Rephaim

From Bible Exegesis

ref´ā́-im, rḗ-fā´im (רפאים, rephā'īm, from רפא, rāphā', “a terrible one “hence “giant,” in 1 Chronicles 20:4, ילידי הרפא, yelīdhē ha-rāphā', “sons of the giant”; the King James Version, Rephaims, "lofty men"; "giants"; Genesis 14:5; 2 Samuel 21:16, 2 Samuel 21:18, marg. King James Version, Rapha, marg. R.V., Raphah; Deuteronomy 3:13, R.V.; KJV, “giants”):

A race of aboriginal or early inhabitants East of the Jordan in Ashteroth Karnaim (Genesis 14:5) and in the valley of Rephaim Southwest of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:8). They associated with other giant races, as the Emim and Anakim (Deuteronomy 2:10, Deuteronomy 2:11) and the Zamzummim (Deuteronomy 2:20). It is probable that they were all of the same stock, being given different names by the different tribes who came in contact with them.

They were the aborigines of Palestine, afterwards conquered and dispossessed by the Canaanite tribes, are classed under this general title. They were known to the Moabites as Emim, i.e., “fearful”, (Deuteronomy 2:11), and to the Ammonites as Zamzummim. Some of them found refuge among the Philistines, and were still existing in the days of David. We know nothing of their origin. They were not necessarily connected with the “giants” (R.V., “Nephilim”) of Genesis 6:4.

The same Hebrew word is rendered “the dead,” or “the shades” in various passages (Job 26:5 margin; Psalm 88:10 margin; Proverbs 2:18 margin; Proverbs 9:18 margin; Proverbs 21:16 margin; Isaiah 14:9 margin; Isaiah 26:14, Isaiah 26:19 margin). In these instances the word is derived from רפה, rāpheh, “weak,” “powerless,” “a shadow” or “shade.”

See Giants.