The Twelve Tribes of Israel - Simeon/Simon

Simeon

Simeon means "who hears or obeys" and "is heard".

He was associated with Levi in the terrible act of vengeance against Hamor, Shechem and the Shechemites. 

Genesis 34 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and humbled her. And his soul clung to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke to the heart of the girl. And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Get me this girl for a wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. And his sons were with his cattle in the field. And Jacob kept silent until they had come. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard. And the men were furious, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel, in lying with the daughter of Jacob. And it ought not to be done so. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife. And you make marriages with us, giving your daughters to us, and taking our daughters to you. And you shall live with us. And the land shall be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it. And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and whatever you shall say to me I will give. Heap upon me ever so much price and dowry, and I will give according as you shall say to me. But give me the girl for a wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, speaking with deceit because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised. For it is a reproach to us. But in this we will agree with you, if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised, then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will live with you, and we will become one people. But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will go. And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man did not hesitate to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter. And he was more honorable than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them live in the land, and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men agree to us, to live with us, to be one people, if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us. And all that went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son. And every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took each his sword and came upon the city boldly, and killed all the males. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field. And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives, they took captive, and plundered even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have troubled me, to make me stink among those who live in the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I, being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and kill me. And I shall be destroyed, my house and I. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

The Hivites descended from Canaan son of Ham. Abraham, on his first migration to the Land of Promise, pitched his tent and built an altar under the oak, or terebinth tree, of Moreh at Shechem. By the time Jacob came to the area, Shechem was a Hivite city. To the East of the city Jacob pitched his tent in a “parcel of ground” which he had bought from Hamor, Shechem's father (Genesis 33:19). Here he raised an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel, “God, the God of Israel” (Genesis 33:20). Jacob subsequently bequeathed it, as a special patrimony, to his son Joseph. Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32; John 4:5. The field lay undoubtedly on the rich plain of the Mukhna, and its value was greater because of the well which Jacob had dug there, so as not to be dependent on his neighbors for a supply of water. Then follows the story of Dinah's rape by Shechem, son of the city's chief, Hamor. Dinah is the only daughter of Jacob named so she may have been the only daughter he had. She would have been between 13-15 yrs old and they would have been living in the area for 7-8 years. Dinah may have felt safe and maybe had gone visiting the town before. She either had girlfriends there or wanted to make new girlfriends. It's possible that there was a special occasion like a festival or party. But for those times, and in the Middle East, it's doubtful that it was normal for young girls to go alone and unchaperoned to town. It's possible that she sneaked away from her father's tents and went off on her own as some teenage girls do today. Or, it could have been more sinister because it's possible that Shechem had already seen her and enticed her away from the safety of her father's camp by having girls her age invite her. Was she flirting with Shechem? Was she seduced? Was she raped? Either way, she was no longer a virgin and it was serious. Shechem took advantage of her and her unprotected situation. Even in the best case scenario, she was younger, inexperienced, immature and not capable of making sound decisions and he took advantage of that. He was the adult, a male in a male driven society, he had experience in the world and he should have been the one to control himself. In the worst case scenario, he lured her out and raped her. The consequences were the same, she was no longer a virgin and this could have branded her and kept her from making a good marriage. Some say the child begotten in this act of fornication was Asenath, who was brought up by Potipherah's (probably not Potiphar's wife) wife in Egypt, as her daughter, and afterwards married to Joseph. Other scholars deny this. When Jacob heard what happened, he kept his mouth shut. His sons were away from home at the time and he and his family were surrounded by tribes that could be strong enemies. He could have reacted impulsively and gotten into trouble but he used the wisdom of his years to wait. He discussed it with his sons when they came home. Naturally they were angry and upset. Not only had their sister been degraded but the whole family was humiliated. The younger men didn't think carefully as their father had. They wanted revenge, public revenge, so others would think twice about mistreating their family in this way. Simon and Levi wanted to make an example of Hamor, Shechem and the men of Shechem. Simon and Levi plotted revenge. The brothers went with their father to meet with Hamor and Shechem. It seems that Shechem had decided he wanted to marry her. In Hamor's eyes this was a good solution. Hamor was the head of the Hivites and an important figure in their tribe so he thought she would be making a good marriage. Jacob and his sons met with Hamor and Shekem to discuss what happened and Hamor offered the solution of joining the two tribes by marriage. Shechem offered any amount of dowry that Jacob requested for Dinah and a peace treaty between the families for peaceful trade, solidified by intermarriages. But Abraham's servant was told by Abraham not to take a wife from one of the Canaanite tribes to be the wife of his son Isaac; and the same charge was given to Jacob by Isaac (Genesis 24:3). Jacob would never agree to intermarrying with any of a pagan nation. (Marriages with the pagan Canaanite tribes were afterwards forbidden by the law of Moses in Deuteronomy 7:3.) So, in order for Shekem to marry Dinah, he and his family would have to be circumcised and convert to the belief system that Jacob and his family followed. Hamor and Shekem went back to town and talked the men into doing it. Simon and Levi deceived the Hivites by making the agreement with them with no intention of sticking to the agreement. They were not men of their word. Once the Hivites fulfilled their part of the bargain (be circumcised), Simon and Levi went in and killed them all, even the other men who had not been a part of Dinah's rape.

  

And they took the spoils. Since Simon and Levi were Dinah's full brothers, they felt it was up to them to lead in order to get Dinah back and revenge her defilement. Their vindication of Jacob/Israel's sacred calling to be separate from the Gentiles, was right; and their refusal to sacrifice Jehovah's promises for the Hivite prince's offers of a dowry was right. But the way they went about it was treacherous, cruel, and wicked. The innocent townsmen were punished too, and all Jacob's sons joined in plundering the town.

At this time, I wonder how Dinah felt? Was she also in love with Shechem? If she was, she would have been devastated that her brothers killed her lover. Or, maybe, she wasn't in love but knew she had lost her chances of making another good marriage and was willing to marry Shechem in order to be married and have children in one of the most important families in the area. What her brothers did robbed her of that. She might have been really mad at them knowing they had caused her to have to spend the rest of her life a spinster! Or was she so glad to see them! Maybe she hated Shechem and was scared to death of being married off to someone who was violent enough to rape her. Maybe she just wanted to go home and her brothers were her rescuers. How did she feel knowing that all those men were dead because of her?

Little did she realize the consequences of her day out for pleasure! She is not mentioned again except to say that she went down to Egypt with her family.

Jacob/Israel was angry with them because they had let him make a covenant with the Hivites with no intention of honoring it. It ruined the reputation and integrity of their family. Who would make a covenant with a tribe who might not honor it? And, what if the other pagans decided to exact revenge on Jacob/Israel and attacked the family? This could have been an "international incident". In their youth and anger, they had endangered their whole family and possibly their way of making a living (if avengers attacked their flocks or drove them from the land, etc). They had gone of "half-cocked" as the saying goes without thinking out all the consequences. It was wrong for Shechem to do what he did. God was not pleased with what happened to Dinah! But, at least in their eyes, Hamor and Shechem had tried to make it right. It was wrong for the descendants of Abraham to intermarry with pagan tribes. God had specifically made that clear. But God has a way of dealing with wrongs. He is the only fair and righteous Judge. The brothers should have taken this problem to God and followed God's instructions rather than making their own decisions and doing things in their own way. It's possible that God would have told them to do exactly what they did. But they never asked God. They did it in their own strength and in their own wisdom. Their deceitfulness, treachery, their cruelty was also wrong. And they knew better! They knew they should go before God, wait for His Words and obey Him. But they wanted to do what they wanted to do.

Later, when the brothers go to Egypt for food during the famine, Simon was detained by Joseph in Egypt as a hostage (Genesis 42:24).

His father, Jacob, pronounced this against him when dying:

Genesis 49:5-7 Simeon and Levi, you are brothers, each a gruesome sword. I never want to take part in your plans or deeds. You slaughtered people in your anger, and you crippled cattle for no reason. Now I place a curse on you because of your fierce anger. Your descendants will be scattered among the tribes of Israel.

The tribes of Judah and Simeon joined together in the conquest of southern Canaan in Judges 1:3, 17 Simon's families are enumerated in Genesis 46:10; Numbers 26:12-14; and, 1 Chronicles 4:24-43. At the census at Sinai, Simeon numbered 59,300 (Numbers 1:23); it was then the most numerous after Judah. At Shittim it had become the smallest, numbering 22,200. The mortality was a consequent of the idolatry of Peor (Numbers 25:9; Numbers 25:14). Zimri, slain in the act, was a prince of Simeon (Numbers 26:14).

Simeon was the "remnant" with Judah and Benjamin, which constituted Rehoboam's forces (1 Kings 12:23). Still Simeon remained strong enough in Hezekiah's days to smite the men of Ham with an expedition under 13 Simeonite princes, and to occupy their dwellings "at the entrance of Gedor to the E. side of the valley" (1 Chronicles 4:34-43).

The Simeonites "found the Meunim" there besides the Hamites. The Meunim were connected with Maan, a city near Petra, "nomads". Five hundred Simeonites undertook a second expedition under four chiefs, sons of Shimei, against the remnant of Amalek that had escaped from Saul and David (1 Samuel 14:48; 1 Samuel 15:7; 2 Samuel 8:12) to the mountains of Idumea; they smote them utterly, and dwelt in their place, and were there at the date of the composition of 1 Chronicles, i.e. after the return from Babylon.

 

Simeon is omitted in Moses' blessing, possibly because of the idolatry of Peor.

Simeon in the wilderness marched south of the tabernacle, with Reuben and Gad, sons of Zilpah, maid of Leah, Simeon's mother. The Canaanitess, mother of Shaul (Genesis 46:10), and the Horite father of Shaphat, the spy from Simeon (Numbers 13:5), indicate the laxness of Simeon in marriage connections. It was forbidden to marry outside the Israelite tribes because of the fear of falling into the pagan worship of those they intermarried with. Their villages and 18 or 19 cities lay round the well of Beersheba in Judah's extreme south.

Simeon stands first of the tribes appointed to bless the people on Mount Gerizim (Deuteronomy 27:12).

Though cities of Simeon were among those to which David sent presents of the Amalekite spoils, and though Ziklag was David's own property, received from Achish king of the Philistines who had wrested it from Simeon (1 Samuel 27:6; 1 Samuel 30:26), yet Simeon and Judah were few in numbers at his installation at Hebron (1 Chronicles 12:23-37). Some men of Simeon were apparently settled in the northern kingdom of Israel after the disruption (2 Chronicles 15:9; 2 Chronicles 34:6). Simeon is between Issachar and Benjamin, not beside Judah, in Ezekial 48:25.

Simeon is also in Revelation 7:7.

Spiritual Leadership - Pastor, Preacher, Minister, Bishop, Overseer, Shepherd, Elder, Deacons

 Matthew 20:25-28 But having called them, Jesus said, You know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great ones exercise authority over them. But it will not be so among you. But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant; Even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

In today's world, many people don't know what the role of a pastor is suppose to be. We have let TV, movies, media define what we think pastors and spiritual leaders are. Unfortunately, the media people don't have a clue what constitutes biblical leadership. But even Christians who should know better don't know the Biblical role of pastor or deacon or elder. I think this is why pastors get away with some of the stuff they get away with. People are ignorant about what the Bible teaches on spiritual leadership, authority, qualifications, basically the whole job description. We've all see the mockery of preachers...and let's be real here...there is some substance to the mockery. There have been lunatics who stand on sidewalks shouting blasphemies but holding Bibles, there have been mega-maniacal TV preachers jetsetting around the world, there have been conmen passing themselves off as pastors and there has been power mongering and politicking within church circles. It's shameful and it's NOT what God wants. Christians are human beings who have the same sinful natures that everyone is born with. If we are true Christians then the Holy Spirit is living in us and teaching our born-again spirit how to walk as Christ wants us to walk but it's a process that takes time and we never reach perfection until we die. So you will see us make mistakes and fall and sin and be grouchy and selfish at times. It shouldn't be, but it is. Then there are those who aren't really saved but they go to church, even become ministers. They are wolves in sheeps clothing. The only way we as human beings have of knowing if someone is saved or not is by "their fruits". I.e. by their actions and the results. Even this means we make mistakes and judge someone wrongly as being a Christian or not. We can't see into their hearts, all we have is their actions and words and lifestyle. And we can only see them in part. So it's easy to make mistakes.

So what does God say about pastors, elders, deacons? To summarize...if you want to be a celebrity, a hot shot, a rich famous man, don't become a pastor. God says you should be a servant leader. This goes against our human nature. We think a successful pastor is one who can afford the best cars, the best clothes, the nicest home. We think the bigger the church gets, the more he should reflect material wealth. A pastor of a mega church that brings in lots of money and lots of seat fillers (people) has to be a "successful" pastor, a man blessed by God, and should recieve the same compensation that a CEO of a successful company receives. I'm here to tell you that this is not what God says in His Word.

I hope you will take the time to read through the following Bible Dictionary definitions and search the Bible for the reference scriptures so you can know for yourself, what God says about church leadership.

"Overseer" , Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

The word "overseer" (Greek episkopos) is used a limited number of times in the New Testament, but it has significant implications for a proper understanding of leadership in the church.

The noun episkopos appears five times in the New Testament and means overseer, guardian, bishop. It is used in reference to Jesus Christ in 1 Peter 2:25 and in other places of individuals who have a function of leadership in the church (Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:7). The verb episkopeo appears in 1 Peter 5:2 and means to take care of, to oversee, or to care for. Episkope appears in 1 Timothy 3:1 and refers to the position or office of overseer or bishop. It seems clear that a plurality of overseers (elders) was the New Testament model, though flexibility apparently existed as to structure. It is quite likely that one overseer or elder would have primary leadership as the pastor among the other elders in the local church, such as James in the church at Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15:13-21). The office itself is restricted to men. As men are called to be the spiritual leaders in the home, so they are to be the spiritual leaders in the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Timothy 2:9-3:7).

The first responsibility God has given the overseer is to watch over the flock. Acts 20:28a states, "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers"; and Hebrews 13:17b says, "They keep watch over you." The idea is one of spiritual alertness, being on watch, being ready. Overseers watch for the souls of those entrusted to them in the Lord. They know that to protect them, constant attention is necessary.

A second responsibility of the overseer is to shepherd the flock of God as instructed in 1 Peter 5:2. To shepherd carries the idea of tending, caring for, feeding, protecting, and leading. All these tasks are involved in the overseer's service of ministry to the spiritual flock of God. Responsibility is not a compulsion but something that the overseer has entered into willingly.

In Acts 20:27-30 overseers are told to shepherd the flock of God, by declaring the whole counsel of the Word of God (v. 27). The reason is because there will arise false teachers who will seek to lead many astray (vv. 29-30). The importance of shepherding is revealed by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, when he instructs leaders to confront personally those who are idle, timid, or weak.

1 Peter 5:2d-3 also addresses the issue of attitude and motivation of the overseer when it commands spiritual leaders to be "eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." "Eager" carries the idea of ready and willing. The point is that the overseer should be quick to serve but careful to curb the desire to rule in an autocratic or dictatorial manner. There is always the temptation to abuse authority. The key is to maintain balance in this area of the ministry. The overseer clearly is to direct, lead, guide, even rule (Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17). However, his model is the Lord Jesus; therefore he is a shepherd leader, a servant leader who sets a humble example for the flock to follow. If the people are to see the pastor as a ruler (or leader), the pastor is to view himself as a servant. Trouble begins when one or both reverse those role assignments. A pastor who exalts himself as ruler is an unbearable tyrant; a flock that views its shepherd as its slave is destined for spiritual disaster.

It is important to consider the relationship among the overseer or bishop (episkopos), the pastor (poimen) and the elder (presbuteros). Scholars are virtually unanimous that in the early church the presbuteros and the episkopos were one and the same. Indeed, there is no clear evidence for a monarchical episcopate being firmly established until the early decades of the second century.

There are solid biblical reasons to justify the assertion that overseer and elder refer to the same person. In Acts 20:17, 28 Paul addresses the same group of men in the same speech as both elders and bishops or overseers as he reminds them of their work of shepherding. In 1 Peter 5:1-2 Peter calls himself an elder and instructs the elders to oversee the flock. In Titus 1:6-7 the same group is called both elders and overseers.

In writing to a local congregation, the church at Philippi, Paul addresses himself to the bishops or overseers (Philippians 1:1). It is inconceivable that Paul would have sent no greetings at all to the elders, who were in every church. The bishops and the elders must be one and the same body of individuals.

Finally, the qualifications for the overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and the elder in Titus 1:5-9 are basically identical. Episkopos and poimen clearly refer to the function of the office, while presbuteros emphasizes the character of spiritually mature men of God. It was a term of respect and esteem the early church employed to describe its pastoral leaders, even though they were, on occasion, very young.

The qualifications the Bible gives for the overseer strongly emphasize character in all aspects of life, both personal and public. Most of the qualifications are self-explanatory, and they are listed in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. That the overseer must be above reproach appears to be an overriding qualification, expressing the idea that the overseer should demonstrate integrity in every area Paul mentions. His life and reputation are of such a nature that he is not open to attack or censure. No fault can be found in him that would disqualify him from office or open him to discipline by the body (cf. 1 Timothy 5:19-20). The overseer is to be above reproach in his personal life. He must be temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, upright, holy, disciplined, loves what is good, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, and not a lover of money.

He must also be above reproach in his family life. He is to be the husband of but one wife (lit. "a one woman kind of man"), manage his own family well, and see that his children obey him with proper respect. Being the husband of but one wife is widely debated, but the idea of fidelity to one's wife is certainly the underlying principle.

The overseer must be above reproach in his public life. He must not be a recent convert, and for good reason: he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. Also, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

Finally, the overseer must be above reproach in his professional life. He must be able to teach and hold firm to the message so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

The authority of accountability of the overseer is summarized in Hebrews 13:17. The duty of the congregation is twofold: they must obey and submit. Three motivations are given for obedience and submission to the leadership. First, they watch over the people. The imagery is possibly that of the leaders keeping awake at nights in their concern for God's people. Second, they will give an account to God for their oversight of the flock (his flock cf. 1 Peter 5:2). God has placed them in this position and therefore they will answer to him. The final motivation is that they may serve with joy and not grief. If there is a lack of obedience, it is of no advantage to the church. Hebrews 13:17 is a somber reminder that the welfare of the community is intimately related to the quality of the people's response to their leaders.

The office of the bishop or overseer is both a great privilege and an awesome responsibility. The pastor/elder/overseer is to shepherd, direct, teach, and protect the flock of God entrusted to him with integrity and humility, looking to the Lord Jesus as the model for ministry.
by Daniel L. Akin


"Shepherd", Easton's Bible Dictionary

"Shepherd" is a word naturally of frequent occurrence in Scripture. Sometimes the word "pastor" is used instead (Jeremiah 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16). This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people (Psalms 23:1; 80:1; Isaiah 40:11; 44:28; Jeremiah 25:34-35; Nahum 3:18 ; John 10:11; John 10:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4).

The duties of a shepherd in an unenclosed country like Palestine were very onerous. "In early morning he led forth the flock from the fold, marching at its head to the spot where they were to be pastured. Here he watched them all day, taking care that none of the sheep strayed, and if any for a time eluded his watch and wandered away from the rest, seeking diligently till he found and brought it back. In those lands sheep require to be supplied regularly with water, and the shepherd for this purpose has to guide them either to some running stream or to wells dug in the wilderness and furnished with troughs. At night he brought the flock home to the fold, counting them as they passed under the rod at the door to assure himself that none were missing. Nor did his labours always end with sunset. Often he had to guard the fold through the dark hours from the attack of wild beasts, or the wily attempts of the prowling thief (see 1 Samuel 17:34).", Deane's David.

"Elder", Easton's Bible Dictionary

"Elder" is a name frequently used in the Old Testament as denoting a person clothed with authority, and entitled to respect and reverence (Genesis 50:7). It also denoted a political office (Numbers 22:7). The "elders of Israel" held a rank among the people indicative of authority. Moses opened his commission to them (Exodus 3:16). They attended Moses on all important occasions. Seventy of them attended on him at the giving of the law (Exodus 24:1). Seventy also were selected from the whole number to bear with Moses the burden of the people (Numbers 11:16-17). The "elder" is the keystone of the social and political fabric wherever the patriarchal system exists. At the present day this is the case among the Arabs, where the sheik (i.e., "the old man") is the highest authority in the tribe. The body of the "elders" of Israel were the representatives of the people from the very first, and were recognized as such by Moses. All down through the history of the Jews we find mention made of the elders as exercising authority among the people. They appear as governors (Deuteronomy 31:28), as local magistrates (16:18), administering justice (19:12). They were men of extensive influence (1 Samuel 30:26-31). In New Testament times they also appear taking an active part in public affairs (Matthew 16:21; 21:23; 26:59).

The Jewish eldership was transferred from the old dispensation to the new. "The creation of the office of elder is nowhere recorded in the New Testament, as in the case of deacons and apostles, because the latter offices were created to meet new and special emergencies, while the former was transmitted from the earlies times. In other words, the office of elder was the only permanent essential office of the church under either dispensation."

The "elders" of the New Testament church were the "pastors" (Ephesians 4:11), "bishops or overseers" (Acts 20:28), "leaders" and "rulers" (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:12) of the flock. Everywhere in the New Testament bishop and presbyter are titles given to one and the same officer of the Christian church. He who is called presbyter or elder on account of his age or gravity is also called bishop or overseer with reference to the duty that lay upon him (Titus 1:5-7; Acts 20:17-28; Philippians 1:1).


"Deacon", Easton's Bible Dictionary

Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning "runner," "messenger," "servant." For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the "Hebrews," or Jews proper, who spoke the sacred language of Palestine, and the "Hellenists," or Jews of the Grecian speech, who had adopted the Grecian language, and read the Septuagint version of the Bible instead of the Hebrew. This jealousy early appeared in the Christian community. It was alleged by the Hellenists that their widows were overlooked in the daily distribution of alms (money for the poor). This spirit must be checked. The apostles accordingly advised the disciples to look out for seven men of good report, full of the Holy Ghost, and men of practical wisdom, who should take entire charge of this distribution, leaving them free to devote themselves entirely to the spiritual functions of their office (Acts 6:1-6). This was accordingly done. Seven men were chosen, who appear from their names to have been Hellenists. The name "deacon" is nowhere applied to them in the New Testament; they are simply called "the seven" (21:8). Their office was at first secular, but it afterwards became also spiritual; for among other qualifications they must also be "apt to teach" (1 Timothy 3:8 -12). Both Philip and Stephen, who were of "the seven," preached; they did "the work of evangelists."

continuing from Baker's Evangelical Dictionary

The idea of serving others was not popular among the Greeks. Jews on the other hand found nothing inherently distasteful about service. Yet it was the Lord Jesus who raised service to a completely new level. He used the word as an expression of his humiliation in giving his life in suffering and death as a ransom (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). Thus the word takes on the sense of loving action for others, especially in the community of faith, which is rooted in and founded upon divine love as seen in the atonement of Christ.

In this light, Paul could speak of being a servant of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6), of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15), of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23; Colossians 1:7; 1 Timothy 4:6), of God (2 Corinthians 6:4), of the gospel (Ephesians 3:7; Colossians 1:23), and of the church (Colossians 1:25).

The institution of the technical office seems to be found in Acts 6. Although the noun "deacon" (diakonos) does not occur, both diakoneo and diakonia are used, with emphasis resting more on the character of the men than any specific function. In this instance they cared for the needs of the Hellenistic widows and guaranteed fairness in the distribution of food. Their election was made jointly by the apostles and the congregation. It was determined that they must be men "full of the Spirit and wisdom" (v. 3). As one scans the Book of Acts, "fullness of the Spirit" almost always entails bold witnessing for the gospel of Christ (cf. Acts 1:8 ). That these men served in a manner transcending the traditional notion of deacon is clearly seen in the prophetic teaching activity of Stephen (Acts 6-7) and the evangelistic ministry of Philip (Acts 8).

1 Timothy 3:8-13 is the most complete account in Scripture addressing the office of deacon. (In Philippians 1:1 ; it is only mentioned as being an office along with that of the bishops.) As in Acts 6, the emphasis is again on character qualifications rather than function. In fact, the qualities necessary for eligibility run in close parallel to those for bishops. Emphasis is placed upon the necessity of an exemplary life. Thus deacons must be worthy of respect, sincere (lit. "not double-tongued"), not indulging excessively in wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, holding the mystery (proved and approved), being found blameless, husband of one wife (a one-woman kind of man publicly and privately), and a good manager of children and household. The reward for such service found in verse 13 is having both an "excellent standing" and "great assurance" in the faith (before both God and people). Because teaching and leadership are not mentioned, the servant role of this office is made clear. These men are to be helpers in the practical areas of ministry, eligible to serve because of the unquestioned integrity of their lives.

It is possible, although not certain, that women served as deaconesses in the early church. In Romans 16:1 Phoebe of Cenchrea is commended as a sister of us, being also a diakonon. Whether the word is to be understood in a general or technical sense is open to debate. Of further significance for this issue is 1 Timothy 3:11; 5:3-16, and Titus 2:3-5. In 1 Timothy 3:11, there appears the phrase gynaikas hosautos, translated "likewise the women." "The women" has been variously interpreted to mean the wives of the deacons, female assistants to the deacons, deaconesses, or women in general. In favor of view 1 is the fact that gunaikos occurs also in verses 2 and 12, where it clearly means wife. Second, to return to qualifications for deacons in verses 12-13, and to address the children in verse 12, argues for wives being in view in verse 11.

In favor of views 2 and 3 is the use of the word "likewise." The same word also occurs in verse 8 and is used to introduce a distinct but related subject (deacons versus overseers). Second, the absence of the word "their" would seem to imply that the women in view are not the wives of deacons but rather women who serve in the same capacity as the men. Third, the list of qualifications for the women, although abbreviated (only one verse), is similar to those for the deacons. Fourth, the silence concerning any qualifications for the bishop's wife ( 3:1-7 ) argues against this being understood as referring to deacons' wives. When 1 Timothy 5:3-16 and Titus 2:3-5 are taken into consideration, it appears quite probably that there was a servant-oriented group of women in the early church. These women may have been wives of deacons. That such women would have ministered to other women, especially those in need of physical assistance and spiritual instruction, seems most likely. Practical considerations such as baptisms and intimate personal counseling and care would indeed have necessitated such a ministry of women to women.

by Daniel L. Akin


Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. So obey everything they teach you, but don't do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else. They pile heavy burdens on people's shoulders and won't lift a finger to help. Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels for everyone to see. They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places. And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers. But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

Galatians 1:9 I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed.

Colossians 1:24-29 I am glad that I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue the suffering of Christ for his body, the church. God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you. For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory. We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. That's why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.

Also, notice that in many of the Apostles letters they begin by identifying themselves as "servants of Jesus Christ". (Romans 1:1, James 1:1, Titus 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Jude 1:1, Revelation 1:1)

Ezekiel 34 And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you kill the fat ones, but you do not feed the flock.

You have not made the weak strong, nor have you healed the sick, nor have you bound up the broken. You have not brought again those driven away, nor have you sought that which was lost; but you have ruled them with force and with cruelty.
And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. Yea, My flock was scattered on all the face of the earth, and none searched nor sought for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the Word of Jehovah:
As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock, therefore, O shepherds, hear the Word of Jehovah.
So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock. Nor shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouth, and they will not be food to devour.
For so says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.
a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the lands, and will bring them to their own land and feed them on the mountain of Israel by the rivers, and in all the places of the land where people live.
I will feed them in a good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.
I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord Jehovah.
I will seek the lost, and bring again those driven away, and will bind up the broken, and will strengthen the sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
And you, My flock, says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between lamb and lamb, between rams and he-goats.
Is it a small thing to you to have eaten up the good pasture, but you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but you must foul the rest with your feet?
And My flock, they eat what your feet have trampled, and they drink what your feet have fouled.
So the Lord Jehovah says this to them: Behold I Myself will even judge between the fat lamb and the lean lamb.
Because you have thrust with side and with shoulder, and have pushed all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them to the outside, therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey. And I will judge between lamb and lamb.
And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, My servant David. He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd.
And I Jehovah will be their God, and My servant David a ruler among them. I Jehovah have spoken.
And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will send the evil beasts out of the land. And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
And I will make them, and the places around My hill, a blessing; and I will bring down the shower in its season. There shall be showers of blessing.
And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. And they shall be safe in their land, and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hands of those who enslaved them.
And no more shall they be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beast of the land eat them. But they shall dwell safely, and none shall terrify them.
And I will raise up for them a noted planting place, and they shall never again be of those gathered by famine in the land, nor shall they bear the shame of the nations any more.
And they shall know that I, Jehovah their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord Jehovah.
And you My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, says the Lord Jehovah.

Matthew 12:11-12 And He said to them, What man among you will be, who will have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the sabbaths, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?
How much better is a man then than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Bringing back the lost sheep.




Matthew 18:11-14 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek the straying one?
And if it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety and nine which did not stray.
so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

A sheepfold








John 10:1-18 Truly, truly I tell you, the person who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit.
The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
It is to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it is his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.
Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn't understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said, Truly, truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, deserts the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
For he is a hired hand, and the sheep do not matter to him.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must lead these also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it back again.
No one is taking it from me; I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is a command that I have received from my Father.

Giants In The Bible

 Did you know there are giants mentioned in the Bible? Surely that would make thinking people pause and say, "I guess the Bible is a bunch of myths, legends and fables." But you would be wrong! I believe the Bible is true even to it's least word. We call it the "inerrant Word of God", i.e. it is without error. I believe this with my whole heart and the more I study the Bible the more I find it true! Of course, as a believer in Jesus Christ, I started with the faith that the Bible is inerrant. Without having studied the Bible yet, I still believed it was true, which is "faith". But once I became a believer I wanted to know more about God and there was no better source than His Word. It was written to His People and reveals Him in His Splendor and His Mercy, His Majesty and His Grace. If you don't want to expend the energy and time to study the Word of God, then stop reading NOW! But don't utter re-used phrases like, "The Bible is just a bunch of fairy tales." You haven't read it, you haven't studied it, you haven't attempted to find out why each scripture is in the Bible... i.e. you don't know it!

I was raised in a Christian family and so was taken to church where I learned the Bible stories of Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, Mary and Joseph, etc. I was saved at 8 yrs old. I've always been a prolific reader and many times I would try to sit down and read the Holy Bible just as I would any book. I turned to page 1 (which is Genesis 1:1) and by the time I got to chapter 3 it was so over my childish head that I stopped. I couldn't understand why I couldn't understand it. I could read Nancy Drew couldn't I? But, as a young cousin once told me, "it's just a bunch of little scriptures". He was as confused as I was. But we have to remember that a child's mind cannot fathom the complex, deep things. For instance, a 2 year old can ask you a hundred times how much further it is. You can answer, "about 2 more hours" and that has no meaning to them. They cannot conceive time. You can explain how rain is formed via evaporation to a 4 year old but they would only stare at you because they don't have the mental capacity yet to understand simple scientific explanations. And a teenager cannot mentally understand future consequences because their mind simply has not grown enough and experienced enough to understand the consequences to their actions (which means, no matter how snooty they are, they still need their parent's guidance because they truly are not adults yet).

I re-dedicated my life at 17 years old and about the same time, my Aunt Judy got each of us a new Bible called The Living Bible. It is a paraphrase in modern English. A paraphrase is different from a translation. A translation actually takes the original language that the Bible was written in and translates it word for word. Each word has many shadings which is why we have many translations. For instance, the word "abode" means "home", "house", "dwelling", "place where you live", etc. But a paraphrase is when you take the gist of the meaning and tell it in modern English. For instance, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures..." becomes "You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass." We must remember that the King James Version was written for the English peaople at that time and it was written in the way they talked. It was modern to them and was something they could understand. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). It had been translated into Latin which was a common language during the Roman times. But by the Middle ages, only highly educated people were educated in the classical languages of Greek and Latin which meant the common man couldn't read the Bible. It had to be read to him by his Priest until King James decided to sponsor scholars to translate the Bible into the King's English. So, today, we need new translations so that we can understand the Bible in our own language. We no longer use "thees" and "thous". The Living Bible was perfect for a young reader's first time to read through the Bible and I can never thank my Aunt Judy enough for giving me that experience!!! I have tried to give my teenage nieces and nephews Bibles appropriate to their age so, hopefully, they could have the experience I had.



I read the Bible all the way through when I was 17 years old. Then I got another Bible. This time I got a translation rather than a paraphrase and I read through the Bible again. It was the American Standard Version (ASV). Then I went to a little harder translation called the Modern King James Version (MKJV), etc. So I'd read straight through the Bible several times before I really began any Bible studies. And, let me tell you, I still didn't understand half of what I was reading. It was interesting! It was enthralling! It was beautiful! But I didn't understand why this story didn't have a happy ending or why that person was blessed by God even when he did a bad thing or why there were GIANTS IN THE BIBLE! So we've come back around to my Bible study today.

You see, it takes time and effort to dig and study, read and contemplate, listen to teaching tapes or videos, take Bible study lessons, etc. That's what is so fascinating about God's Word. You can read it and re-read it, study it and learn from it and it never gets old!! You can become an expert in the Bible and think you know all there is to know and God will reveal something else! But that is if you are a Christian! An unbeliever can make themselves read the Bible and even become a scholar of the Bible and still not be a believer. Just like someone can become an expert on Shakespeare or Jane Austin. But as a believer, you have the Holy Spirit living within you and He teaches you throughout your life using the Word of God as His textbook. And you cannot exhaust the depths of God!!!

So let's look at the giants in the Holy Bible. First, we need to know a little bit about the origin of Satan. I've talked about this in other postings so you could skip this part if you've read my other posts about Satan and his fall.

Satan was a created being, created by God. He was a musician, some even say his body was a musical instrument much like a singer uses her voice or a musician uses his hands. He may have even led the worship of God. How do I know this? Let's look at

Ezekiel 28:11-19 (King James Version - KJV) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me (Ezekiel), saying, (12) Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. (13) Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. (14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (15) ;Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. (16) By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (17) Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. (18) Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. (19) All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

Ezekiel 28 (Literal Translation Of The Bible - LITV) (13) You have been in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering; the ruby, the topaz, and the jasper, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, and the carbuncle, and gold; the workmanship of your tambourines and of your flutes in you. In the day you were created, they were prepared. (14) You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I had put you in the holy heights of God, where you were. You walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (15) You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you. (16) By the multitude of your trade, they filled your midst with violence, and you sinned. So I cast you defiled from the height of God, and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from among the stones of fire. (17) Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. I have cast you to the ground. I will put you before kings, that they may see you. (18) By the host of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trade, you have defiled your holy places. So I brought a fire from your midst and it shall devour you, and I will give you for ashes on the earth in the sight of all who see you. (19) All who know you among the peoples shall be appalled at you. You shall be terrors, and you will not be forever.

and, finally,

Ezekiel 28:13-19 (Easy To Read Version) You were in Eden, the garden of God. You had every precious stone-- rubies, topaz, and diamonds, beryls, onyx, and jasper, sapphires, turquoise, and emeralds. And each of these stones was set in gold. You were given this beauty on the day you were created. God made you strong. (14) You were one of the chosen Cherubs who spread your wings over my throne. I put you on the holy mountain of God. You walked among the jewels that sparkled like fire. (15) You were good and honest when I created you, but then you became evil. (16) Your business brought you many riches. But they also put cruelty inside you, and you sinned. So I treated you like something unclean and threw you off the mountain of God. You were one of the chosen Cherubs who spread your wings over my throne. But I forced you to leave the jewels that sparkled like fire. (17) Your beauty made you proud. Your glory ruined your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground, and now other kings stare at you. (18) You did many wrong things. You were a very crooked merchant. In this way you made the holy places unclean. So I brought fire from inside you. It burned you! You burned to ashes on the ground. Now everyone can see your shame. (19) "'All the people in other nations were shocked about what happened to you. What happened to you will make people very afraid. You are finished!'"

Who was this King of Tyre? Well, there literally was a King or Prince of Tyre named Ethbaal, or Ithobal. God is giving a literal description of an event. But there is also the description of Adam's fall from the Garden of Eden and the description of Satan's fall from Heaven. So God is using a real story to also tell us of what happened to Adam and to Satan.

Mathew Henry's Commentary - This is commonly understood of the prince who then reigned over Tyre, spoken to, Ezekiel 28:2. His name was Ethbaal, or Ithobalus, as Diodorus Siculus calls him that was king of Tyre when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. He was, it seems, upon all external accounts an accomplished man, very great and famous; but his iniquity was his ruin. Many expositors have suggested that besides the literal sense of this lamentation there is an allegory in it, and that it is an allusion to the fall of the angels that sinned, who undid themselves by their pride.

Ezekiel 28:1-9 (Easy To Read Version - ERV) The word of the LORD came to me (Ezekiel). He said, (2) "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "'You are very proud! And you say, "I am a god! I sit on the seat of gods in the middle of the seas." "'But you are a man and not God! You only think you are a god. (3) You think you are wiser than Daniel and no secret is hidden from you. (4) Through your wisdom and understanding you have gotten riches for yourself. And you put gold and silver in your treasuries. (5) Through your great wisdom and trade, you have made your riches grow. And now you are proud because of those riches. (6) 'So this is what the Lord GOD says: Tyre, you thought you were like a god. (7) I will bring strangers to fight against you. They are most terrible among the nations! They will pull out their swords and use them against the beautiful things your wisdom brought you. They will ruin your glory. (8) They will bring you down to the grave. You will be like a sailor who died at sea. (9) That person will kill you. Will you still say, "I am a god"? No, he will have you in his power! You will see that you are a man, not God!

Here is another description of what happened to Babylon but also refers to what happened to Satan.

Isaiah 14:4-17 (KJV) That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! (5) The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. (6) He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.(7) The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. (8) Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. (9) Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. (10) All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? (11) Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. (12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) ;For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (15) Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (16) They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; (17) That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Isaiah 14:4-17 (Contemporary English Version - CEV) Then you will make fun of the King of Babylonia by singing this song: That cruel monster is done for! He won't attack us again. (5) The LORD has crushed the power of those evil kings, (6) who were furious and never stopped abusing the people of other nations. (7) Now all the world is at peace; its people are celebrating with joyful songs. (8) King of Babylonia, even the cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon celebrate and say, "Since you were put down, no one comes along to chop us down." (9) The world of the dead eagerly waits for you. With great excitement, the spirits of ancient rulers hear about your coming. (10) Each one of them will say, "Now you are just as weak as any of us! (11) Your pride and your music have ended here in the world of the dead. Worms are your blanket, maggots are your bed." 12) You, the bright morning star, have fallen from the sky! You brought down other nations; now you are brought down. (13) You said to yourself, "I'll climb to heaven and place my throne above the highest stars. I'll sit there with the gods far away in the north. (14) I'll be above the clouds, just like God Most High." (15) But now you are deep in the world of the dead. (16) Those who see you will stare and wonder, "Is this the man who made the world tremble and shook up kingdoms? (17) Did he capture every city and make earth a desert? Is he the one who refused to let prisoners go home?"

So Satan began as a created Angel, a son of God, but he had pride and thought he could be God. Same thing happened to Adam and Eve. They were created by God to be His companions and Satan deceived Eve and they thought they could be like God.

Genesis 3:4-6 (LITV) And the serpent said to the woman, Dying! you shall not die, (5) for God knows that in the day you eat of it, even your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. (6) And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise. And she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) Is a wise saying based on what happened to Satan and his demons and Adam and Eve. When we begin to think that we know better than God, that we could do a much better job of running everything, then we are developing the same pride that was the downfall of Satan and of humanity.

In Job we find Satan listed as an angel, or "son of God".
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

When Satan was cast out of Heaven, he had managed to convince 1/3 of the angels to follow him so they were also cast out of Heaven. These "sons of God" here are clearly Angelic beings who are presenting themselves before The Lord (in Heaven). And Satan is among them. These fallen angels are what we call "demons" now. The Devil and most of his fallen angels are on Earth doing spiritual warfare and will not be sent to Hell until their time of Judgment. But there were obviously some angels who had relations with “the daughters of men” (human women) and they are now chained so it can't happen again.

Jude 1:6 (CEV) You also know about the angels who didn't do their work and left their proper places. God chained them with everlasting chains and is now keeping them in dark pits until the great day of judgment.

Smith's Bible Dictionary - We conclude, therefore, that (Satan) was of angelic nature, a rational and spiritual creature, superhuman in power, wisdom and energy; and not only so, but an archangel, one of the "princes" of heaven. We cannot, of course, conceive that anything essentially and originally evil was created by God. We can only conjecture, therefore, that Satan is a fallen angel, who once had a time of probation, but whose condemnation is now irrevocably fixed.

2 Peter 2:4-5 (CEV) God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell until the time of judgment. (5) And during Noah's time, God did not have pity on the ungodly people of the world. He destroyed them with a flood, though he did save eight people, including Noah, who preached the truth.

Satan is not only the Prince of Demons but the Prince of This World. Parenthesis are mine.

Luke 4:2-13 (CEV) For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil, and during that time he went without eating. When it was all over, he was hungry. (3) The devil said to Jesus, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to turn into bread." (4) Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say, 'No one can live only on food.' "(5) Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. (6) The devil said, "I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. (7) Just worship me, and you can have it all." (8) Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!' " (9) Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on top of the temple. The devil said, "If you are God's Son, jump off. (10) The Scriptures say: 'God will tell his angels to take care of you. They will catch you in their arms, and you will not hurt your feet on the stones.' " (11) (12) Jesus answered, "The Scriptures also say, 'Don't try to test the Lord your God!' " (13) After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

John 12:31-32 (CEV) This world's people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world is already being thrown out! (32) If I am lifted up above the earth (on the cross), I will make everyone want to come to me."

John 16:11 (CEV) And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.

John 14:29-31 (CEV) I am telling you this before I leave, so that when it does happen, you will have faith in me. (30) I cannot speak with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming (to try to kill Him). But he has no power over me. (31) I obey my Father, so that everyone in the world might know that I love him. It is time for us to go now.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (CEV) If there is anything hidden about our message, it is hidden only to someone who is lost. (4) The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like.

Ephesians 6:11-13 (CEV) Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. (12) We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. (13) So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.

Smith's Bible Dictionary - (Satan's) general object is to break the bonds of communion between God and man, and the bonds of truth and love, which bind men to each other.

His methods are temptation, deception, possession, flattery, appealing to our pride. He will even use scripture to twist it to mean something it doesn't as he did when he tempted Jesus. He will try to appeal to our pride, flattering us, deceiving us so that what is rotten looks beautiful. He completely turns our heads upside down, suddenly we see darkness as light or light as darkness. He is our adversary, our accuser, just as in the book of Job where he stands by God and whispers accusations against us. He hates both God and man. Why does he hate man? Because God created mankind to be His companions, His Children, His People. We have the very breath of God in us and we are made in His Image. God saw us as so valuable to Himself that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so we could be saved from our sins. Satan hates God, therefore he hates us. There are people whom Satan uses to try and thwart God's Plans or hurt God's People. These people are victims of Satan. He has deceived them although they have allowed themselves to be deceived. Satan's power consists principally in his ability to deceive. Satan is fundamentally a liar and his kingdom is a kingdom founded upon lies and deceit.

Matthew 12:22-24 (ERV) Then some people brought a man to Jesus. This man was blind and could not talk, because he had a demon inside him. Jesus healed the man, and he could talk and see. (23) All the people were amazed at what Jesus did. They said, "Maybe he is the promised Son of David!" (24) When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man uses the power of Satan to force demons out of people. Satan is the ruler of demons."

1 Peter 5:8-9a (ERV) Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat. (9) Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 (ERV) You must gently teach those who don't agree with you. Maybe God will let them change their hearts so that they can accept the truth. (26) The devil has trapped them and now makes them do what he wants. But maybe they can wake up to see what is happening and free themselves from the devil's trap.

Those who are given over to evil and who persuade others to evil are children and servants of Satan.

In replying to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, Jesus says,
John 8:42-45 (ERV) Jesus said to them, "If God were really your Father, you would love me. I came from God, and now I am here. I did not come by my own authority. God sent me. (43) You don't understand the things I say, because you cannot accept my teaching. (44) Your father is the devil. You belong to him. You want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was always against the truth. There is no truth in him. He is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the father of lies. (45) "I am telling you the truth, and that's why you don't believe me.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (ERV) The ruler of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News--the message about the divine greatness of Christ. Christ is the one who is exactly like God.

So what happened to Satan and his demons?
2 Peter 2:4-5 (MKJV) For if God did not spare sinning angels, but thrust them down into Tartarus, and delivered them into chains of darkness, being reserved to judgment. (5) And He did not spare the old world, but saved Noah the eighth one, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

2 Peter 2:4-5 (ERV) When angels sinned, God did not let them go free without punishment. He sent them to hell. He put those angels in caves of darkness, where they are being held until the time when God will judge them. (5) And God punished the evil people who lived long ago. He brought a flood to the world that was full of people who were against God. But he saved Noah and seven other people with him. Noah was a man who told people about living right.

Jude 1:6 (MKJV) And those angels not having kept their first place, but having deserted their dwelling-place, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of a great Day;

Hebrew 2:14-15 (MKJV) Since then the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same; that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death (that is, the Devil), (15) and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (Bible in Basic English - BBE) And because the children are flesh and blood, he took a body himself and became like them; so that by his death he might put an end to him who had the power of death, that is to say, the Evil One; (15) And let those who all their lives were in chains because of their fear of death, go free.

Those of us who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are saved and the Devil has been defeated!!! We don't have to be afraid of him! As lost, we do not have the power to save ourselves or protect ourselves from Satan. This is why Jesus came and saved us. But we have to accept Him and trust that He saves us. We must have faith in something that we can't see - the belief that Jesus is the Son of God (not son of God as in the angels, but the real Son of God) and his work on the cross saved us. We no longer have to fear Hell in punishment of our sins. But we have to believe and accept and trust.

1 John 3:8 (LITV) The one practicing sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. For this the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the devil.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - The outcome is certain though the process may be tedious and slow. The victory of Christ is the defeat of Satan; first, for Himself as Leader and Saviour of men (John 14:30); then, for believers (Luke 22:31; Acts 26:18; Romans 16:20; James 4:7; 1 John 2:13; 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:18); and, finally, for the whole world (Revelation 20:10). The work of Christ has already destroyed the empire of Satan.

Revelation 20:1-15 (CEV) I saw an angel come down from heaven, carrying the key to the deep pit and a big chain. (2) He chained the dragon for a thousand years. It is that old snake, who is also known as the devil and Satan. (3) Then the angel threw the dragon into the pit. He locked and sealed it, so that a thousand years would go by before the dragon could fool the nations again. But after that, it would have to be set free for a little while. (4) I saw thrones, and sitting on those thrones were the ones who had been given the right to judge. I also saw the souls of the people who had their heads cut off because they had told about Jesus and preached God's message. They were the same ones who had not worshiped the beast or the idol, and they had refused to let its mark be put on their hands or foreheads. They will come to life and rule with Christ for a thousand years. (5) These people are the first to be raised to life, and they are especially blessed and holy. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and Christ and will rule with them for a thousand years. No other dead people were raised to life until a thousand years later. (6) (SEE 20:5) (7)At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be set free. (8) He will fool the countries of Gog and Magog, which are at the far ends of the earth, and their people will follow him into battle. They will have as many followers as there are grains of sand along the beach, (9) and they will march all the way across the earth. They will surround the camp of God's people and the city that his people love. But fire will come down from heaven and destroy the whole army. (10) Then the devil who fooled them will be thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur. He will be there with the beast and the false prophet, and they will be in pain day and night forever and ever. (11) I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. (12) I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done. (13) The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done. (14) Afterwards, death and its kingdom were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15) Anyone whose name wasn't written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.


Now that we have the basics of Lucifer, Satan, Beelzebub, Belial, the Accuser, the Tempter, lets see how he comes into the giants. Yes, it's time to talk about the Giants. We needed the background of Satan to see how giants once walked the earth.

Nephilim is translated "giants".

Genesis 6:1-5 (MKJV)(Parenthesis are mine) And it happened, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and when daughters were born to them, (2) the sons of God(fallen angels) saw the daughters of men, that they were good. And they took wives for themselves from all whom they chose. (3) And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, in his erring; he is flesh. Yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. (4) There were giants in the earth in those days. And also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore to them, they were mighty men who existed of old, men of renown. (5) And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

So the fallen angels, the demons, mated with human women to create halflings, hybrids, half demon and half human.

Jude 1:5-6 (LITV) But I intend to remind you, you once knowing these things, that the Lord having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, in the second place destroyed the ones not believing. (6) And those angels not having kept their first place, but having deserted their dwelling-place, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of a great Day;

Jude 1:5-6 (CEV) Don't forget what happened to those people that the Lord rescued from Egypt. Some of them did not have faith, and he later destroyed them. (6) You also know about the angels who didn't do their work and left their proper places. God chained them with everlasting chains and is now keeping them in dark pits until the great day of judgment.

These halflings were the giants. The old myths and fables of mythology, godlike beings, may have kernels of truth. For instance, there may have been giants named Zeus, Mercury, Jupiter, etc. Or at least the idea of superhumans doing things on the earth. These halflings began to take over the world so that there were fewer and fewer real human beings. And they did evil all the time. The world must have been a pretty horrible place during this time! Noah was born to Lamech. The times in which Noah was born were degenerate, depraved, and this finds pathetic expression in Lamech's saying at the birth of Noah, “This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Yahweh hath cursed.”

Genesis 5:26-32 (MKJV) And after he fathered Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years. And he fathered sons and daughters. (27) And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years. And he died. (28) And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and fathered a son. (29) And he called his name Noah, saying, This one shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Jehovah has cursed. (30) And after he fathered Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years. And he fathered sons and daughters. (31) And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years. And he died. (32) And Noah was five hundred years old. And Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6:6-10 (MKJV) And Jehovah repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was angry to His heart. (7) And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air. For I repent that I have made them. (8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah. (9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (10) ;And Noah fathered three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6:8-9 LIT) And Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah. (9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah, a righteous man, had been perfected among his family. Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:8-9 (RV) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:8-9 (Young's Literal Translation - YLT) And Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah. (9) These are births of Noah: Noah is a righteous man; perfect he hath been among his generations; with God hath Noah walked habitually.

Genesis 6:9-10 (English Standard Version - ESV) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.  (10)  And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The genealogy of Noah was perfect and blameless, i.e. he was not a halfling or giant! By the time of Noah, it seems that there were only a few people who were NOT halflings or giants... Noah, his wife, his 3 sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth and possibly their wives. So God didn't send a flood to destroy mankind but to save mankind! God had to rescue the pure human strain so that we could be saved through Jesus Christ.

When Adam and Even fell, God gave a prophecy that, although Satan would deal a blow, her SEED (Jesus) would crush Satan. A heel bruise is not a mortal wound, but a head blow is mortal.

Genesis 3:14-15 (ESV) The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. (15) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Genesis 3:15 (MKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

Satan had this prophecy going through his head and he kept trying to thwart God's plan. By corrupting the seed of the woman, Satan could prevent the birth of the Messiah. When Adam and Eve had their two sons, Cain and Able, Satan worked on Cain who murdered his brother, Able. He was trying to kill the SEED. When he sent his demons to mate with the human race, he was trying to keep the SEED from being born. When Jesus was born, Pharaoh tried to kill all the male babies 2 yrs old and younger. It was Satan trying to kill the SEED. But it didn't work!!!

BeginningAndEnd.com - But the one seed spoken of from a woman is Jesus Christ (“Behold a virgin shall conceive a son and His Name shall be Emmanuel.”). The only way we could be saved was through a virgin birth with The Lord providing the baby to a virgin woman. Jesus being both 100% man and 100% God allowed him to take all sins of humanity and save us all.

God made the plan to save Noah, his wife and sons and their wives and wipe out all the halflings and giants. It was a way to people the earth again with human beings.

BeginningAndEnd.com - The flood served 3 chief purposes: 1) To destroy the Nephilim giants. 2) To punish the angels who committed the illicit relations with women and make an example of them so that no other angels would ever attempt this again and 3) to save humanity from certain destruction.

Unfortunately, after the Flood, there were still some Nephilim - giants - found in the world possibly due to genes in Noah's daughter-in-laws.

The Bible provides a specific geneaology and bloodline of the Nephilim giants after the flood.

Genesis 9:18-19 (CEV) Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, came out of the boat. Ham later had a son named Canaan. (19) All people on earth are descendants of Noah's three sons.

Ham - Ham was the son of Noah and the father of Canaan. Ham means hot; heat; brown.

Genesis 9:20-26 (CEV) Noah farmed the land and was the first to plant a vineyard. (21) One day he got drunk and was lying naked in his tent. (22) Ham entered the tent and saw him naked, then went back outside and told his brothers. (23) Shem and Japheth put a robe over their shoulders and walked backwards into the tent. Without looking at their father, they placed it over his body. (24) When Noah woke up and learned what his youngest son had done, (25) he said, "I now put a curse on Canaan! He will be the lowest slave of his brothers. (26) I ask the LORD my God to bless Shem and make Canaan his slave.

Descendants of Ham formed four main races; Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt), Phut (Nubia), and Canaan, comprising six chief tribes, the Hittites, Hivites, Amorites, Jebusites, Perizzites, and Girgashites. The four Hamitic races occupied a continuous tract comprising the Nile valley, Palestine, S. Arabia, Babylonia, and Kissia. Ham and his brothers were pure human and raised by their father, Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness. But he also grew up in a horrible, weird, pagan, sinful, violent world and could have been influenced in the wrong way which showed up after the flood when he saw his father in his tent.

BeginningAndEnd.com - We can never forget that when looking at any Biblical account. God could have certainly killed Ham’s wife or told Ham “she’s corrupted” but it is this author’s thinking that Ham did not care about what God had to say because Ham was not a follower of God. Ham had a choice. And he chose to reject God.

Canaan - Canaan means merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues. He was the son of Ham. Only one of Ham's sons, Canaan, was cursed. Why? We are not told but it may have something to do with Canaan already showing signs of the Nephilim or of his father's sinfulness? Canaan had a son named Nimrod.

Genesis 10:6 (CEV) Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the LORD. Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the LORD!" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of which were in Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.

BeginningAndEnd.com - Ham’s son Mizaraim also contributed to the Nephilim lineage. In verse 14 we have the first mention of the Philistines (whose forefather was Phillistim), the nation of the giant Goliath. Calshuhim was the father of Phillistim and his family later resided in Capthor in the Promised Land. So we see the direct origins of the Philistines, one of the most heated enemies of the Israelites, who also carried the Nephilim gene.

Mizaraim also contributed to the Nephilim lineage. How do we know? Well, remember the story of David and Goliath? Goliath was a Philistine and he was a giant.

Genesis 10:13-19 (LITV) And Mizraim fathered Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, (14) and Pathrusim, and Casluhim, from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim. (15) And Canaan fathered his first-born Sidon, and Heth, (16) and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, (17) and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, (18) and the Arvadite and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. And afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. (19) And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you come to Gerar, as far as Gaza, as you go in towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even to Lasha.


Nimrod - Nimrod means rebellion. He was rebellious against God.

BeginningAndEnd.com - Nimrod was the first murderer and conqueror in the post-flood world. He was the founder of the city of Babylon which became a center of pagan, satanic idolatry, much of it with various versions of Nimrod himself being worshiped as a god. Nimrod was the founder of Babylon and may have spearheaded the building of the Tower of Babel. This Tower of Babel was a huge tower raised to try to reach Heaven.

Genesis 11:4 (LITV) And they said, Come, let us build a city and a tower with its head in the heavens, and make a name for ourselves, that we not be scattered on the face of all the earth.

It was the people's attempt to reach the spiritual realm without God. Once again trying to BE God. To do it their way. The same pride that brought down Satan and his angels and what had brought down Adam and Eve. God saw their attempts and confused their language so that they could no longer cooperate to build the tower. It was abandoned.

Genesis 11:8-9 (LITV) And Jehovah scattered them from there, over the face of all the earth. And they stopped building the city. (9) On account of this its name is called Babel, because Jehovah confused the language of all the earth there. And Jehovah scattered them abroad from there on the face of all the earth.

More sons of Canaan became the Jebusites, the Amorites and Gegusites, and are mentioned a lot when the Israelites went to capture the Promised Land. These families were usurpers in the Promised Land and carried the Nephilim gene.

Amos 2:9 (MKJV) Yet I destroyed 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 below.

When the Israelites got to the Promised Land, they were instructed by God:
Deuteronomy 7 (MKJV) When Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, (2) and Jehovah your God shall deliver them before you, you shall crush them, completely destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. (3) Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter to your son. (4) For they will turn away your son from following Me, so that they may serve other gods. So the anger of Jehovah will be kindled against you and will destroy you suddenly. (5) But you shall deal with them in this way: you shall destroy their altars and break down their images, and cut down their groves and burn their graven images with fire. (6) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (7) Jehovah did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people. (8) But because Jehovah loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn to your fathers, Jehovah has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (9) Therefore, know that Jehovah your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations. (10) And He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slow to repay him who hates Him. He will repay him to his face. (11) And you shall keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which I command you today, to do them. (12) And it shall be, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, Jehovah your God shall keep to you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. (13) And He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your land, your grain, and your wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep, in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you. (14) You shall be blessed above all people. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your cattle. (15) And Jehovah will take away from you all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt which you know upon you. But He will lay them upon all who hate you. (16) And you shall destroy all the people which Jehovah your God shall deliver you. Your eye shall have no pity upon them, neither shall you serve their gods, for they will be a snare to you. (17) If you shall say in your heart, These nations are more than I; how can I throw them out? (18) You shall not be afraid of them, but shall well remember what Jehovah your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. (19) Remember the great temptations which your eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched-out arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall Jehovah your God do to all the people of whom you are afraid. (20) And Jehovah your God will send the hornet among them, until the ones who are left, and who hide themselves from you, are destroyed. (21) You shall not be afraid of them, for Jehovah your God is among you, a mighty and terrible God. (22) And Jehovah your God will put out those nations before you by little and little. You may not destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon you. (23) And Jehovah your God shall deliver them to you, and shall destroy them with a mighty ruin until they are destroyed. (24) And He shall deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall destroy their name from under the heavens. No man shall be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. (25) You shall burn the graven images of their gods with fire. You shall not desire the silver or gold on them, nor take it for yourself, so that you may not be snared in it. For it is an abomination to Jehovah your God. (26) And you shall not bring an abomination into your house, lest you be a cursed thing like it. You shall utterly hate it, and you shall utterly despise it. For it is a cursed thing.

God instructs them to destroy them all. He says, "You shall not be afraid of them, for Jehovah your God is among you, a mighty and terrible God." It sounded so cruel to just go into this land and kill everyone and take over. It was genocide. But there was a reason! They had the Nephilim gene. They were the descendants of Ham and Canaan. God sought to destroy these superhuman hybrids, these halflings, these giants! He wanted to insure a pure human race from which Jesus, the Messiah, could be born.

Anakim
Anakim means long necked ones.

The first war in scripture involved giants:
Scofield Reference Notes - The occasion of this war was the revolt of the five kings from under the government of Chedorlaomer. Twelve years they served him...In the thirteenth year, beginning to be weary of their subjection, they rebelled, denied their tribute, and attempted to shake off the yoke and retrieve their ancient liberties. In the fourteenth year, after some pause and preparation, Chedorlaomer, in conjunction with his allies, set himself to chastise and reduce the rebels, and, since he could not have it otherwise, to fetch his tribute from them on the point of his sword. Note, Pride, covetousness, and ambition, are the lusts from which wars and fightings come. To these insatiable idols the blood of thousands has been sacrificed. The four kings laid the neighbouring countries waste and enriched themselves with the spoil of them.

Genesis 14:5-6 (MKJV) And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and struck the giants in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, (6) and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as the oak of Paran, which is by the wilderness.

The 4 kings then came against Sodom and Gomorrha. They captured Lot and his family. His uncle, Abraham, went after them to rescue Lot. And eventually Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed by fire and brimstone. That's another story.

Anakim are the descendants of Anak who was the son of Arba. They dwelt in the south of Palestine, in the neighbourhood of Hebron, Kirjath Arba, i.e. city of Arba. In the days of Abraham they inhabited the region afterwards known as Edom and Moab, east of the Jordan. They were probably a remnant of the original inhabitants of Palestine before the Canaanites, a Cushite tribe from Babel, and of the same race as the Phoenicians and the Egyptian shepherd kings. There were various tribes of Anakim.

Joshua 15:14 (MKJV) And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.

Rephaim
The Rephaim means the dead ones.

They were a people defeated by Chedorlaomer at Ashteroth Karnaim (Genesis 14:5), occupying the N.E. of the Jordan valley (Peraea) before the Canaanites came. Og, the giant king of Bashan, was the last of them. Sihon and Og had ruled Amorite kingdoms east of the Jordan River. Their land stretched from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north.

Deuteronomy 3:8-12 (CEV)(Parenthesis mine) Sihon and Og had ruled Amorite kingdoms east of the Jordan River. Their land stretched from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, and we captured it all. (9) Mount Hermon is called Mount Sirion by the people of Sidon, and it is called Mount Senir by the Amorites. (10) We captured all the towns in the highlands, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, two of the towns that Og had ruled. (11) King Og was the last of the Rephaim, and his coffin (or sarcophagus or bedstead) is in the town of Rabbah in Ammon. It is made of hard black rock and is thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide. (12) I gave some of the land and towns we captured to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Their share started at the Arnon River gorge in the south, took in the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge, and went far enough north to include the southern half of the Gilead region. The northern part of their land went as far east as the upper Jabbok River gorge, which formed their border with the Ammonites. I also gave them the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, from Lake Galilee south to the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah. I gave the northern half of Gilead and all of the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh. Bashan had belonged to King Og, and the Argob region in Bashan used to be called the Land of the Rephaim. Jair from the Manasseh tribe conquered the Argob region as far west as the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. The Israelites even started calling Bashan by the name "Villages of Jair," and that is still its name. I gave the northern half of Gilead to the Machir clan.

Og would have been approximately 13' 5" tall.


They once extended to the S.W., for the valley of "Rephaim" was near the valley of Hinnom and Bethlehem, S. of Jerusalem, "the valley of the giants" (Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16; 2 Samuel 5:18-22; 2 Samuel 23:13). Rephaim was used for "the dead," or their "ghosts" (Job 26:5, translated "the souls of the dead tremble; (the places) under the waters, and their inhabitants (tremble)"; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 21:16; Isaiah 14:9; Isaiah 26:14-19) perhaps because scheol (Sheol) or hades (Hades) was thought the abode of the buried giants.

Emim "terrors".
Deuteronomy 2:10-11 (CEV) Before the LORD gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. (11) The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim.

The Zuzim of Ham were a northern tribe of Rephaim between the Arnon and Jabbok, smitten by Chedorlaomer. The Ammonites who supplanted them called them Zamzummim. Zuz "to wander."

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When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and they finally got to the Promised Land, he sent spies to see what the land was like and what they were up against. Out of the 12 spies, 10 came back scared to death. But, two, Caleb and Joshua, gave a good report saying it was a wonderful land and they could take it with God's help. Unfortunately, the people listened to the 10 spies who were afraid and they didn't trust in God.

Numbers 13:1-2 (YLT) And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, (2) `Send for thee men, and they spy the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel; one man, one man for the tribe of his fathers ye do send, every one a prince among them.'

Numbers 13:31-33 (MKJV) But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. (32) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched to the sons of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up those who live in it. And all the people whom we saw in it were men of stature. (33) And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, of the giants. And we were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Numbers 13:31-33 (CEV) But the other men replied, "Those people are much too strong for us." (32) Then they started spreading rumors and saying, "We won't be able to grow anything in that soil.And the people are like giants.(33) In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers."

They were destroyed by Joshua, except a remnant who escaped to the Philistine cities, Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:21-22). Caleb, who brought tidings as a spy concerning them, was eventually their destroyer (Joshua 15:14).
Joshua 11:21-23 (CEV) During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including Hebron, Debir, and Anab. (22) There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. (23) That's how Joshua captured the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Finally, there was peace in the land.

When Joshua, was sent to conquer the Promised Land, God commands him to kill all of the men, women and children of these giant races. They were to be wiped out because any remnant of their kind would pose a great danger. So when you read that God told the Israelites to commit genocide by killing every man, woman and child of a race, He was saving mankind rather than destroying mankind. God always has a reason whether it was to preserve a pure human race for the SEED (Jesus) or to preserve their spiritual purity by destroying those peoples who worshiped idols. God knows each and every human being and knows those whose hearts would turn to the Lord and those whose hearts never will.

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In King David's youth, we find a giant race among the Philistines, and in Gath. You may remember the story of David and Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:1-7 (MKJV) And the Philistines gathered their armies for battle, and gathered at Socoh of Judah, and pitched between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. (2) And Saul and the men of Israel had gathered and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in order against the Philistines. (3)And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side. And there was a valley between them. (4) And a champion named Goliath came out of the Philistines camp; he was from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span. (5) And a bronze helmet was on his head, and he was armed with scaled armor. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.(one hundred twenty-five pounds.) (6) And greaves of bronze were on his legs, and a bronze javelin was between his shoulders. (7) And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron.(more than 15 lbs) And the shield bearer went in front of him.

1 Samuel 17:23-26 (MKJV) And he was speaking with them. And, behold, the champion man, named Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to these words. And David heard. (24) And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, they ran from him and were very much afraid. (25)And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be, the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. (26)And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away this shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

1 Samuel 17:40-51 (MKJV) And he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones out of the brook for himself, and put them in a shepherd's vessel which he had, even in a bag. And his sling was in his hand. And he drew near the Philistine. (41) And the Philistine came on and drew near David. And the man who bore the shield was before him. (42) And the Philistine looked and saw David, and disdained him. For he was only a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. (43) And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.(44) And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field. (45) And David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (46) Jehovah will deliver you into my hand today, and I will strike you and take your head from you and give the bodies of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the air today, and to the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (47) And all this multitude shall know that Jehovah does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and He will give you into our hands.(48) And it happened when the Philistine rose and went and drew near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the ranks to meet the Philistine.(49) And David put his hand into his bag and took a stone from there, and slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead. And he fell on his face to the earth. 50) And David was stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone. And he struck the Philistine, and killed him. But no sword was in the hand of David. (51) And David ran and stood on the Philistine, and took out his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and fled.

Goliath was 9' 6" tall according to the Bible.

Just as I believed in Jesus as the Son of God and salvation through what He did on the cross... Just as I believe in the inerrant Word of God... I believe that there were giants roaming the earth who were hybrids, being born of demonic fallen angels and human women. I believe it because the Bible says it, as I've proven. Have we ever found skeletons or archaeological evidence of such giants? I don't know. If there never is a giant skeleton found, I still believe what the Bible teaches. But some believe that there have been remains found but they are hidden away by museums much like the "alien" bodies of Area 51 are being kept hidden from the public. Whether these kinds of conspiracies are true or false, I know what I believe. There has been one skeleton found that seems to be real - the Giant of Castelnau - whose bones were discovered by the anthropologist Georges Vacher de Lapouge at the Bronze Age cemetery of Castelnau-le-Lez, France in the winter of 1890. He was 11' 6". The tallest known modern man was Robert Wadlow who was 8' 11". He was born in 1918 and died in 1940 at 22 years old. There have been many hoaxes whether it was doctored photographs or fake bodies. It seems when someone is abnormally tall, they tend to die at a younger age. Then there is gigantism but that is very rare. It's where your body doesn't stop growing. These things show that it can happen. I believe it did.