Deuteronomy 9:2
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Deuteronomy 9:2
2 A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!
Chapter Context
Deuteronomy 9 is a sermonic and legal chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of righteousness, holiness, salvation. Written during the end of the wilderness wandering (c. 1406 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Moses delivered these speeches as Israel prepared to enter a land filled with different Canaanite city-states.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-29: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it offers practical wisdom for godly living in a fallen world. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Deuteronomy and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Deuteronomy 9:2
2 A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!
Analysis
The Anakim were legendary giants, creating fear throughout Israel (Numbers 13:33). The rhetorical question 'Who can stand before the children of Anak?' expresses human impossibility. This verse heightens the contrast with verse 3's answer: God goes before as consuming fire. Human obstacles that appear insurmountable are trivial to God. The emphasis on the Anakim's size and reputation ('whom thou knowest... heard say') shows Israel's fear was based on credible information, not imagination. Yet faith calculates based on God's power, not enemy strength. Caleb later claimed Hebron (Anakim territory) in faith (Joshua 14:12), demonstrating that God's power overcomes what seems unconquerable.
Historical Context
The Anakim inhabited Hebron and surrounding hill country (Numbers 13:22, 28, 33). Their height and strength were proverbial—the spies' report terrified Israel ('we were in our own sight as grasshoppers,' Numbers 13:33). Archaeological evidence shows some Philistine/Sea Peoples warriors were exceptionally tall (Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:4). Whether the Anakim were genetically distinct or simply a warrior caste of large men, they represented formidable military opposition. Joshua later destroyed the Anakim from the hill country (Joshua 11:21-22), though remnants remained in Philistine cities.
Reflection
- What 'giants' (fears, obstacles, entrenched sins) loom large in your perspective that need to be viewed through the lens of God's power?
- How does focusing on enemy strength rather than God's sufficiency paralyze your faith and obedience?
- What past victories over 'impossible' obstacles should encourage you to trust God with current challenges?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Numbers 13:22