When they went up through the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, descendants of Anak, were living. (Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

But the inhabitants are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.

We even saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed like grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them.”

What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there.”

(The Emites used to live there, a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites.

These people, as well as the Anakites, are also considered Rephaites; the Moabites call them Emites.

They are a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites. But the Lord destroyed the Rephaites in advance of the Ammonites, so they dispossessed them and settled down in their place.

They include the Anakites, a numerous and tall people whom you know about and of whom it is said, “Who is able to resist the Anakites?”

At that time Joshua attacked and eliminated the Anakites from the hill country—from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the hill country of Judah and Israel. Joshua annihilated them and their cities.

No Anakites were left in Israelite territory, though some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Now, assign me this hill country that the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard then that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. But assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer them, as the Lord promised.”

(Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. Arba was a famous Anakite.) Then the land was free of war.

Caleb son of Jephunneh was assigned Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) within the tribe of Judah, according to the Lord’s instructions to Joshua. (Arba was the father of Anak.)

Caleb drove out from there three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak.

They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas.

Caleb received Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites.