Deuteronomy 1:28
Context1:28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage 1 by describing people who are more numerous 2 and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven 3 itself! Moreover, they said they saw 4 Anakites 5 there.”
Deuteronomy 33:17
Context33:17 May the firstborn of his bull bring him honor,
and may his horns be those of a wild ox;
with them may he gore all peoples,
all the far reaches of the earth.
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, 6
and they are the thousands of Manasseh.


[1:28] 1 tn Heb “have caused our hearts to melt.”
[1:28] 2 tn Heb “greater.” Many English versions understand this to refer to physical size or strength rather than numbers (cf. “stronger,” NAB, NIV, NRSV; “bigger,” NASB).
[1:28] 3 tn Or “as the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[1:28] 4 tn Heb “we have seen.”
[1:28] 5 tn Heb “the sons of the Anakim.”
[33:17] 6 sn Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph who became founders of the two tribes into which Joseph’s descendants were split (Gen 48:19-20). Jacob’s blessing granted favored status to Ephraim; this is probably why Ephraim is viewed here as more numerous than Manasseh.