What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 2:11? Like the Anakites • The verse opens, “Like the Anakites…” (Deuteronomy 2:11). Israel already knew the Anakites from the spy report in Numbers 13:28, 33 and from later battles (Joshua 11:21–22; 15:13–14). • Anakites were famously tall and intimidating. Deuteronomy 9:2 even quotes the common saying, “Who can stand against the sons of Anak?” • By linking the Emites to the Anakites, Moses reminds the people that gigantic stature does not hinder the Lord. He had cleared such peoples from Moab’s territory just as He would clear Canaan for Israel. • The comparison reassures Israel: – God’s past actions with Moab prove His present pledge to Israel (Deuteronomy 2:9, 17–19). – Fearsome size never overrules divine promise (Numbers 14:9). They were also regarded as Rephaim • “They were also regarded as Rephaim…” broadens the picture. The Rephaim appear throughout Scripture as a collective of extraordinary size and strength (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 3:11; Joshua 12:4; 13:12). • King Og of Bashan is called “the last remaining remnant of the Rephaim” (Deuteronomy 3:11). His iron bed underscores how imposing these people were. • By placing the Emites within this wider group, Moses highlights: – A long-standing pattern of God removing even the most formidable opponents (Joshua 17:15–18; 2 Samuel 21:15–22). – The continuity of the biblical narrative: the same category of giants encountered by Abraham’s era (Genesis 14:5) reappears here, confirming the reliability of the historical record. • For the original audience, “Rephaim” functioned like a shorthand for “humanly unbeatable—yet beaten by God.” Though the Moabites called them Emites • Local terminology matters. Genesis 14:5 already mentioned the “Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,” showing the name was in use centuries earlier. • Distinct names illustrate: – Cultural perspective: Moab’s label (“Emites”) reflects its own history and memory, while Israel catalogs them within the broader “Rephaim.” – Precision of Scripture: Moses notes both designations, signaling an eyewitness grasp of regional detail. • The Lord had given Moab their land by driving out these Emites (Deuteronomy 2:9–11). If God did that for Lot’s descendants, Israel could trust Him to do the same for Abraham’s descendants. • The verse therefore supplies a mini-case study in God-promised inheritance: He honors boundaries, keeps covenants, and dispossesses even legendary giants when fulfilling His word (Acts 17:26; Psalm 105:11-15). summary Deuteronomy 2:11 compresses a powerful lesson into three short phrases. By equating the Emites with the Anakites and the larger Rephaim clan—and by noting the Moabite name—Moses underscores that God has repeatedly conquered the mighty for His people, past and present. If enormous, terror-inducing giants could not withstand the Lord’s plan for Moab, they will certainly not thwart His plan for Israel, or for any who walk in His promises today. |
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