New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 1:28
28Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’
Deuteronomy 1:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
- New International Version (NIV)Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’
Context of Deuteronomy 1:28
26“But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in. 27You complained in your tents and said, ‘The Lord must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered. Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’ 29“But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them! 30The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.
Read all of Deuteronomy 1Deuteronomy 1:28 word by word
אָנָ֣ה׀ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ עֹלִ֗ים אַחֵינוּ֩ הֵמַ֨סּוּ אֶת־לְבָבֵ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר עַ֣ם גָּד֤וֹל וָרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצוּרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָקִ֖ים רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whither shall we go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- our brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- have discouragedמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549
- our heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- greaterגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and tallerרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- than we; the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and walled upבָּצַרbâtsar · to gather/restrain/fortifyH1219
- to heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and moreover we have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of the Anakimsעֲנָקִי‛ănâqîy · AnakimH6062
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 1:28
- Deuteronomy 20:8“Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’
- Exodus 15:15The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt away;
- Joshua 2:9“I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.
- Joshua 14:8but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.
- Isaiah 13:7Every arm is paralyzed with fear. Every heart melts,
- Ezekiel 21:7When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”
- Deuteronomy 9:1“Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!
- Numbers 13:28But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!
- Deuteronomy 9:2The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’
- Joshua 11:22None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
- Joshua 15:14Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.
- Judges 1:10Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
- 2 Samuel 21:16Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Cities - walled up to heaven - That is, with very high walls which could not be easily scaled. High walls around houses, etc., in these parts of Arabia are still deemed a sufficient defense against the Arabs, who scarcely ever attempt any thing in the way of plunder but on horseback. The monastery on Mount Sinai is surrounded with very high walls without any gate; in the upper part of the wall there is a sort of window, or opening, from which a basket is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-46Verses 19-46 Moses reminds the Israelites of their march from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, through that great and terrible wilderness. He shows how near they were to a happy settlement in Canaan. It will aggravate the eternal ruin of hypocrites, that they were not far from the kingdom of God. As if it were not enough that they were sure of their God before them, they would send men before them. Never any looked into the Holy Land, but they must own it to be a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28Anak was known as a man of very large size (2:10, 21; 9:2; Numbers 13:33). Goliath may have been one of Anak’s descendants (1 Samuel 17:4). Some of Anak’s family moved to the Philistine coastal plain (Deuteronomy 2:23; Joshua 11:21–23; 15:14; 1 Chronicles 20:4–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-3322-33. ye came ... and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land--The proposal to despatch spies emanated from the people through unbelief; but Moses, believing them sincere, gave his cordial assent to this measure, and God on being consulted permitted them to follow the suggestion (see on Nu 13:1). The issue proved disastrous to them, only through their own sin and folly.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 1:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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