²⁸ But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.^(A) We even saw descendants of Anak^(B) there.^(C)

Not Because of Israel’s Righteousness

9 Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan^(A) to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you,^(B) with large cities^(C) that have walls up to the sky.^{(D) 2} The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?”^(E)

²⁸ Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller^(A) than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites^(B) there.’”

²² No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza,^(A) Gath^(B) and Ashdod^(C) did any survive.

³³ We saw the Nephilim^(A) there (the descendants of Anak^(B) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers^(C) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

¹⁴ From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites^(A)—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai,^(B) the sons of Anak.^(C)

⁵ All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages.

²¹ They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.^(A) The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place.

¹⁰ (The Emites^(A) used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.^{(B) 11} Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites,^(C) but the Moabites called them Emites.