Deuteronomy 9:2 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 9:2 Commentary: The Proverbial Challenge of the Anakim
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Moses recall the giant Anakim and their proverbial invincibility? This verse sets up God's power and Israel's warning against self-righteousness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Moses recalls the fearsome Anakim and their proverbial invincibility to magnify God’s power and warn against self-righteousness.
- Key words: “Anakim” (giant tribe), “stand” (יִתְיַצֵּב, to station oneself), “who can stand” (a known proverb of impossibility).
- Main debate: Whether the Anakim were literal giants, a tribal name, or a symbol; most agree they were a historical people of unusual stature.
- Theological theme: Salvation belongs entirely to God; human strength and righteousness contribute nothing.
- Best use: Setting up the contrast between human impossibility and divine power, especially in seasons of overwhelming odds.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
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?”
KJV King James Version 1769
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!
ASV American Standard Version 1901
a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the sons of Anak?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
a people great and tall, sons of Anakim, whom thou--thou hast known, (and thou--thou hast heard: Who doth station himself before sons of Anak?)
Darby Darby Bible 1890
a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard [say], Who can stand before the sons of Anak!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
A people great and tall, the sons of the Enacims, whom thou hast seen, and heard of, against whom no man is able to stand.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Un pueblo grande y alto, hijos de gigantes, de los cuales tienes tú conocimiento, y has oído decir: ¿ Quién se sostendrá delante de los hijos del gigante?
Um povo grande e alto, filhos de gigantes, dos quais tens tu conhecimento, e ouviste dizer: Quem resistirá diante dos filhos do gigante?
d’ un peuple grand et de haute taille, les enfants d’ Anak, que tu connais, et dont tu as entendu dire: Qui pourra tenir contre les enfants d’ Anak?
ein großes, hohes Volk, die Enakiter, die du kennst, von denen du auch gehört hast: Wer kann wider die Kinder Enak bestehen?
Een groot en lang volk, kinderen der Enakieten; die gij kent, en van welke gij gehoord hebt: Wie zou bestaan voor het aangezicht der kinderen van Enak?
di un popolo grande e alto di statura, de’ figliuoli degli Anakim che tu conosci, e dei quali hai sentito dire: “Chi mai può stare a fronte de’ figliuoli di Anak?”
Lud wielki i wysokiego wzrostu syny Enakowe, które ty znasz, i o którycheś słyszał, gdy mówiono: Któż się ostoi przed syny Enakowymi?
народом [великим,] многочисленным и великорослым, сынами Енаковыми, о которых ты знаешь и слышал: "кто устоит против сынов Енаковых?"
那民 是亞衲族 的人，又大 又高，是你 所 知道的； 也曾聽見有人指著他們說：『誰 能在亞衲族 人 面前 站立得住呢？』
A people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, of whom you have knowledge and of whom it has been said, All are forced to give way before the sons of Anak.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 9:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Moses uses the Anakim to underscore the impossibility of Israel’s conquest from a human standpoint. The Anakim are presented as a giant people, known from the spies’ report (Numbers 13:28,33). The rhetorical question “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?” was a proverbial saying expressing utter hopelessness (Wesley notes this). By citing it, Moses reminds Israel that their enemies are indeed terrifying. Yet the point is not to discourage, but to set the stage for verse 3: Yahweh goes before them as a devouring fire. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the repeated mention of the Anakim in Deuteronomy 1:28 and 9:2 serves to contrast human fear with divine power. The proverb is a foil: what no one can do against Anak, God will do through Israel. This prepares the warning in verses 4-6 that Israel must not credit their own righteousness for the victory.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Moses uses the Anakim's fearsome reputation and the proverbial saying to underscore that victory comes from God alone, not from Israel's strength or righteousness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The Anakim as historical giants | The Anakim are presented in Scripture as a distinct people of large stature, associated with the Nephilim (Numbers 13:33) and the Rephaim (Deuteronomy 2:11). | Some interpreters see them as literal giants; others view the descriptions as hyperbole emphasizing the Canaanites’ strength, or as a symbolic representation of opposition to God’s people. Both sides agree the text intends to convey a formidable enemy. |
| The saying 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' | It is a proverbial expression of utter hopelessness (Wesley, Gill), known among the Israelites and Canaanites alike. | Some see it as a direct quote from the fearful spies (Numbers 13:31), while others treat it as a general cultural saying. Either way, Moses uses it to intensify the need for divine intervention. |
| Moses' purpose in citing the proverb | The proverb serves to highlight the human impossibility of the conquest, making God’s victory more remarkable. | Is the primary purpose to rebuke fear (as in Deuteronomy 1) or to set up the warning about self-righteousness? Most scholars see both aims working together in the broader passage. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 9:2 places Israel on the plains of Moab, poised to cross the Jordan. The Anakim were a people of great stature, associated with the region of Hebron (Numbers 13:22). The Hebrew term Anakim (עֲנָקִים) likely means “long-necked,” but in biblical tradition it came to denote giants. Numbers 13:33 reports that the spies saw the Nephilim there and felt like grasshoppers. The reputation of the Anakim was so fearsome that “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?” became a common saying in Canaan (Wesley). Moses himself had heard this proverb from the lips of the spies (Numbers 13:31). By quoting it back to Israel, he forces them to confront the size of the obstacle.
Yet the historical context is critical: Israel had already defeated Sihon and Og (Deuteronomy 2:24-3:7), two Amorite kings of formidable reputation. So the people have recent experience of God’s power over human strength. Moses now applies that lesson to the Anakim. The Anakim were also linked to the Rephaim (Deuteronomy 2:11), another giant race, reinforcing that Canaan’s inhabitants were not ordinary. This literary background heightens the drama: the people’s known fear (the proverb) is about to be overturned by Yahweh’s action.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant variants for Deuteronomy 9:2. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse appears consistent with the Masoretic tradition.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Deuteronomy 9:2 has been read as a reminder that God’s power overcomes any obstacle. Early Christian writers such as Origen allegorized the Anakim as spiritual forces of evil, with the “sons of Anak” representing pride and resistance to God. The medieval period often used the verse in sermons on grace, emphasizing that human strength is insufficient for salvation. Reformation commentators (Luther, Calvin) focused on the contrast between human fear and God’s promise, and the warning against self-righteousness became a key text for the doctrine of justification. In modern preaching, the Anakim serve as a metaphor for seemingly insurmountable challenges that only God can defeat, and the verse is sung in hymns of conquest and hope.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Fear Factor, Moses recalls the Anakim’s reputation to remind Israel what they are up against. The proverb “Who can stand?” captures the human verdict of impossibility.
- The Divine Reversal, Verse 3 answers the proverb: Yahweh goes before as a consuming fire. What no one can do, God does.
- The Danger of Pride, Verses 4-6 warn: Do not say “for my righteousness.” The victory is not about you; it is about God’s judgment and promise.
Five-point outline
- Remember the Giants, The Anakim symbolize every obstacle that seems too big for faith.
- Hear the Proverb, The world says “impossible.” God says “I will destroy them.”
- See God’s Fire, Yahweh goes before His people as a devouring fire, complete, sovereign power.
- Check Your Heart, After the victory, we are tempted to take credit. Moses cuts this off.
- Rest in Grace, The land is a gift, rooted in God’s promise to Abraham, not in Israel’s worth.
Illustration hooks
- An impossible medical diagnosis, when experts say “nothing can be done,” yet God acts unexpectedly.
- A crushing debt, the proverb “who can get out of this?” mirrors the human hopelessness that God overturns.
- An addiction everyone says is incurable, the Anakim of personal struggle that only God’s power can defeat.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is for us, why do we still face overwhelming opposition?
- How do I know if I am secretly trusting in my own righteousness?
- Does God still work in such dramatic ways today, or only in the Old Testament?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with two truths at once: the very real size of our problems, and the far greater power of God. As you discuss, notice how Moses uses a proverb of despair to introduce a message of hope, but a hope that refuses to let us boast.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 9:1-6. What is the main thing Moses wants Israel to understand before they cross the Jordan?
- The Anakim are described as “great and tall.” Why does Moses highlight their size and reputation?
- Look at Numbers 13:28-33. How did the spies’ report create the proverb “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?” How does that influence the mood of Deuteronomy 9?
- In verse 3, God is described as a “devouring fire.” How does that image answer the proverb’s question?
- Why does Moses say “Not for your righteousness” three times in verses 4-6? What danger is he guarding against?
- What “Anakim” do you face, situations so big that people say you cannot overcome them? How does this passage speak to that fear?
- How can we celebrate God’s victories without falling into pride? What safeguards does Moses suggest?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 9:11 | The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. |
| Numbers 13:22 | They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) |
| Numbers 13:28 | However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. |
| Numbers 13:33 | There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” |
| Deuteronomy 2:11 | These also are considered to be Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. |
| Deuteronomy 2:12 | The Horites also lived in Seir in the past, but the children of Esau succeeded them. They destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place, as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Yahweh gave to them.) |
| Deuteronomy 2:21 | a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Yahweh destroyed them from before Israel, and they succeeded them, and lived in their place, |
| Deuteronomy 7:24 | He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under the sky. No one will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge note draws attention to how Moses reminds the Israelites of what they already know about the Anakim's size and reputation, connecting this to warnings from earlier passages. The point is that God's people had heard these reports before and could not plead ignorance.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to the rhetorical question about the Anakim as a measure of their fearsome reputation. The point is that Israel had heard the boast that no one could stand against them, making God’s coming victory all the more striking as a demonstration that nothing is impossible for Him.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes the Anakims' gigantic stature, confirmed by the spies who felt like grasshoppers beside them. He notes these were descendants of Anak, and suggests the name Bene Anak may have given Phoenicia its name. A common proverb of the day asked who could stand against such giants.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that Israel must not credit their own righteousness for receiving Canaan. The land comes solely because of God's sworn promise to the patriarchs and the Canaanites' wickedness. Moses mentions uprightness of heart to show that outward works are not true righteousness; the gift rests on grace alone, not Israel's merit.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees a careful progression in the warning against self-righteousness. The same chapter that earlier confronted pride in one's own strength now targets a subtler form: pride in one's own righteousness, which he calls the seed of hypocritical Pharisaism. Israel must not think God chose them for their goodness, but for His promise.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry warns that Israel must not credit their own righteousness for their victories. God gives them the land because of the Canaanites' wickedness and to keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not because Israel deserves it. They are a stiff-necked people, as Moses reminds them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the phrase "Who can stand" appears to be a common proverb from the time. He treats it as a familiar saying, not as a literal question about someone's physical ability to remain upright.