Under consideration is an article by Gina on the “Shredding the Veil” site which is self-describe as having the mission of “refuting the lies spread over God’s word.” The article is titled Giants: Rephaim, Zamzummim, Emim, Anakim, Nephilim, Zuzim, October 25, 2016 AD.
The stated goal is to “take a closer look at the giants of old” which is instantly questionable as “giant” is a generic term which tells us nothing about height: except taller than the average and keep in mind that the average height of a male Hebrew of biblical times was 5.5 ft.
Mostly used will be Young’s Literal Translation so as to not lose “some of the connotations regarding these giants”
Genesis 14 is referenced due to referring to the Rephaim, the Zuzim and the Emim. Gina informs us that “The Rephaim and the Emim were giants (tall people)” and that it is “probably safe to assume that these” the Zuzim “were also a tribe of giant people.” We shall see where this goes because “giants (tall people)” and “giant people” still only tells us: taller than the average with no specifics.
Gina the makes for assertions by noting, “But, we see here that the giants were again in the land. That means that Noah or his sons carried the DNA for these tall people, or they would not again be in the land after the flood.” Yet, giantism (another non-height specific term) could have simply been caused by a genetic mutation after the flood such as an overactive pituitary gland—if, that is, we are dealing with any sort of giantism and not simply being taller than 5.5 ft.
Also, note that she seems to have gotten ahead of herself, or rather ahead of Genesis 6, by specifying that giants “would not again be in the land after the flood” which implies pre-flood giants and we will have to see if she elucidates.
Gina references Genesis 15:18-21 with regards to God stating, “…Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, ‘To thy seed I have given this land’” and God names some of the tribes who lived there at the time which includes the Rephaim. Thus, as Gina puts it, “the Rephaim are classed with the rest of the wicked men whom God was going to cut off from the land.”
Deuteronomy 1:28 is referenced within the context of “the spies that had been sent into the land reported in fear of the giants. They did not trust in God to lead them. The text states, “our brethren have melted our heart, saying, A people greater and taller than we…sons of Anakim — we have seen there.”
There will be more to say regarding the “greater and taller” people and note that Gina rightly emphasizes the text’s emphasis as this had to do with the spies who “reported in fear of the giants” that they “did not trust in God” and that “our brethren have melted our heart.”
Deuteronomy 2:10-11 is also quoted since it refers to “The Emim…a people great, and numerous, and tall, as the Anakim” so that we know nothing of the specific height (or even a ballpark estimation) of the Emim unless we know the data on the Anakim. This text is also instructive as it notes of the Emin that “Rephaim they are reckoned, they also, as the Anakim; and the Moabites call them Emim.”
Gina notes, “the Emim, or Rephaim, and Anakim were tribes of very tall people, viewed as giants by the rest of mankind. People are men and women and children of the species of man.” Also, Deuteronomy 2::20-21 refers to the Rephaim whom “the Ammonites call them Zamzummim; a people great, and numerous, and tall, as the Anakim” so we find that there was various a.k.a.s.
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