Joshua 11:22 Meaning: The Giants Who Got Away
There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
There hath not been left Anakim in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, were they left.
There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only at Gazah, at Gath, and at Ashdod there remained.
Meaning in one sentence
Joshua 11:22 says no Anakim were left in Israel, yet some survived in Philistine cities.
Context
The verse comes near the end of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan. After defeating the southern kings in chapter ten and the northern coalition in chapter eleven, the writer sums up what Joshua accomplished. One key enemy was the Anakim, the same giants that had terrified the spies decades earlier (Numbers 13). Verse twenty-one says Joshua cut them off from the hill country, destroying their cities. Then verse twenty-two adds this careful note: none remained in Israel’s land, but some survived in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. Those cities belonged to the Philistines, and Israel never fully possessed them. So the verse gives an honest picture, God’s people gained the land He promised, but pockets of resistance lingered on the edges.
Key Words
Two different Hebrew verbs describe what happened to the Anakim. The first, notar, comes from a root meaning to leave over or remain. In the Niphal form, it means to be left behind. The text uses it with a negative: no Anakim were left in Israel’s territory. The second verb is nish’aru, from the root sha’ar, also meaning to remain or survive. But this time it is positive: some did survive, but only in Philistine cities. The change is deliberate, God’s victory cleared the land He gave Israel, but not every place where giants hid.
The word raq (“only” or “except”) marks the boundary: after the negative statement, it introduces the exception. Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod were the strongholds where the giants fled. Gath in particular would later be the hometown of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4). The verse does not hide the loose ends. It names them.
The Anakim themselves are described as descendants of Anak, a giant race. The name may relate to a word for “long-necked” or “tall.” These are the people who had made Israel’s spies feel like grasshoppers. That they could be defeated at all is a testimony to God’s power. That some remained is a reminder that the story was not finished.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse in different ways. Matthew Henry emphasized God’s faithfulness, the Anakim were destroyed from Israel’s land, fulfilling the promise given through Moses. He saw the remnants in Philistine cities as allowed by God for the testing of Israel.
The Cambridge Bible notes that Goliath of Gath was likely of the old Anakim stock, showing that the two peoples eventually merged. Keil and Delitzsch view the verse as a supplementary note explaining that Joshua drove the Anakim into Philistine territory, where they survived.
Gill points out that Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod were never conquered by Israel, so the giants simply fled to places outside Joshua’s campaign. These readings share a common thread: God kept His word, and the remaining giants set the stage for future chapters in the biblical story.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers see a contradiction: the verse says no Anakim were left, then says some remained. In fact, the phrase in the land of the children of Israel is the key. The Anakim were removed from the territory Israel actually possessed. But the Philistine cities were not under Israelite control. The giants who fled there were outside the conquered land. That is why Goliath could appear later, he came from Gath, not from within Israel. The verse does not contradict itself; it draws a careful geographical line.
Living This Out
Maybe you have prayed about a problem and seen real progress. A habit loosened. A relationship improved. But something still lingers on the edges, anxiety that returns, a temptation that resurfaces, a wound that is not fully healed. That is where this verse meets you. God cleared the land of giants, but not every giant disappeared. Some remained outside the territory He had given, and they would become battles for another day.
This week, you can thank God for the victories He has already won in your life. And you can be honest about the battles that are not over. The verse does not pretend the remnants are not there. It just names them and leaves them in God’s story. Your job is to trust the One who knows where every remaining giant lives, and who is already preparing the fight.
Main takeaway: God clears the giants from His people’s inheritance, yet some survive on the edges, setting the stage for the ongoing story of His faithfulness.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God helped Joshua and the people win against the big, scary giants. But some of the giants ran away to other cities. God still had a plan for those giants later.
For ages 9, 12
Joshua defeated the Anakim giants that had scared the spies years before. But some escaped to Philistine cities like Gath. Later, a giant from Gath named Goliath challenged Israel. So this verse shows that God gave Israel the land He promised, but some enemies remained for David to face. God was already working out that bigger story.
Questions People Ask
Why does Joshua 11:22 say no Anakim were left but then says some remained?
The distinction is geographical. The verse says none were left in the land of the children of Israel, that is, the territory Israel actually possessed. But the Philistine cities Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod were not conquered by Joshua. The giants who fled there were outside Israel’s land, so they survived. This is not a contradiction but a precise report of where the Anakim no longer lived.
Who were the Anakim in the Bible?
The Anakim were a race of giants living in Canaan before Israel entered the land. In Numbers 13, the spies reported that the Anakim made them feel like grasshoppers. They were descendants of Anak, and they lived mainly in the hill country of Judah. Joshua’s campaign drove them out of Israelite territory, but some escaped to Philistine cities.
How does Joshua 11:22 connect to David and Goliath?
Goliath came from Gath, one of the three Philistine cities where Anakim remained (1 Samuel 17:4). The Cambridge Bible notes that Goliath, while called a Philistine, was likely of the old Anakim stock. So this verse explains where the giants went after Joshua’s conquest, setting the stage for David’s famous battle generations later.
What do Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod represent in the Bible?
These were three of the five major Philistine cities. Gaza and Ashdod are often mentioned as centers of Philistine power and idol worship (Dagon’s temple was in Ashdod, 1 Samuel 5). Gath is known as the hometown of Goliath. In Joshua 11:22, they are the refuge cities where the Anakim survived, showing that Israel’s possession of the land was not complete, these cities remained outside their control for centuries.
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