Numbers 13:33
New International Version
We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

New Living Translation
We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

English Standard Version
And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Berean Standard Bible
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”

King James Bible
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

New King James Version
There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

New American Standard Bible
We also saw the Nephilim there (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

NASB 1995
“There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

NASB 1977
“There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Legacy Standard Bible
There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Amplified Bible
There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Christian Standard Bible
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim! To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim! To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”

American Standard Version
And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Contemporary English Version
In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers."

English Revised Version
And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, which come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We saw Nephilim there. (The descendants of Anak are Nephilim.) We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that's how we must have looked to them."

Good News Translation
and we even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that is how we must have looked to them."

International Standard Version
We also saw the Nephilim, the descendants of Anak. Compared to the Nephilim, as we see things, we're like grasshoppers, and that's their opinion of us!"

Majority Standard Bible
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”

NET Bible
We even saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed liked grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them."

New Heart English Bible
There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

Webster's Bible Translation
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

World English Bible
There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and there we saw the giants, sons of Anak, of the giants; and we are as grasshoppers in our own eyes—and so we were in their eyes.”

Young's Literal Translation
and there we saw the Nephilim, sons of Anak, of the Nephilim; and we are in our own eyes as grasshoppers; and so we were in their eyes.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And there we saw the giants, sons of Anak, from the giants: and we were in our eyes as the locusts, and so were we in their eyes.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
There we saw certain monsters of the sons of Enac, of the giant kind: in comparison of whom, we seemed like locusts.

Catholic Public Domain Version
There, we saw some monsters among the sons of Anak, of the race of giants; by comparison with them, we seemed like locusts.”

New American Bible
There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakim are from the Nephilim); in our own eyes we seemed like mere grasshoppers, and so we must have seemed to them.”

New Revised Standard Version
There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
There we saw giants, the sons of giants, the descendants of giants; and we were in their sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And there we saw giants, sons of giants who are from the giants, and we were in their eyes like grasshoppers, thus we were in their eyes.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there we saw the giants; and we were before them as locusts, yea even so were we before them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Reports of the Spies
32So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature. 33We even saw the Nephilim there— the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”

Cross References
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”

Joshua 11:21-22
At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities. / No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.

Joshua 14:12-15
Now therefore give me this hill country that the LORD promised me on that day, for you yourself heard then that the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps with the LORD’s help I will drive them out, as the LORD has spoken.” / Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. / Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. ...

1 Samuel 17:4-7
Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height, / and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels, / and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. ...

2 Samuel 21:15-22
Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines. But David became exhausted. / Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David. / But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.” ...

Amos 2:9
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like that of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.

Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Isaiah 41:14
Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 49:24-25
Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered? / Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.

Jeremiah 46:5
Why am I seeing this? They are terrified, they are retreating; their warriors are defeated, they flee in haste without looking back; terror is on every side!” declares the LORD.

Matthew 17:20
“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 21:21
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

Mark 11:23
“Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him.

Luke 17:6
And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.


Treasury of Scripture

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

saw the giants

Numbers 13:22
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

Deuteronomy 1:28
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.

Deuteronomy 2:10
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;

and we were

1 Samuel 17:42
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

Isaiah 40:22
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

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Numbers 13
1. The names of the men who were sent to search the land
17. Their instructions
21. Their acts
26. Their relation














We seemed like grasshoppers
The phrase "we seemed like grasshoppers" is a vivid metaphor used by the Israelite spies to describe their perception of themselves in comparison to the inhabitants of Canaan. The Hebrew word for "grasshoppers" is "חֲגָבִים" (chagavim), which refers to small, insignificant insects. This self-perception reflects a lack of faith and confidence in God's promise. Historically, the Israelites had witnessed God's mighty acts, yet their fear overshadowed their faith. This metaphor highlights the danger of allowing fear to distort one's identity and mission.

in our own sight
The phrase "in our own sight" emphasizes the internal perspective of the spies. It reveals a self-assessment based on human limitations rather than divine assurance. The Hebrew word "עֵינֵינוּ" (eineno) means "our eyes," indicating a reliance on physical sight rather than spiritual insight. This introspective view contrasts with the biblical call to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). It serves as a cautionary reminder that self-perception should be aligned with God's vision and promises.

and we must have seemed the same to them
This phrase suggests an assumption about how the Canaanites perceived the Israelites. The Hebrew word "כֵּן" (ken) means "thus" or "so," indicating a projection of their own fears onto others. This assumption reflects a lack of trust in God's power to instill fear in their enemies, as He had promised (Exodus 23:27). Historically, the Canaanites were indeed fearful of the Israelites, as seen in Rahab's account in Joshua 2:9-11. This highlights the importance of trusting God's perspective over human assumptions.

(33) And there we saw the giants.--The same word, nephilim. is here used which is found in Genesis 6:4. See Note in loc.

Verse 33. - The giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants, אֶת־הַנְּפִילים בְּנִי עַנָק מִן־הַנְּפִלים. The Nephilim, Beni-Anak, of the Nephilim. The Septuagint has only τοὺς γίγαντας. The Nephilim are, without doubt, the primaeval tyrants mentioned under that name in Genesis 6:4. The renown of these sons of violence had come down from those dim ages, and the exaggerated fears of the spies saw them revived in the gigantic forms of the Beni-Anak. There is no certainty that the Nephilim had been giants, and no likelihood whatever that the Beni-Anak had any real connection with them. As grasshoppers. We have no means of judging of the actual size of these men, unless the height assigned to Goliath (six cubits and a span) be allowed to them. Probably men of this stature were quite exceptional even among the Anakim. The report of the spies was thoroughly false in effect, although founded on isolated facts.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
We even saw
רָאִ֗ינוּ (rā·’î·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 7200: To see

the Nephilim
הַנְּפִילִ֛ים (han·nə·p̄î·lîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5303: Nephilim -- 'giants', name of two peoples, one before the flood and one after the flood

there—
וְשָׁ֣ם (wə·šām)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

the descendants
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Anak
עֲנָ֖ק (‘ă·nāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6061: Anak -- 'neck', a Canaanite

that come from
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the Nephilim!
הַנְּפִלִ֑ים (han·nə·p̄i·lîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5303: Nephilim -- 'giants', name of two peoples, one before the flood and one after the flood

We seemed
וַנְּהִ֤י (wan·nə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like grasshoppers
כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים (ka·ḥă·ḡā·ḇîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2284: Locust, grasshopper

in our own sight,
בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ (ḇə·‘ê·nê·nū)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | first person common plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

and we must have seemed
הָיִ֖ינוּ (hā·yî·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the same to them!”
וְכֵ֥ן (wə·ḵên)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3651: So -- thus


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OT Law: Numbers 13:33 There we saw the Nephilim the sons (Nu Num.)
Numbers 13:32
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