Anak

Who is Anak?

Anak is a well-known figure in the Hebrew Bible in the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites who, according to the Book of Numbers, was a forefather of the Anakim who have been considered "strong and tall," they were also said to have been a mixed race of giant people, descendants of the Nephilim. The use of the word "nephilim" in this verse describes a crossbreed of God's sons and the daughters of man, as cited in and. The text states that Anak was a Rephaite and a son of Arba. Etymologically, Anak means [long] neck.

The sons of Anak are first mentioned in Numbers 13. The Israelite leader Moses sends twelve spies representing the twelve tribes of Israel to scout out the land of Canaan, and give a full report to the congregation. The spies enter from the Negev desert and journey northward through the Judaean hills until they arrive at the brook of Eshcol near Hebron, where reside Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak. After the scouts have explored the entire land, they bring back samples of the fruit of the land; most notably a gigantic cluster of grapes which requires two men to carry it on a pole between them.