How Tall Were the Nephilim?

*I was asked to answer the following question for a Christian website searching for volunteer writers. I  hope this edifies you.*

How Tall Were the Nephilim? What Does the Bible Say?

For those unfamiliar with the Nephilim, hearing the word may result in a response like, “What is a Nephilim?” or “Nephi-what?” But, to those familiar with the Bible this word has spawned endless debate with little resolution. It all started with one Bible verse that could easily be overlooked by what comes after it. Just before the Bible focuses on the events of Noah and the Flood, we read, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown (Genesis 6:4 NIV).” Who or what are the Nephilim?

Speculating about the Nephilim’s identity

People have speculated about the identity of the Nephilim. The problem stems from the meaning of the word. We do not know exactly what Nephilim means. It is said to mean “Sons of God.” However, “Sons of God” could mean angels, respected individuals, or those who believe in God. Some say that the Nephilim were the children of the union between fallen angels and human women. Accepting this idea is to introduce a variety of problems into the Bible. For one, if angels can have sexual relations with human women, you could say that the angel that announced Mary was pregnant with Jesus Christ was the "father" of the Lord. That is heresy and a rabbit trail that should be avoided.

Things to consider

However, there are two things to consider regarding the Nephilim.  The first is that one meaning of Nephilim is "giant." The definition of a giant is "of very great size or force; gigantic." The Bible contains many references to giants; human beings of "gigantic" proportions. Among the giants mentioned in the Bible are the Amorites, the Anakim, the Zamzummim, the Rephaim, and the Emim. Secondly, in Genesis 6:4, the Nephilim are referred to as "men of renown." The Nephilim are men and nothing more. Accepting that the Nephilim are giant men we must remain within the Bible to determine what their height may have been. 

Giants in the Bible

The heights for the tribes of giants mentioned in the Bible, the Amorites, the Anakim, the Zamzummim, the Rephaim, and the Emim, are not given. Only hyperbolic language is used. The Amorites are described as being as "tall as cedars (Amos 2:9)." The Emim were said to be as "tall as the Anakim (Deuteronomy 2:10)." It is impossible to determine the actual size of giants using hyperbole and comparison. The best way of determining the height of the Nephilim is using individual examples given in scripture.

Goliath 

When David fought Goliath, the Bible records the height of Goliath. "Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall (1 Samuel 17:4)! NLT." According to the footnotes in the New Living Translation, "Hebrew 6 cubits and 1 span [which totals about 9.75 feet or 3 meters]; Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version read 4 cubits and 1 span [which totals about 6.75 feet or 2 meters]." Therefore, Goliath was anywhere from 6'9" to 9'9" tall depending on which text is used. 

The Egyptian Warrior

In 1 Chronicles 11, one of David's men, Benaiah, killed a tall Egyptian warrior. "And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear (1 Chronicles 11:23)." Five cubits is equivalent to 7'6" tall. 

Conclusion

How tall were the Nephilim? We do not know for sure. A good rule of thumb is that if the Bible is silent on a subject, we should be silent as well.  However, if we must speculate, what can we piece together from what the Bible says about the giants who walked the earth? The Nephilim were gigantic people somewhere between six and ten feet in height. No wonder they were called "men of renown."

Battling with our Giants

"Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" 1 Samuel 17:46

The Bible is an excellent tool to apply to our life circumstances. All throughout scripture, especially in the Old Testament, we see story after story of God's faithfulness to His people. However, sometimes, in the midst of trying to find stories to use as metaphors for life, we can lose what the original intent was of the story or give a wrong impression about our God. For example, say your pastor begins their message with this: "I suppose I could begin my message today by asking, 'How many of you have giants in your life? How many of you are facing problems of such a magnitude that they seem gigantic as you see them loom before you out on the horizon? I need to remind you that the God who helped David defeat the giant of his day is the same God that lives today and whom we serve. And the principles of victory that are found in this chapter for David are transferable concepts to your life and to mine." The pastor is referring to David versus Goliath. What are the "giants" in your life? Honestly, there is no definition. These "giants," as the pastor refers to them, aren't 9 foot, 6 inch tall, champions of the Philistine army, who are standing against Israel and God. No, in this example the "giants" are whatever you want them to be and, of course, you are David. The "giants" could be a health crisis like a diagnosis of cancer. They could be financial problems like bankruptcy. Relationship problems like divorce could be a "giant." It is the same philosophy behind the "faith enough to move mountains" teaching, where the "giants" in our lives become "mountains." The problem with all of this is that the "giants" in our lives, unlike Goliath against David, sometimes win! Christians all over the world, each and every day, succumb to the "giants" in their lives. This doesn't mean that God doesn't see them through these troubles, but when we don't teach the truth, not only do we struggle in our relationship with the Lord, but God looks bad as well. Just think about it. Let's say that David ran out onto the battlefield to face Goliath and was slaughtered. God would not have been glorified, Israel may have been destroyed and God's plan of salvation would have taken a major hit because Jesus Christ was in the line of David. So, what does it say about God when the "giants" in our lives win? Not only is He not glorified, our faith can be destroyed and those that need Jesus Christ the most, unbelievers, see no need to believe in a God who let's His people down when they are battling their "giants."

But, when David ran out to face the giant, what was his stated purpose in fighting Goliath? It was that, "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" Therefore, if he had lost the battle, it was God who looks bad. Now, I believe that even if David had lost to Goliath, God would have found some way to make it work to His benefit as well as to Israel's. But, this historical event was not put in the Bible so we can use it as a metaphor for our life. It was put in the Bible to show, primarily, that God is faithful to His people. What did the Apostle Paul say about his "giant"? "But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)." The Apostle Paul's "giant" was a "thorn in the flesh." We don't know what it was, exactly, but that's beside the point. The point is we know he begged God to remove it and God said, "no." In other words, you could say that Paul lost the battle to his "giant."  In fact, he goes on to say that he delights in his weaknesses; he delights in losing to his "giants." Whether it be his "thorn," insults, hardships, persecutions or difficulties, he delights in them. Why? He delights in them because through his suffering and weakness the strength of God is revealed. His God, my God, our God, is glorified because the power of Christ is His strength. When nothing else remains, all that is left is Jesus Christ, our God. And that is enough. Is it not those times when you are going through the fire, through the valley of the shadow of death and sinking below the waves that you realize that God is revealing Himself to you and those around you? Is not that what most of our testimonies of our God are about; His faithfulness to us when our world's fell apart? There have been plenty of times in the lives of Christians that we have picked up our rocks and slingshot and ran out to slay the "giants" in our lives. But, there are plenty more times when that "giant" has defeated us, even to the point of death. Yet, through it all, there was never a moment He wasn't with us or wasn't glorified in some way. And, yes, even in the worst moments in life, the world will know there is a God, not only in Israel, but inside those of us who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Amen!