And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

NUMBERS 13:33KJV
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Numbers 13:33 (KJV)

What does Numbers 13:33 mean?

Numbers 13:33 describes how the Israelite spies felt when they saw the people living in Canaan, especially a group called the sons of Anak, who seemed like giants. The spies said they felt as small and powerless as grasshoppers compared to these people, and they believed the giants saw them the same way.

In this verse, the spies are reporting back to Moses and the Israelites after exploring the land of Canaan. Their description shows their fear and sense of inferiority, emphasizing how intimidating the inhabitants appeared. This report is part of the larger story where the Israelites doubt their ability to enter the land God promised them because of these frightening observations.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 13:33

  • "giants" (נְפִילִים, nephilim): This word refers to a legendary group known for their great size or strength. The use of נְפִילִים (nephilim) here connects the Canaanites to ancient, almost mythical figures, heightening the sense of fear.
  • "sons" (בֵּן, ben): This simply means "descendants" or "children," so "sons of Anak" means people descended from a person or clan named Anak.
  • "grasshoppers" (חָגָב, chagav): The comparison to grasshoppers (חָגָב, chagav) paints a vivid picture of feeling very small and insignificant, not just physically but also emotionally.
  • "sight" (עַיִן, ayin): The word for "sight" (עַיִן, ayin) is used twice, first for how the spies saw themselves and then for how they believed the giants saw them. This highlights that their fear was both about reality and about their own perception.

Why Numbers 13:33 matters

  • Numbers 13:33 helps explain why the Israelites were so afraid to enter Canaan, showing that their fear was rooted in how they saw themselves as much as in the actual strength of their enemies.
  • The verse connects the Canaanite inhabitants to the nephilim, legendary figures from earlier in Genesis, which adds to the sense of overwhelming odds and deepens the drama of the story.
  • This verse sets up the turning point in the narrative, where the Israelites' fear and lack of trust lead to consequences for their journey, making it a key moment in understanding their struggles.

Where else these words appear

“giants” Hebrew H5303 · used in 2 verses

  • Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

“grasshoppers” Hebrew H2284 · used in 5 verses

  • Leviticus 11:22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
  • 2 Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
  • Ecclesiastes 12:5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

“Anak” Hebrew H6061 · used in 8 verses

  • Numbers 13:22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were.(Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
  • Deuteronomy 9:2 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!
  • Joshua 15:14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.