Emim אֵימִים
An ancient people group defeated by Chedorlaomer.
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 came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,"
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Deuteronomy 2 verses
- Deuteronomy 2:10
"(The Emim lived there before, a great and numerous people, and tall as the Anakim."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 2:11
"These also are considered to be Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Hebrew | אֵימִים | H0368 |
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: