The Meaning of Deuteronomy 2:21 Explained

Deuteronomy 2:21

KJV: A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:

YLT: a people great, and numerous, and tall, as the Anakim, and Jehovah destroyeth them before them, and they dispossess them, and dwell in their stead,

Darby: a people great, and many, and tall as the Anakim; and Jehovah destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them, and dwelt in their stead;

ASV: a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Jehovah destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A people  great,  and many,  and tall,  as the Anakims;  but the LORD  destroyed  them before  them; and they succeeded  them, and dwelt  in their stead: 

What does Deuteronomy 2:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 2:16-37 - Conquering Beyond Jordan
In the earlier verses of this portion we catch a glimpse of the former history of Palestine, with the wars of conquest and changes of tenure that swept over it. The Almighty Governor of the world was, as the Apostle Paul said afterward, determining seasons and frontiers. Nations enervated by their sins are continually being judged by the Prince of the kings of the earth. See Leviticus 18:28; Acts 17:26-27; Revelation 1:5; Matthew 25:32.
A pacific and fair offer, in all good faith, was made to Sihon, which he refused to accept. The heart which is already hardened by sin becomes harder with every fresh rejection of God's love. In that sense we understand how the Lord hardened his heart. No ice is so hard as that which freezes at night after a day of thaw. The sun that melts wax, hardens clay; but the fault is not with the sun, but with the clay. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 2

1  The story is continued, that they were not to meddle with the Edomites
9  nor with the Moabites
16  nor with the Ammonites
24  but Sihon the Amorite was subdued by them

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 2:21 mean?

A people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim but destroyed them Yahweh before them and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place
עַ֣ם גָּד֥וֹל וְרַ֛ב וָרָ֖ם כָּעֲנָקִ֑ים וַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּירָשֻׁ֖ם וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ תַחְתָּֽם

עַ֣ם  A  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
גָּד֥וֹל  as  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וְרַ֛ב  and  numerous 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וָרָ֖ם  and  tall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
כָּעֲנָקִ֑ים  as  the  Anakim 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֲנָק  
Sense: a race of giants, descendants of Anak, which dwelled in southern Canaan.
וַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤ם  but  destroyed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם  before  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיִּירָשֻׁ֖ם  and  they  dispossessed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ  and  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
תַחְתָּֽם  in  their  place 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.