Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
There were giants in the earth - nephilim , from naphal , "he fell." Those who had apostatized or fallen from the true religion. The Septuagint translate the original word by , which literally signifies earth-born, and which we, following them, term giants, without having any reference to the meaning of the word, which we generally conceive to signify persons of enormous stature. But the word when properly understood makes a very just distinction between the sons of men and the sons of God; those were the nephilim, the fallen earth-born men, with the animal and devilish mind. These were the sons of God, who were born from above; children of the kingdom, because children of God. Hence we may suppose originated the different appellatives given to sinners and saints; the former were termed , earth-born, and the latter, ̔ , i.e. saints, persons not of the earth, or separated from the earth.
The same became mighty men - men of renown - gibborim , which we render mighty men, signifies properly conquerors, heroes, from gabar , "he prevailed, was victorious." and anshey hashshem , "men of the name," , Septuagint; the same as we render men of renown, renominati , twice named, as the word implies, having one name which they derived from their fathers, and another which they acquired by their daring exploits and enterprises.
It may be necessary to remark here that our translators have rendered seven different Hebrew words by the one term giants, viz., nephilim , gibborim , enachim , rephaim , emim , and zamzummim ; by which appellatives are probably meant in general persons of great knowledge, piety, courage, wickedness, etc., and not men of enormous stature, as is generally conjectured.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Numbers 13:33
Deuteronomy 2:11
Joshua 12:4
Joshua 15:8
Job 26:5
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