Deuteronomy 9:2

Verse

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?”

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?

Bible in Basic English

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.

Douay-Rheims 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.

Free Bible Version

The people are strong and tall; they are the descendants of the Anakim. You all know about them and you have heard the saying, “Who could ever defeat the sons of Anak?”

Geneva Bible 1599

A people great and tall, euen the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak?

King James (Authorized) Version

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!

One Unity Resource Bible

a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have sh'ma ·heard obeyed· it said, “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?”

Translation for Translators

Those people are very tall and strong. Some of them are giants who are descendants of Anak. You know about them, and you have heard people say that no one [RHQ] can defeat the descendants of Anak.

Unlocked Literal Bible

a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard people say, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?'

Noah Webster Bible

A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard it said , Who can stand before the children of Anak!

World English Bible

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?”

Young's Literal Translation

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?)

Context

Assurance of Victory

¹Hear, 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.²The 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?”³But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.

Summary

In this verse, Moses reminds the Israelites that they are about to enter the Promised Land not because of their own righteousness, but because of God's faithfulness to His covenant with their ancestors. The inhabitants of the land are described as strong and tall, symbolizing the challenges and obstacles the Israelites will face. However, the verse reassures them that it is God who will go before them like a devouring fire, destroying their enemies and giving them victory. This serves as a reminder of the importance of relying on God's strength and faithfulness rather than their own abilities in times of difficulty and opposition.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

A people great and tall,.... Of a large bulky size, and of an high stature, so that the spies seemed to be as grasshoppers to them, Num 13:33, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest; by report, having had an account of them by the spies, who described them as very large bodied men, and of a gigantic stature, the descendants of one Anak, a giant; and so the Targum of Jonathan,"a people strong and high like the giants;''from these Bene Anak, children of Anak, or Phene Anak, as the words might be pronounced, the initial letter of the first word being of the same sound, Bochart (z) thinks the country had its name of Phoenicia: and of whom thou hast heard say, who can stand before the children, of Anak? or the children of the giants, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; which they had heard either from the spies who had suggested the same, Num 13:31 or as a common proverb in the mouths of most people in those days. (z) Canaan, l. 1. c. 1. col. 346.