Meaning
Giants men of extraordinary size or height.
1. They are first spoken of in (Genesis 6:4) under the name Nephilim. We are told in (Genesis 1:6-4) that "there were Nephilim in the earth," and that afterwards the "sons of God" mingling with the beautiful "daughters of mens produced a race of violent and insolent Gibborim (Authorized Version "mighty men").
2. The Rephalim, a name which frequently occurs. The earliest mention of them is the record of their defeat by Chedorlaomer and some allied kings at Ashteroth Karnaim. The "valley of Rephaim," (2Samuel 5:18; 1Chronicles 11:15; Isaiah 17:5) a rich valley southwest of Jerusalem, derived its name from them. They were probably an aboriginal people of which the EMIM, ANAKIM and ZUZIM, THE [which see] were branches. [See also GOLIATH ]
