Deuteronomy 2:20 kjv
(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
Deuteronomy 2:20 nkjv
(That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,
Deuteronomy 2:20 niv
(That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites.
Deuteronomy 2:20 esv
(It is also counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there ? but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim ?
Deuteronomy 2:20 nlt
(That area was once considered the land of the Rephaites, who had lived there, though the Ammonites call them Zamzummites.
Deuteronomy 2 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 2:9-12 | "Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle... (formerly Emim lived there)" | God dispossessed Emim for Moab, setting a precedent. |
| Deut 2:19 | "When you approach the territory of the people of Ammon... do not harass them." | God specifically granted Ammon their land. |
| Deut 2:21-22 | "(That also was accounted a land of Rephaim... God gave it to them for a possession)" | Similar divine intervention for other nations (Horites for Edom). |
| Gen 14:5 | "In the fourteenth year Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came... and struck down the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim." | Rephaim were powerful occupants defeated in early history. |
| Gen 15:20 | "(God) the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites..." | Rephaim listed among nations to be dispossessed from Canaan. |
| Josh 12:4 | "Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei." | Og, a formidable king, identified as a remnant of the Rephaim. |
| Josh 13:12 | "All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei... who remained of the Rephaim." | Further connection of Og's territory with Rephaim remnants. |
| Josh 17:15 | "The forest country, if the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you; clear it for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim." | Rephaim identified as inhabitants in areas Israel needed to clear. |
| 2 Sam 5:18 | "Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim." | Valley named after the Rephaim, indicating their historical presence. |
| 2 Sam 21:16-22 | "Ishbi-Benob... was one of the descendants of the Rephaim." | Giants opposing David's men were descendants of the Rephaim. |
| 1 Chr 20:4-8 | "There arose war at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the Rephaim." | Reinforces the ongoing presence of formidable descendants of Rephaim. |
| Isa 17:5 | "As when the reaper gathers standing grain... like gathering ears in the Valley of Rephaim." | Use of Rephaim valley as a reference point. |
| Ps 78:55 | "He drove out nations before them... allotted their inheritance." | God dispossesses nations and distributes land. |
| Ps 115:16 | "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to the children of men." | God's ultimate ownership of the earth and its distribution. |
| Dan 4:17 | "To the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He will..." | God's absolute sovereignty over earthly kingdoms. |
| Acts 17:26 | "And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." | God determines nations' times and geographical boundaries. |
| Jer 25:9-14 | "For behold, I am summoning all the tribes of the north... and Nebuchadnezzar... and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants." | God raises up and uses nations to fulfill His purposes. |
| Exod 33:2 | "I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites." | God's direct promise to dispossess nations for Israel. |
| Lev 18:24-28 | "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things... Lest the land vomit you out when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you." | The land is "vomiting out" its defiled inhabitants, an act of God's judgment. |
| Hab 1:6 | "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own." | God uses nations (even seemingly chaotic ones) to execute His plan. |
Deuteronomy 2 verses
Deuteronomy 2 20 Meaning
Deuteronomy 2:20 details that the territory allocated to the Ammonites was once home to the Rephaim, a powerful and ancient people group, whom the Ammonites themselves referred to as Zamzummin. This statement serves as a theological affirmation that God is the sovereign giver of land, dispossessing even formidable occupants to settle nations as He wills, establishing a parallel to His imminent action on behalf of Israel in Canaan.
Deuteronomy 2 20 Context
Deuteronomy 2 is a significant chapter that marks the transition from Israel's wandering years to their final preparations for entering the Promised Land. The preceding verses (Deut 2:1-15) recount Israel's 38 years in the wilderness and the subsequent command from the Lord to pass through the territories of Edom and Moab without conflict, as God had already granted these lands to the descendants of Esau and Lot, respectively. Verse 20 (and the surrounding verses 10-23) acts as an important digression or theological parenthesis. Moses explains that just as God displaced the powerful Emim for the Moabites and the Horites for the Edomites, and here the Rephaim (Zamzummin) for the Ammonites, He would likewise dispossess the inhabitants of Canaan for Israel. This historical recounting of divine intervention in the lives of neighboring nations serves to bolster Israel's faith, demonstrating God's sovereign control over all lands and peoples, not just Israel. It also underscores God's justice and providence, setting a powerful precedent for Israel's own conquest and right to their allotted inheritance.
Deuteronomy 2 20 Word analysis
That also was accounted a land of Rephaim.
- That also: (hi' / הִיא) Refers specifically to the land of Ammon. "Also" signifies a continuation of the pattern established for Edom and Moab.
- was accounted: (teḥāšêv / תֵּחָשֵׁב) Passive form of ḥāšaḇ, "to count, consider, reckon." It implies a common, well-known designation or historical understanding among people that this land had belonged to them.
- a land of: Implies territorial possession, indicating that the Rephaim were not merely nomadic wanderers but established occupants with a defined land.
- Rephaim: (rephā’im / רְפָאִים) Plural, often translated as "giants" or "mighty ones." This term denotes an ancient, aboriginal, powerful people, frequently described as exceptionally large or formidable in stature, and possibly associated with a unique cultic or heroic status in ancient Near Eastern traditions. Their widespread presence (Gen 14:5, Josh 12:4, 2 Sam 21:16-22) across Transjordan and Canaan establishes them as significant obstacles to divine promises. Their displacement by divine decree underscores God's absolute power over human strength.
Rephaim formerly lived there, but the Ammonites called them Zamzummin,
- Rephaim formerly lived there: Emphasizes their past, prior habitation (yāšaḇ) and God's act of ending that tenure. This reiterates the established pattern of divine dispossession for the benefit of His chosen peoples.
- formerly: (lep̄ānim / לְפָנִים) "In ancient times" or "previously." Conveys a sense of long-past history, adding depth and authenticity to the historical record.
- but the Ammonites called them: (wehā’ammōnîm yi’qre’u / וְהָעַמּוֹנִים יִקְרְאוּ) Shows a specific cultural and linguistic identification. The Ammonites, having encountered these people directly or through their own history, had their own distinct name for them, demonstrating cultural distinctiveness and reinforcing the specific historical context.
- Zamzummin: (zamzummîm / זַמְזֻמִּים) A unique Hebrew term, specifically and exclusively associated with the Ammonite name for the Rephaim in this verse. The etymology is uncertain, but it has been linked to roots meaning "to murmur," "buzz," or "conspire," possibly alluding to their unintelligible language, intimidating battle sounds, or a perceived treacherous nature. This specific name provides localized detail, supporting the historicity of the biblical account and showing how general groups (Rephaim) were known by specific tribal or national appellations by their neighbors.
Deuteronomy 2 20 Bonus section
- The term "Rephaim" in broader ancient Near Eastern contexts (e.g., Ugaritic texts) can also refer to ancestral spirits or inhabitants of the underworld, adding layers of mythic significance to their formidable nature, though in Deuteronomy, the focus is clearly on physical, historical inhabitants.
- Deuteronomy 2 presents a theological "land grant" narrative not just for Israel, but also for its neighbors, emphasizing that the distribution of all lands and peoples is under the active control of Yahweh. This counters any notion of chance or mere human conquest as the ultimate determinant of national territories.
- The detail of "Ammonites called them Zamzummin" underscores the historical reliability and specific ethnographic knowledge preserved in the Deuteronomic text. It’s not just a generic statement about giants, but one with precise regional flavor, enhancing the verisimilitude of the ancient account.
Deuteronomy 2 20 Commentary
Deuteronomy 2:20 provides a vital piece of the theological tapestry that Moses weaves for Israel. It establishes God as the sovereign disposer of nations, demonstrating that His power and righteous judgments are not limited to Israel alone, but extend to all the earth. The mention of the Rephaim, known to the Ammonites as Zamzummin, serves as powerful proof of God's ability to clear the way for His people. These were not minor tribes but, as indicated by the term Rephaim, were powerful, perhaps giant-like peoples, deeply entrenched in their lands. Their displacement for the Ammonites, whom God had also shown favor to, was a divine act of justice and a demonstration of God's unilateral right to distribute territories. This narrative aims to instill courage and confidence in the Israelites; if God had dispossessed such formidable entities for Edom, Moab, and Ammon, He would assuredly do the same, and more so, for His covenant people, Israel, as they prepared to enter Canaan against equally daunting foes like the Anakim and Amorites. This verse therefore underlines the truth that divine promise is backed by divine power, and no human power, however great, can withstand God's decreed purpose.