A people known for their size
The Anakim were descendants of Anak, and their name simply identifies the wider family or people group connected with him. They lived in the hill country of Canaan, including Hebron, where the spies encountered them before Israel entered the land (Numbers 13:22).
Scripture presents them as unusually large, powerful people. The spies described Anak’s descendants as so imposing that they felt tiny by comparison (Numbers 13:33). Other passages remember them as a great, tall people whom other nations feared (Deuteronomy 9:2).
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Were they really giants?
The Bible does call the Anakim giants, and there is no need to soften the fear they caused. Israel had just left Egypt, then faced fortified cities and people who seemed physically overwhelming. That was a real challenge.
At the same time, the report from ten of the spies was shaped by panic. They said they appeared like grasshoppers in their own eyes, which tells us how defeated they felt before a battle even began (Numbers 13:33). Caleb and Joshua did not deny the danger, but they trusted that the Lord could bring Israel into the land (Numbers 14:8-9).
Their connection with the Nephilim
The frightened spies linked the Anakim with the Nephilim in their report (Numbers 13:33). The Nephilim are also mentioned much earlier, before the flood, in Genesis 6:4. Exactly how these references relate has been debated by Christians for centuries.
Some understand the spies to mean the Anakim were literally connected to the earlier Nephilim. Others think the spies were using dramatic language, comparing these intimidating warriors to the famous giants of old. The passage does not explain the connection in detail, so it is wise not to claim more than Scripture says.
A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!
What happened to the Anakim?
Years later, Joshua led Israel in taking much of the land. He drove the Anakim out of the hill country, including Hebron and nearby towns (Joshua 11:21). A small remnant remained in Philistine territory, in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:22).
Caleb also received Hebron as his inheritance and drove out the three sons of Anak who lived there (Joshua 15:13-14). The Anakim did not disappear because Israel was naturally stronger. Their defeat came as God kept his promise to give the land to his people.
Why their story matters
The Anakim remind us that faith does not pretend problems are small. Israel really did face strong opponents. Yet Caleb saw the same land and the same people as the other spies, then chose to trust God rather than surrender to fear (Numbers 14:24).
When something looks too large for you, the story does not promise an easy path. It does point beyond your own strength. Read the accounts in Numbers and Joshua for yourself, and notice the contrast between fear that exaggerates obstacles and faith that holds onto God’s word.