In the biblical narrative, giants are often depicted as formidable beings of great size and strength, appearing in various contexts throughout the Scriptures. The term "giant" is used to describe individuals or groups who are physically larger than the average human, often instilling fear and awe in those who encounter them.

Old Testament References

1. Nephilim: The earliest mention of giants in the Bible is found in Genesis 6:4, which states, "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." The Nephilim are described as the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men," leading to much debate and speculation about their nature and origin.

2. Rephaim: Another group of giants mentioned in the Old Testament is the Rephaim. Deuteronomy 2:20-21 notes, "That too was regarded as a land of the Rephaim. The Rephaim formerly lived there, but the Ammonites called them Zamzummim, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place." The Rephaim are often associated with other giant clans such as the Anakim and the Emim.

3. Anakim: The Anakim are described as a race of giants inhabiting the land of Canaan. Numbers 13:33 reports the account of the Israelite spies: "We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them." The Anakim were known for their intimidating stature and were a significant obstacle for the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan.

4. Goliath: Perhaps the most famous giant in the Bible is Goliath, the Philistine warrior defeated by David. 1 Samuel 17:4 describes him: "Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height." Goliath's defeat by the young shepherd David is a pivotal moment, symbolizing God's power to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

Cultural and Theological Significance

Giants in the Bible often symbolize the challenges and adversaries faced by God's people. Their presence serves as a backdrop for demonstrating God's sovereignty and the faith required to overcome great obstacles. The accounts of giants emphasize themes of divine intervention, faith, and the triumph of God's chosen people against overwhelming odds.

Interpretations and Debates

The nature and existence of giants have been subjects of theological and scholarly debate. Some interpretations suggest that giants were literal beings, while others propose symbolic or allegorical readings. The identity of the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:4, for instance, has been variously interpreted as fallen angels, descendants of Seth, or other ancient rulers.

Conclusion

The biblical portrayal of giants, from the Nephilim to Goliath, serves as a testament to the enduring themes of faith, courage, and divine deliverance. These narratives continue to inspire and challenge believers, inviting them to trust in God's power and providence in the face of life's giants.1. (n.) A man of extraordinary bulk and stature.

2. (n.) A person of extraordinary strength or powers, bodily or intellectual.

3. (n.) Any animal, plant, or thing, of extraordinary size or power.

4. (a.) Like a giant; extraordinary in size, strength, or power; as, giant brothers; a giant son.

7498b. rapha -- giant
... giant. Transliteration: rapha or raphah Short Definition: giant. Word Origin from
raphah Definition giant NASB Word Usage giant (4), giants (3). 7498a, 7498b ...
/hebrew/7498b.htm - 5k

6062. Anaq -- "neck," a giant people around Hebron and in ...
... 6061, 6062. Anaq. 6063 . "neck," a giant people around Hebron and in Philistia.
Transliteration: Anaq Phonetic Spelling: (an-aw-kee') Short Definition: Anakim ...
/hebrew/6062.htm - 6k

1555. Golyath -- a Philistine giant
... 1554, 1555. Golyath. 1556 . a Philistine giant. Transliteration: Golyath
Phonetic Spelling: (gol-yath') Short Definition: Goliath. ...
/hebrew/1555.htm - 6k

7497. Rapha -- inhab. of an area East of the Jordan
... giant, Rapha, Rephaims. Or raphah {raw-faw'}; from rapha' in the sense of invigorating;
a giant -- giant, Rapha, Rephaim(-s). See also Beyth Rapha'. ...
/hebrew/7497.htm - 6k

5303. Nephilim -- "giants," name of two peoples, one before the ...
... giant. Or nphil {nef-eel'}; from naphal; properly, a feller, ie A bully or tyrant --
giant. see HEBREW naphal. 5302, 5303. Nephilim or Nephilim. 5304 . ...
/hebrew/5303.htm - 6k

1368. gibbor -- strong, mighty
... warriors (17), who is mighty (1). champion, chief, excel, giant, man, mighty
man, one, strong man,. Or (shortened) gibbor {ghib-bore ...
/hebrew/1368.htm - 6k

1051. Beth Rapha -- an Israelite name
... name NASB Word Usage Beth-rapha (1). Beth-rapha. From bayith and rapha'; house of
(the) giant; Beth-Rapha, an Israelite -- Beth-rapha. see HEBREW bayith. ...
/hebrew/1051.htm - 6k

7498. Rapha' -- a Benjamite
... Rapha Or Raphah {raw-faw'}; probably the same as rapha'; giant; Rapha or Raphah,
the name of two Israelites -- Rapha. see HEBREW rapha'. 7497, 7498. ...
/hebrew/7498.htm - 5k

In the Dungeon of Giant Discourager
... CHAPTER NINE IN THE DUNGEON OF GIANT DISCOURAGER. IN THE DUNGEON OF GIANT
DISCOURAGER I feel very discouraged at times, and sometimes ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter nine in the dungeon.htm

The Routing of Giant Doubt
... CHAPTER ELEVEN THE ROUTING OF GIANT DOUBT. THE ROUTING OF GIANT DOUBT Doubts! doubts! ...
He had a great encounter with old Giant Doubt; so let us pay him a visit. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter eleven the routing of.htm

The Torments of Giant Bad Feelings
... CHAPTER TEN THE TORMENTS OF GIANT BAD FEELINGS. THE TORMENTS OF GIANT BAD
FEELINGS I am just a bundle of feelings. I never imagined ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter ten the torments of.htm

In the Hands of Giant Accuser
... CHAPTER SEVEN IN THE HANDS OF GIANT ACCUSER. IN THE HANDS OF GIANT ACCUSER ... I
recall one battle I had with Giant Accuser [Matthew 4:1-11]. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter seven in the hands.htm

Conflicts with Giant Mistake
... CHAPTER EIGHT CONFLICTS WITH GIANT MISTAKE. CONFLICTS WITH GIANT MISTAKE ... But at
first Mistake assumes all the characteristics of a true giant. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter eight conflicts with giant.htm

David's victory Over the Giant
... THE OLD TESTAMENT DAVID'S VICTORY OVER THE GIANT. As long as Saul lived
there was bitter war with the Philistines. Whenever Saul ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/davids victory over the giant.htm

The Adventures of Saint Anthony of Italy.
... and higher, there appeared before them a marble castle with gates of brass, which
they guessed, from inquiries they had made, belonged to the giant Blanderon. ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter seven the adventures of.htm

Of the Generations of the Three Sons of Noah.
... After enumerating these, Scripture returns to the first of the sons, and says,
"Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a giant on the earth. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 3 of the generations of.htm

Table of Contents
... 7. In the Hands of Giant Accuser. 8. Conflicts with Giant Mistake. 9. In the Dungeon
of Giant Discourager. 10. The Torments of Giant Bad Feelings. 11. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/table of contents.htm

The Power of a Pebble.
... them. Out of the Philistine camp a giant came one day, Goliath of Gath. ... And
this was the way David armed himself to meet the giant. He ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xx the power of.htm

Giant (8 Occurrences)
... 4. (a.) Like a giant; extraordinary in size, strength, or power; as, giant brothers;
a giant son. Multi-Version Concordance Giant (8 Occurrences). ...
/g/giant.htm - 9k

Giants (18 Occurrences)
... In Samuel 21:16, 18, 20, 33, "the giant" is (AV) the rendering of the singular form
ha raphah, which may possibly be the name of the father of the four giants ...
/g/giants.htm - 19k

Goliath (6 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Great. (1.) A famous giant of Gath, who ... (2.) In 2 Samuel
21:19 there is another giant of the same name mentioned as slain by Elhanan. ...
/g/goliath.htm - 12k

Saph (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Extension, the son of the giant whom Sibbechai slew
(2 Samuel 21:18); called also Sippai (1 Chronicles 20:4). Int. ...
/s/saph.htm - 7k

Rephaim (32 Occurrences)
... ref'-a-im, re-fa'-im (repha'-im, from rapha', "a terrible one "hence "giant," in
1 Chronicles 20:4, yelidhe ha-rapha', "sons of the giant"; the King James ...
/r/rephaim.htm - 21k

Abishai (25 Occurrences)
... Samuel 18:2, 5, 12). He slew the Philistine giant Ishbi-benob, who threatened
David's life (2 Samuel 21:15-17). He was the chief ...
/a/abishai.htm - 19k

Sibbecai (5 Occurrences)
... He slew the giant Saph in the battle of Gob (2 Samuel 21:18; RV, "Sibbechai").
Called also Mebunnai (23:27). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/s/sibbecai.htm - 8k

Argob (6 Occurrences)
... The land bears still the appearance of having been called the `land of giants' under
the giant Og." "I have more than once entered a deserted city in the ...
/a/argob.htm - 15k

Gath (44 Occurrences)
... its people, it does not seem to have been captured until the time of David (1
Chronicles 18:1). It was rendered famous as the abode of the giant Goliath whom ...
/g/gath.htm - 26k

Descended (64 Occurrences)
... there was a man of great stature, who had on every hand six fingers, and on every
foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. ...
/d/descended.htm - 25k

What caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? | GotQuestions.org

Was Goliath one of the Nephilim? | GotQuestions.org

Is there any evidence for the giants mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Giant: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus