I found that Antoine Augustin Calmet’s (1672-1757 AD) Dictionary of the Holy Bible and Alexander Cruden’s (1699-1770 AD) Concordance to the Old and New Testament read much the same in defining “giant.” They begin by telling us that the Hebrew is Nephilim and refers to “one who hears down other men” whatever that means and from whence they got such an idea.
It may relate to some insights regarding various translations as elucidated in the dictionaries thusly:
GIANT: In Greek, Gigas, in Hebrew, Nophel, or Nephilim, which may signify a monster, or a terrible man, who beats and bears down other men.
The Scripture speaks of Giants who lived before the Flood; they are called Nephilim, mighty men which were of old, men of renown, Gen.6:4. Aquila, instead of Gigantes, translates this word Nephilim, Epipiptontes, men who attack, who fall with impetuosity upon their enemies, a translation, says one, which renders very well the whole force of the Hebrew term. Symmachus translates it, Biaioi, violent men, cruel, whose only rule of their actions is violence, and force of arms.
As for the aforementioned “Greek, Gigas” also gigantes (which is exactly how it is spelled in Spanish), the dictionaries note, “The LXX sometimes translates gibbor, giant, though literally it signifies — a strong man, a man of valor, a warrior.” The “sometimes translates” point is important as the Nephilim became gibborim but there are many gibborim who were not Nephilim.
The dictionaries note, “Giants, however, were not uncommon in the times of Joshua and David, notwithstanding that the life of man was already shortened, and, as may be presumed, the size and strength of human bodies proportionally diminished.” Well, there are, at least, two issues with which to deal: 1) where post-flood “giants” Nephilim (even if genetically deluded) or large humans and 2) just what qualifies as a “giant”?
1) All true Nephilim (direct offspring of Angels and humans) drowned in the flood. No more Nephilim are known to have existed thereafter—the Numbers 13 reference, which is the only one outside of Genesis 6, is part of a bad/evil report and thus, was not true: see Did Caleb and the spies see Nephilim giants in the land?
Therefore, post-flood giants were humans and this brings us to the next issue.
2) The Bible variously refers to people who are “tall” and “very tall” and this is generic and subjective. For example, an average Hebrew of those days was 5.5 ft. so even a person who was one foot taller much less two could be a giant. The dictionaries note, “Goliath was ten feet seven inches in height, (1 Sam. xvii. 4.); but this depends on the length at which the Hebrew cubit is taken.” Indeed, cubits meant different things to different cultures and varied from time to time. Yet, as a matter of practicality a cubit is generally reckoned to be 18 inches because a span is circa 8 inches (tip of a man’s pinky to tip of his thumb when the hand is spread) and two spans make a cubit (tip of a man’s elbow to tip of his middle finger.
In any case, Goliath is taller in Greek than he is in Hebrew and yet, he is not ten feet seven inches in either: he is 6.7 ft. in Hebrew and 9.8 ft. in Greek. Of the few specified heights we are given in the Bible no one (with the exception of Greek Goliath) even makes it to eight feet. In fact, modern day pro basketball players do not make it to eight feet.
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