John Calvin Commentary Numbers 13:22

"And they went up by the South, and came unto Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)" — Numbers 13:22 (ASV)

And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron. Their direct course was not, indeed, towards the south, but they proceeded along the southern border until they came to Rehob and Hamath, after having passed the mountains.

Hebron, however, where Abraham had sojourned, is specified from among the other cities. It is probable that the three sons of the giant, who are named here, were in possession of that city.

But some think that Anak is not a proper name and is used, by enallage (a change of grammatical number), for giants. In fact, giants are elsewhere called Anakim. Nor is there any doubt that these three who are mentioned were formidable because of their great stature and strength, as we gather from the book of Joshua.

It is, then, equivalent to saying that this city was then possessed by warlike men, famous for their prowess. It will, however, appear from the end of the chapter that Anak was the proper name of a man whose sons were of excessive height.

The antiquity of the city is afterwards highlighted by comparison: namely, that it was founded seven years before Zoan, one of the chief cities of Egypt, of which mention is often made in Scripture. Pagan writers call it Tanis;⁵⁰ and it is situated on one of the seven famous mouths of the Nile, which is called from the city, Ostium Taniticum.

Now, since the Egyptians took pride in their antiquity above all other nations, it is evident that the land of Canaan was well populated immediately after the deluge. This is a sign of its great fertility, for if the neighboring countries had been more so, they would not have settled themselves there by preference when they were at liberty to make their choice.

A prolepsis (an anticipatory naming) is to be noted in the name of the Valley of Eshcol, for it was only afterwards that it began to be so called by the Israelites in memory of the remarkable cluster of grapes which Moses states to have been brought from there. This is immediately specified afterwards.

⁵⁰ Thus the word is translated by the LXX. See note on . See note on Psalm 78. —. — C. Soc. Edit. Vol. 3 p. 239..