Emim אֵימִים
An ancient people group defeated by Chedorlaomer.
Who is Emim in the Bible?
The Emim were an ancient people group who inhabited the region of Moab before the Moabites arrived (Deuteronomy 2:10). They are described in Scripture as a tall and numerous people, comparable in stature to the Anakim, another group known for their great height (Deuteronomy 2:11). The Emim were defeated by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, along with his allied kings during a military campaign in the region during Abraham's time (Genesis 14:5). Their mention in the biblical narrative illustrates the antiquity of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan and demonstrates how various powerful people groups occupied the land before being displaced or assimilated by later arrivals.
Biography
The Emim are mentioned in the Bible as an ancient people group who inhabited the region of Moab before the Moabites (Deu.2.10). They are described as a tall and numerous people, comparable to the Anakim, another group known for their great height (Deu.2.11). The Emim were one of the groups defeated by Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and his allies during a military campaign in the region (Gen.14.5). This event took place during the time of Abraham, indicating the antiquity of the Emim as a people group. The Bible does not provide much additional information about the Emim's culture, language, or specific territory. Their mention in the context of the Moabites and the Anakim suggests that they were a formidable and well-established people in the region before being displaced or assimilated by later groups. The Emim serve as an example of the various ancient peoples who inhabited the land of Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest.
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 2 with study contentGenesis 1 verse
- Genesis 14:5
"In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,"
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Deuteronomy 2 verses
- 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."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Hebrew | אֵימִים | Emim , an early Canaanitish (or Maobitish) tribe |
Emim
ure, and hence, "accounted Rephaim (or giants) as the Anakim" or the Zamzummim of Ammon (De 2:20). As the name was given to them by the Moabites, it may not have been that by which they called themselves. A tall race, known to the Israelites as REPHAIM (which see), once existed in Southern Palestine as well as on the East side of the Jordan, but its exact relationship is unknown. In the time of Abraham the Emim were living in the Moabite district of Shaveh-kiriathaim, identified with the modern Kureiyat (Ge 14:5).
A. H. Sayce
em'-i-nent: