People descended from Anak who lived in pre-conquest Canaan. The Anakim were a race of giants.
About Anakim
Anak was the ancestor of a group of very tall people called giants who lived in ancient Canaan.
When Israel first reached Canaan, the Anakim were well established in Hebron. Ten of the 12 spies Moses sent into Canaan were terrified by the size of the Anakim (Numbers 13:17–22; 31). Their fear led to a rebellion at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 14:39–45; Deuteronomy 1:19–46). It also led to another 38 years of wandering. When the Israelites were finally ready to enter Canaan, God promised his help against the famed Anak giants (Deuteronomy 9:1–3).
Key References
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?”
All Scripture References (9)
Deuteronomy (5)
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.’”
(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites.
Like the Anakites, they were also regarded as Rephaim, though the Moabites called them Emites.
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,
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?”
Joshua (4)
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.
No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.
Now therefore give me this hill country that the LORD promised me on that day, for you yourself heard then that the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps with the LORD’s help I will drive them out, as the LORD has spoken.”
(Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.