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:

DEUTERONOMY 2:21KJV
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Deuteronomy 2:21 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 2:21 mean?

Deuteronomy 2:21 describes how a powerful and numerous people, as tall as the Anakims, were destroyed by the LORD so that others could take their land and live there instead. The verse highlights that it was the LORD who removed these people, allowing a new group to settle in their place.

In this verse, Moses is recounting Israel’s journey to the people, reminding them how God dealt with other nations before them. The verse refers to a group similar in reputation to the Anakims—giants known for their size and strength—but emphasizes that even such mighty peoples were overcome by God’s action, not human effort.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 2:21

  • אֲנָקִים (Anakim, transliterated "Anakim"): This word refers to a legendary race of giants, known for their great height and strength. Mentioning them sets a comparison for how formidable the destroyed people were.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH, transliterated "YHWH" or "the LORD"): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, emphasizing that it was specifically the LORD who acted to destroy these nations, not just fate or military might.
  • הִשְׁמִיד (shamad, transliterated "destroyed"): This verb means to utterly destroy or wipe out, stressing the completeness of what the LORD did to these people.
  • יָרַשׁ (yarash, transliterated "succeeded"): This word means to take possession or inherit, showing that the new inhabitants didn’t just move in—they took over completely, as rightful successors.

Why Deuteronomy 2:21 matters

  • Deuteronomy 2:21 clarifies that the defeat of these powerful peoples was not due to human strength, but because the LORD intervened directly.
  • The verse connects Israel’s story to a wider pattern, showing that God had acted similarly with other nations before Israel’s arrival, reinforcing the idea of divine control over history.
  • By comparing these people to the Anakims, the verse addresses fears about giants in the land, reminding listeners that even the most intimidating obstacles can be overcome when God is involved.

Where else these words appear

“Anakims” Hebrew H6062 · used in 9 verses

  • Deuteronomy 1:28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
  • Deuteronomy 2:11 Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
  • Joshua 11:22 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.

“destroyed” Hebrew H8045 · used in 86 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 31:4 And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.
  • Esther 7:4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.