Thoughts On Giants

ΕΡΩΤ ΜΗ’ Τίνας καλεῖ γίγαντας ἡ θεία Γραφή; Τινές φασι τοὺς ἔτη πολλὰ βεβιωκότας· τινὲς δὲ τοὺς θεομισεῖς καὶ ἀντιθέους ἀνθρώπους . Οἱ ταῦτα οὕτω νενοηκότες , οὗ φασι τούτους μείζονα τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων σώματα ἐσχηκέναι . Ἐγὼ δὲ ὅταν ἀκούσω τῆς θείας Γραφῆς λεγούσης περὶ τοῦ Ἐνάκ , ὅτι ι ἀπόγονος ἦν τῶν γιγάντων· καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ὤγ, ὅτι « ἡ κλίνη αὐτοῦ σιδηρᾶ ἦν , ἐννέα πηχῶν τὸ μῆκος, καὶ τεσσάρων πήχεων τὸ εὗρος· καὶ ὅτε οὗτος ἐκ τῶν Ῥαφαῖν ὑπελείφθη. Καὶ τῶν καττασκόπων διηγουμένων , ὅτι ἦμεν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ ἀκρίδες· καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ βεβαιοῦντος τοὺς λόγους , καὶ λέγοντος , ὅτι ο Παραδέδωκά σοι τὸν ᾿Αμορῥαῖον, οὗ τὸ ὕψος ἦν ὡς κέδρου , καὶ ἰσχυρὸς ἦν ὡς δρῦς· καὶ περὶ τοῦ Γολιάδ, ὅτι ι τεσσάρων πήχεων καὶ σπιθαμῆς τὸ μῆκος εἶχεν· ἡγοῦμαι γεγενῆσθαι τινὰς παμμεγέθεις ἀνθρώπους. Τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦτο σοφῶς πρυτανεύσαντος , ἵνα γνῶσιν ὡς οὐκ ἀσθενῶν ὁ Δημιουργὸς τοσοῦτον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀπένειμε μέτρον ῥᾴδιον γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ μείζους δημιουργῆσαι· ἀλλὰ τὸν τύφον εκκόπτων, και τὴν ἀλαζονείαν κωλύων, μέγιστα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὐκ ἔδωκε σώματα. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν σμικροῖς σώμασιν οὐ κατ' ἀλλήλων, ἀλλὰ κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ μεγαλαυχοῦσι τοῦ ποιητοῦ, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔδρασαν μεγίστων σωμάτων μετέλαχον; Θεοδώρητος Ἐπίσκοπος Κύρρος, Εἰς Τὴν Γένεσιν Source: Migne PG 80.152a-c

Question 48 Who does Sacred Scripture call giants? 1 Some say the giants were those who lived for many years, and some that they were the opponents of God and the adversaries of men of God. Thus these think that they should not be regarded as having bodies that were larger than other men. But I, when I hear Sacred Scripture say of the race of Enac that they were sprung from among giants, 2 and concerning Og, that his bed was made of iron and was nine cubits long and four cubits broad, and he was one of the Raphaim, 3 and likewise when I hear those explorers saying that there were like locusts in the sight of them, 4 and God confirming these words and saying, 'I gave the Amorites to you whose height was as the cedar and whose strength was like the oak,' 5 and that Goliath's height was four cubits and a palm, 6 I judge that they were very tall men and that God wisely arranged this so that they might know that the Creator was not incapable of giving men such a measure, for it was easy for Him to create men of greater size, but in order to restrain their swelling pride and to put a bridle on their arrogance, He did not give most men great bodies, for if with little bodies men will not only vaunt themselves over one another but even over God, what would they not do if they had been given bodies of the greatest size? Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Questions On Genesis 1 Genes 6.4 2 Numb 13.34 3 Deut 3.11 4 Numb 13.34 5 Amos 2.9 6 1 King 17.4