Anak is a figure whose name is synonymous with gigantic stature and fear in the biblical narrative. He was the founder of a powerful, towering race—the Anakim—who occupied parts of the land of Canaan when the Israelites came out of Egypt.
🛡️ The Race of the Anakim
The Anakim were a group of tall, formidable warriors, and the Scriptures trace their lineage back to Anak, who was the son of Arba (Joshua 15:13, KJV). They inhabited several key areas in the southern region of Canaan, notably in the area around Hebron (called Kirjath-arba, or “City of Arba”) and the surrounding hill country.
The Bible often refers to them with reverence for their immense size:
“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.” (Numbers 13:33, KJV)
Their enormous size led the Israelites to associate them with the ancient Nephilim (or giants) mentioned in Genesis 6:4, solidifying their reputation as an almost mythical, unconquerable foe.
🗣️ The Cause of the Evil Report
Anak and his descendants play a crucial role in the story of the twelve spies sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies, upon seeing the Anakim and their fortified cities, were overwhelmed by terror and delivered the infamous “evil report” that convinced the congregation that the land could not be conquered:
“Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.” (Numbers 13:28, KJV)
This report of fear, centered on the towering presence of the sons of Anak, was the primary reason the generation that left Egypt was condemned to wander for forty years in the wilderness.
🗡️ The Conquest of the Giants
Despite the fear the Anakim inspired, God promised that Israel would be victorious over them. It was the faithful spy, Caleb, who eventually received the high honor of leading the charge against the heart of the Anakim’s territory.
Caleb, who was eighty-five years old, requested and was granted the city of Hebron as his inheritance, the very stronghold of the Anakim:
“And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.” (Joshua 15:14-15, KJV)
Joshua also successfully drove the Anakim out of the hill country, stating:
“There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.” (Joshua 11:22, KJV)
The defeat of the Anakim by Caleb and Joshua stands as a powerful testament to the truth that faith in the living God is far mightier than any physical strength or intimidating stature.