Deuteronomy 2:11
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Like the Anakites, they were also regarded as Rephaim, though the Moabites called them Emites.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Moses, in this chapter, proceeds in the rehearsal of God's providences concerning Israel in their way to Canaan, yet preserves not the record of any thing that happened during their tedious march back to the Red Sea, in which they wore out almost thirty-eight years, but passes that over in silence as a dark time, and makes his narrative to begin again when they faced about towards Canaan (Deu 2:1-3), and drew towards the countries that were inhabited, concerning which God here gives them direction, I. What nations they must not give any disturbance to. 1. Not to the Edomites (Deu 2:4-8). 2. Not to the Moabites (Deu 2:9), of the antiquities of whose country, with that of the Edomites, he gives some account (Deu 2:10-12). And here comes in an account of their passing the river Zered (Deu 2:13-16). 3. Not to the Ammonites, of whose country here is some account given (Deu 2:17-23). II. What nations they should attack and conquer. They must begin with Sihon, king of the Amorites (Deu 2:24, Deu 2:25). And accordingly, 1. They had a fair occasion of quarrelling with him (Deu 2:26-32). 2. God gave them a complete victory over him (Deu 2:33, etc.).
Open source ↗2:11 The Rephaites lived near Ashteroth-karnaim (Gen 14:5; perhaps modern Tell Ashtarah), due east of the Sea of Galilee (see Deut 1:4).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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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?”
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!”
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,
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
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.