Deuteronomy 2:21
in Deuteronomy 2They were a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites. But the LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Jehovah destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead;
KJV
A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 2
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
That too was regarded as the land of the Rephaim
on Deuteronomy 2:20-23
The aside widens past Israel's kin: "the LORD destroyed" the Zamzummites before Ammon in the words used of Israel's wars. So the hand that grants a land takes it from another people.
This site's exposition
a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites
The description repeats word for word what verse 10 says of the Emites. John Gill says the Zamzummites would have been too numerous and too tall for Ammon had the LORD not destroyed them. He adds that this was the way God gave Ammon its land, as verse 19 says.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), probably the same that are called Zuzim, Gen. xiv. He illustrates these remarks by an instance older than any of these; the Caphtorim (who were akin to the Philistines, Gen. x.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
A people great and many, and tall as the Anakims,.... As the Emims were, Deu 2:10 but the Lord destroyed them before them; destroyed the Zamzummims before the children of Amman; or otherwise they would have been an too much for them, being so numerous, and of such a gigantic stature: and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead; and in this way, and by these means, he gave them their land for a possession, Deu 2:19.
If the providence of God had done this for the Moabites and Ammonites, much more would his promise do it for Israel his peculiar people. The advances which Israel made towards Canaan.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַ֣ם | ʾam | a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| גָּד֥וֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וְרַ֛ב | verav | and numerous | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וָרָ֖ם | varam | and lofty | H7311 → | 190 times |
| כָּעֲנָקִ֑ים | kaanakim | like the Anakites | H6062 → | 9 times |
| וַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤ם | vaiyashmidem | and he destroyed them | H8045 → | 90 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם | mipeneihem | from before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיִּירָשֻׁ֖ם | vaiyirashum | and they dispossessed them | H3423 → | 231 times |
| וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ | vaiyeshevu | and they dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| תַחְתָּֽם׃ | tachtam | in place of them | H8478 → | 505 times |
עַ֣םa people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
גָּד֥וֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
וְרַ֛בand numerous
veravH7227 →454 times
וָרָ֖םand lofty
varamH7311 →190 times
כָּעֲנָקִ֑יםlike the Anakites
kaanakimH6062 →9 times
וַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤םand he destroyed them
vaiyashmidemH8045 →90 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔םfrom before them
mipeneihemH6440 →2123 times
וַיִּירָשֻׁ֖םand they dispossessed them
vaiyirashumH3423 →231 times
וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּand they dwelt
vaiyeshevuH3427 →1079 times
תַחְתָּֽם׃in place of them
tachtamH8478 →505 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 11:24Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.
it leads to
- Psalms 78:55
He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
- Micah 4:5
Though each of the peoples may walk in the name of his god, yet we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
- Numbers 21:29
Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He gave up his sons as refugees, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites.
- Joshua 3:10
He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
- 1 Kings 11:7
At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites.
- Psalms 78:55
Through
Deuteronomy 1:28Where 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…
it leads to
- Numbers 13:28–33
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
- Deuteronomy 9:1–2
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
- Numbers 13:28–33
Through
Deuteronomy 2:22just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this…
it leads to
- Genesis 36:8
So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
- Genesis 36:8
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.