Anak עֲנָק
Ancestor of giant people in Canaan
Who is Anak in the Bible?
Anak was the ancestor of the Anakim, a race of giants who inhabited Canaan before the Israelite conquest. When Moses sent twelve spies to scout the land, they reported that the descendants of Anak occupied Canaan and compared them to the Nephilim in size and strength (Numbers 13:22, 13:28, 13:33). The Anakim's great height and power initially struck fear into the Israelites, yet during the conquest under Joshua, the people gradually defeated and drove them from the land. Caleb, one of the faithful spies, was given Hebron as his inheritance and successfully expelled the Anakim from that region (Joshua 15:13-14). Anak's descendants represent a significant obstacle that the Israelites had to overcome to possess the promised land, demonstrating God's power to help His people conquer even formidable enemies.
Biography
Anak was the progenitor of the Anakim, a race of giants who lived in Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest. The Anakim were known for their great height and strength, which struck fear into the hearts of the Israelite spies who were sent to scout out the land. The spies reported that the descendants of Anak were among the inhabitants of Canaan, comparing them to the Nephilim, another race of giants.
During the conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites fought against the Anakim and gradually drove them out of the land. Caleb, one of the faithful spies, was given Hebron as his inheritance, which was formerly known as Kiriath-arba and was associated with Anak. Caleb successfully expelled the descendants of Anak from Hebron.
The Anakim were also mentioned as having lived in the land of Moab and Edom, where they were known as Emim and Rephaim, respectively. These giant peoples were gradually displaced or destroyed by the Israelites and the surrounding nations. The memory of the Anakim and their formidable presence in Canaan served as a reminder of God's faithfulness in giving the land to His people, despite the challenges they faced.
Family
In Scripture
4 biblical books ; 2 with study contentNumbers 3 verses
- Numbers 13:22
"They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt."
- Numbers 13:28
"Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there."
- Numbers 13:33
"We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”"
Deuteronomy 5 verses
- Deuteronomy 9:2
"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?”"
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 1:28
"Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”"
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 2:10
"(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 2:11
"Like the Anakites, they were also regarded as Rephaim, though the Moabites called them Emites."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 2:21
"They were a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites. But the LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place,"
Study Deuteronomy →
Joshua 5 verses
- Joshua 15:13
"According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)"
Study Joshua → - Joshua 15:14
"And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 21:11
"They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.)"
Study Joshua → - Joshua 11:21
"At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 11:22
"No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive."
Study Joshua →
Judges 1 verse
- Judges 1:20
"Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | עֲנָק | ʿānāq | Anak , a Canaanite |
| Group | Hebrew | עֲנָקִי | ʿănāqiy | an Anakite or descendant of Anak |