Who were the Rephaim in the Bible?
Rephaim, the name of a race of giants who lived east of the Jordan. Chedorlaomer defeated them. Rephaim appears in 13 verses across 5 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Rephaim for 2 different entries. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Rephaim in 2 Samuel
REPH'AIM (giants), the name of a race of giants who lived east of the Jordan. Chedorlaomer defeated them. Gen 14:5. Their land was promised to Abraham's seed. Gen 15:20. At some time before Israel's coming they were driven out of their possessions. Deut 2:10 (Heb.), and lived in the West of Palestine, where they had possessions. Josh 15:8. See below.
Definition text: Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible · 1898. Public domain.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Rephaim in Deuteronomy
The Rephaim, also referred to as Zamzummin by the Ammonites (Deu.2.20), were a race of giants who inhabited parts of Canaan before the Israelite conquest. They are first mentioned in Gen.14.5, where they were defeated by Chedorlaomer and his allies in Ashteroth-karnaim. The Rephaim were one of the groups that inhabited the land promised to Abraham's descendants (Gen.15.20). They were known for their great stature and strength, and their land was characterized by large, fortified cities (Deu.3.11, 13). The Rephaim were gradually dispossessed of their land by the Israelites during the conquest of Canaan. The Ammonites drove them out of the territory east of the Jordan River (Deu.2.20-21), while the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, defeated Og, the king of Bashan, who was described as the last of the Rephaim (Jos.12.4; 13.12). Despite their formidable reputation, the Israelites were able to overcome the Rephaim with God's help and claim their inheritance in the Promised Land (Jos.17.15).
5 verses: Deuteronomy 2:11, Deuteronomy 2:20, Deuteronomy 3:11, Joshua 12:4, Joshua 17:15
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
What is the Hebrew word for Rephaim?
Where does Rephaim appear in the Bible?
Rephaim is referenced in 13 verses across 5 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 11:15
- 1 Chronicles 14:9
- 2 Samuel 5:18
- 2 Samuel 5:22
- 2 Samuel 23:13
- Isaiah 17:5
- Joshua 15:8
- Joshua 18:16
Showing the first 8 of 13.
Open all 13 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Rephaim.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Rephaim?
Rephaim refers to 2 different entries in the Bible: Rephaim in 2 Samuel; Rephaim in Deuteronomy.
How many times does the Bible mention Rephaim?
Rephaim appears in 13 verses across 5 books, most often in Joshua, which accounts for 4 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Rephaim?
Joshua, 2 Samuel, Deuteronomy, 1 Chronicles, Isaiah.
Where can I read every verse about Rephaim?
This page lists 8 of them. Protos carries all 13, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
