I have heard it disputed that the El of the Old Testament was vengeful without mercy. They believe this because at a glance it appeared as though he commanded genocide upon entire nations during Israel’s wars. Was this really a case of genocidal slaughter of mankind, or have these people making this claim missed something very important?
With a little perspective you will find there was a very good reason for the wars that took place. Let’s go back shortly after the beginning of creation:
Genesis 6
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of Elohim came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
The scriptures refer to them as Sons of Elohim, which were holy ones appointed to watch over the affairs of men.
I have heard it argued that the Sons of Elohim were the descendants of Seth, but the Book of Job tells us who these “Sons of Elohim” are:
Job 1:6
Now there was a day when the sons of Elohim came to present themselves before the YHVH, and Satan came also among them.
These Sons of Elohim were the holy ones which were reporting to the most high the affairs of men and all that they were doing as this was their task, and the accuser satan was also among them to bring railing accusations against mankind so they would be judged without mercy.
Later in the book of Job YHVH asks Job a series of questions about where he was when He created the earth. He also makes mention again of the Sons of Elohim being present when He laid the foundations of the earth:
Job 38:4-7
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy?
These holy ones were also what the book of Daniel refers to as the watchers. Because this is what they did, watched over the affairs of mankind.
Dan 4:13
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
The watchers were appointed, or guardian angels as some might call them. A portion of them rebelled and defiled their holy position. Because of this rebellion sorrow and suffering came upon mankind. The apostles Peter and Jude make reference to this story as an example that YHVH’s justice is sure.
2 Peter 2:4-5
For if YHVH spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
Jude 1:6
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
The Bible records before the flood the whole earth had been defiled by the merciless acts of violence by this evil race.
Genesis 6:11-13
The earth also was corrupt before YHVH, and the earth was filled with violence.And YHVH looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And YHVH said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them (the watchers); and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
There are many other scriptures that speak of the evil offspring of giants which were created from the fallen Sons of Elohim, which Israel was battling and slaying without mercy because they were not made in the image of YHVH, but rather an unnatural evil race.
In the days of Abraham the surrounding kings had gathered together to kill these giants that were oppressing men.
Gen 14:5
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the giants in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
Note: The Zuzims and Emims mentioned in Genesis 14:5 were different names for these same giants as it tells us in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 2:10-11
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
You will notice in following verses this same seed of the fallen ones that had destroyed the earth before the flood were commanded to be destroyed so the earth wouldn’t become completely corrupted by them once again. Genesis 6 tells us that there were giants in the earth in those days and also AFTER that, meaning after the flood.
Moving forward, when the Israelites were in the wilderness and were told to go and take possession of the land that was promised to Abraham, something made them refuse to go. Scripture tells us that spies were sent out to check out the land they were about to enter. Instead they brought back an evil report of the land. They told the rest of the Israelites that these giants were men eaters!
Numbers 13:32-33
The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great height. 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.
They saw these tremendously tall and powerful giants that made their hearts tremble with fear.
Many years later after the Israelites settled in the land, they still had to contend with these mighty giants and defeat them.
2 Samuel 21:18
And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giants.
Notice also the strange characteristics of these giants because they were of foreign origin:
2 Samuel 21:20
And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he was born of the giants.
YHVH was using his army of Israel to cut down these evil invaders.
1 Chronicles 20:4
And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giants: and they were subdued.
Joshua 12:4
And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. Them did Moses the servant of the YHVH and the children of Israel smite:
The kings Og and Sihon were of the giants and revered as gods among the Canaanite nations. These were some of the mighty men of renown as Genesis 6 speaks of. David recounts the fame of these kings in the Psalms when he was speaking of the might of YHVH:
Psalm 135:10-11
Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings; Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:
The Amorites were a people of a tremendous height, as we read in the book of Amos:
Amos 2:9
Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
In Deuteronomy we read of Og’s size after Israel wiped out the majority of them:
Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
A biblical cubit was 22 inches long. Og would have been around 16 and a half feet tall, almost three times the size of a man!
David had a very unique way of sifting out these unnatural creatures from among the Moabite men to be exterminated. Using an ancient form of measurement:
2 Samuel 8:2
He also defeated the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one length of those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
I find it somewhat strange that the only common retelling of a giant in the scriptures by most people is the story of David defeating Goliath as if he were some freak of nature and not a common enemy they had been battling in a long line of historical battles.
I thought it necessary to write this study, not because of any fascination with giants. But because there has been a very poorly understood reason for the great wars of the past that have been commanded by YHVH. These wars were not an act of vengeance, but mercy for mankind.