John Gill Commentary Deuteronomy 2:20

"(That also is accounted a land of Rephaim: Rephaim dwelt therein aforetime; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim," — Deuteronomy 2:20 (ASV)

That also was accounted a land of giants
Ammon was so reckoned as well as Moab, (Deuteronomy 2:10Deuteronomy 2:11)

giants dwelt therein in old time ;
the Rephaim dwelt there, as they did also in Ashteroth Karnaim, (Genesis 14:5)

and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims ;
they are thought to be the same with the Zuzims in (Genesis 14:5) who had their name, as Hillerus ^F3 thinks, from Mezuzah, a door post, from their tall stature, being as high as one; and for a like reason Saph the giant might have his name, (2 Samuel 21:18) . The word Zamzummims, according to him ^F4 , signifies contrivers of evil and terrible things; they were inventors of wickedness, crafty and subtle in forming wicked and mischievous designs, which struck terror into people, and made them formidable to them.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F3: Onomastic. Sacr. p. 158, 288, 289.
• F4: Onomastic. Sacr. p. 161, 310, 428.