Are giants the offspring of angels and humans?
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Goliath was either about 9’6”, or 6’6”, or 6’0”, depending on where you get your information. The Masoretic Text, written in Hebrew, tells us he was six cubits and a span—roughly nine feet, six inches. The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament says Goliath’s height was four cubits and a span—about six feet, six inches tall. The Hebrew text found in the Dead Sea Scrolls tells us that Goliath was four cubits tall—which is about six feet.
So which is it?
It’s entirely possible that the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are older manuscripts, preserve something closer to Goliath’s actual height, and that the Masoretic Text reflects a later exaggeration.
But no matter which manuscript is “right,” there’s one thing they all agree on here: Goliath was significantly taller than the average Hebrew male—estimated to be about 5’6”.
https://www.logos.com/grow/everything-you-need-to-know-about-goliath/
So which is it?
It’s entirely possible that the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are older manuscripts, preserve something closer to Goliath’s actual height, and that the Masoretic Text reflects a later exaggeration.
But no matter which manuscript is “right,” there’s one thing they all agree on here: Goliath was significantly taller than the average Hebrew male—estimated to be about 5’6”.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span. 1 Samuel 17:4 (MT)
And there went forth a mighty man out of the army of the Philistines, Goliath, by name, out of Geth, his height [was] four cubits and a span. 1 Samuel 17:4 (LXX)
A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was four cubits and a span went out. 1 Samuel 17:4 DSS
https://www.logos.com/grow/everything-you-need-to-know-about-goliath/
his spear weighed something like 10-12x a normal spear.
we are not talking about someone a couple inches taller than the average soldier.
Saul has been trained to be a warrior and a king his entire life, and is probably himself 6'6" - - a head taller than every other Israelite, not just the average. and Saul is terrified of him.
It explains that giants could be a result of human female and son
So genesis 6,4 says clear. that the sons of God have nothing to do with the giants.
To see the cause of giants seems to be in the genetic pool of Adam. This explains also the giants like the Enakiter after the flood.
The LXX and Dead Sea Scrolls indicate they may not have been giants at all according to our standards.
The MT and the LXX both agree on this giant - about 7-1/2 feet tall. We've got people taller than that in the NBA
And he slew an Egyptian, a man of [great] stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand [was] a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 1 Chronicles 11:23
And he smote an Egyptian , a man five cubits [high]; and in the hand of the Egyptian [there was] a spear like a weavers’ beam; and Banaia went down to him with a staff, and took the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 1 Chronicles 11:23
It doesn't say how tall king OG was in Deuteronomy 3:11; only that his bed was 13.5 feet long. Maybe he just liked big beds. Jewish tradition says he was 50 cubits, or 75 feet tall. A little exaggeration, perhaps? The Masoretic Text was redacted by the Masoretes who are known to have changed the original text to conform with their traditions. Masoretes comes from the Hebrew masorah which neams tradition.
Goliath, Og and the Egyptian are the only scriptural evidence we have that specifies "giants" height. Perhaps they weren't giants at all, but just unusually tall people.
So what is the Standart for to be a giant?
Enakiter/Anakiter/Anakims and Emims
are clear defined as giants
✝ Numbers 13:33
"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."
✝ Deuteronomy 2:11
"Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims."
The word giant was chosen by translators, which appears to reflect conventional wisdom more than truth. The word grasshoppers sounds like an exaggeration by fearful men who did not want to go to war.
Numbers 13:33 is this word that says nothing about height
H5303 נְפִיל nphiyl (nef-eel') n-m.
נְפִל nphil (nef-eel')
(properly) a feller, i.e. a bully or tyrant.
Deuteronomy 2:11 is this word that has root meaning to heal. I'm studying this word in depth now in several lexicons
H7497 רָפָא rapha' (raw-faw') n/g.
רָפָה raphah (raw-faw')
a giant.
[from H7495 in the sense of invigorating]
H7495 רָפָא rapha' (raw-faw') v.
רָפָה raphah (raw-faw')
1. (properly) to mend (by stitching).
2. (figuratively) to cure.
Imagine if people 3000 years from now found writings from our time that said Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were giants among men.