encountered (2 Samuel 21:15-22) were descendants of the Anakim. ...
/a/anakim.htm - 13k

Anakites (8 Occurrences)
... The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up
to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.' (See NIV). ...
/a/anakites.htm - 8k

Anak (8 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Long-necked, the son of Arba, father of the Anakim (Joshua
15:13; 21:11, Hebrews Anok). Int. ... ANAK. an'-nak. See ANAKIM. ...
/a/anak.htm - 9k

Tall (41 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Deuteronomy 2:10 (The Emim lived therein before, a people great, and many,
and tall, as the Anakim: (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/t/tall.htm - 19k

Emim (3 Occurrences)
... been the earlier inhabitants of Moab (Deuteronomy 2:10, 11), and to have been of
tall stature, and hence, "accounted Rephaim (or giants) as the Anakim" or the ...
/e/emim.htm - 8k

Arba (9 Occurrences)
... ar'-ba ('arba`, "four"): Variously described as "the greatest man among the Anakim"
(Joshua 14:15), "the father of Anak" (Joshua 15:13), "the father of Anok ...
/a/arba.htm - 10k

Ahiman (4 Occurrences)
... (1.) One of the three giant Anakim brothers whom Caleb and the spies saw in Mount
Hebron (Numbers 13:22) when they went in to explore the land. ...
/a/ahiman.htm - 10k

Anab (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Grape-town, one of the cities in the mountains of Judah,
from which Joshua expelled the Anakim (Joshua 11:21; 15:50). ...
/a/anab.htm - 7k

Debir (12 Occurrences)
... It was originally one of the towns of the Anakim (Joshua 15:15), and was
also called Kirjath-sepher (qv) and Kirjath-sannah (49). ...
/d/debir.htm - 16k

Kirjath-arba (8 Occurrences)
... City of Arba, the original name of Hebron (qv), so called from the name of its
founder, one of the Anakim (Genesis 23:2; 35:27; Joshua 15:13). ...
/k/kirjath-arba.htm - 9k

Bible Concordance

Anakim (10 Occurrences)

Deuteronomy 1:28 Where are we going up? our brothers have made our heart to melt, saying,'The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to the sky; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.'"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 2:10 (The Emim lived therein before, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 2:11 these also are accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 2:21 a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Yahweh destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 9:2 a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard say, "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Joshua 11:21 Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Joshua 11:22 There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Joshua 14:12 Now therefore give me this hill country, of which Yahweh spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that Yahweh will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as Yahweh spoke."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Joshua 14:15 Now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. The land had rest from war.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Jeremiah 47:5 The hair is cut off from the head of Gaza; Ashkelon has come to nothing; the last of the Anakim are deeply wounding themselves.
(BBE RSV)

Subtopics

Anakim

Anakim: A Race of Giants

Anakim: Defeated by Caleb

Anakim: Defeated by Joshua

Plural Anakim Anak

The Anakim of Gigantic Strength and Stature

The Anakim were Called: The Children of the Anakims

The Anakim were Called: The Sons of Anak

The Anakim were Called: The Sons of the Anakim

The Anakim: Almost Annihilated

The Anakim: Descent of