Deuteronomy 2:20
“(That also is considered a land of Rephaim: Rephaim lived there before; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,”
What does Deuteronomy 2:20 mean?
This verse is a quick historical note Moses includes while recounting Israel's journey through the wilderness. The Rephaim were a legendary people, remembered as giants who once inhabited the region east of the Jordan River, though by Moses' time they'd been displaced or conquered. The Ammonites (a neighboring nation) called these same ancient giants by a different name, Zamzummim, showing how different peoples had their own traditions about the mysterious large people who'd lived in those lands before them. The passage reminds us that when Israel entered Canaan, they weren't moving into empty space, but into territories with long histories and former inhabitants. It's partly meant to show readers that what God was doing with Israel fit into a broader pattern of nations rising and falling, which can be reassuring when we're facing our own uncertain transitions.