Wikipedia's first sentence called it “well known figure”. Today it says “figure in the hebrew bible”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2010 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2010
According to the Book of Numbers , during the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites , Anak (spelt as both ענק and as הענק depending upon the reference) was a well known figure, and a forefather of the Anakites (Heb.1Anakim) who have been considered "strong and tall," they were also said to have been a mixed race of giant people, descendants of the Nephilim ( Numbers 13:33 ). The use of the word "nephilim" in this verse describes a crossbreed of God's sons (believers of God |1 John 3:2|) and the daughters of man, as cited in ( Genesis 6:1–2 ) and ( Genesis 6:4 ). The text states that Anak was a Rephaite ( Deuteronomy 2:11 ) and a son of Arba ( Joshua 15:13 ).2The sons of Anak are first mentioned in Numbers 13 . The Israelite leader Moses sends twelve spies representing the twelve tribes of Israel to scout out the land of Canaan , and give a full report to the congregation . The spies enter from the Negev desert and journey northward through the Judaean hills until they arrive at the brook of Eshcol near Hebron , where reside Sheshai , Ahiman , and Talmai , the sons of Anak. After the scouts have explored the entire land, they bring back samples of the fruit of the land; most notably a gigantic cluster of grapes which requires two men to carry it on a pole between them. The scouts then report to Moses and the congregation, that "the land indeed is a land flowing with milk and honey," but ten of the twelve spies discourage the Israelites from even attempting to possess the land, for they reported that the men were taller and stronger than the Israelites, and moreover the sons of Anak dwell in the land, and that they felt like grasshoppers in their presence. The Anakites are later mentioned briefly in the books of Deuteronomy , Joshua , and Judges . In Joshua, Caleb, one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Canaan, later drove out the descendants of Anak — his three sons — from Hebron , also called Kirjath Arba. Anak could be related to the Sumerian god Enki . Robert Graves , considering the relationship between the Anakites and Philistia ( Joshua 11:21 , Jeremiah 47:5 ), identifies the Anakim with Anax , the giant ruler of the Anactorians in Greek mythology .3Peake's commentary on the Bible .4
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 364650146.
The opening as it stood in 2015 9 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Anak ( / ˈ eɪ ˌ n æ k / ; Heb. 'nq spelt as both ענק and as הענק depending upon the reference) is a well-known figure in the Hebrew Bible in the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites who, according to the Book of Numbers , was a forefather of the Anakim (Heb. Anakim) who have been considered "strong and tall," they were also said to have been a mixed race of giant people, descendants of the Nephilim ( Numbers 13:33 ). The use of the word "nephilim" in this verse describes a crossbreed of God's sons and the daughters of man, as cited in ( Genesis 6:1–2 ) and ( Genesis 6:4 ). The text states that Anak was a Rephaite ( Deuteronomy 2:11 ) and a son of Arba ( Joshua 15:13 ). Peake's commentary on the Bible .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 668448410.
The opening as it stood in 2020 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Figure in the Hebrew Bible whose descendants are mentioned in the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites For other uses, see Anak (disambiguation) .Anak ( / ˈ eɪ n æ k / ; , homophone to a word for "giant, neck, necklace"; ) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible .His descendants are mentioned in narratives concerning the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites .According to the Book of Numbers , Anak was a forefather of the Anakim .The Bible describes them as very tall descendants of the Nephilim .The text states that the Anakim were Rephaites , and that Anak was a son of Arba . Spelled as both ענק and as הענק depending upon the reference. The "Anakim" (Hebrew anakim ) are called "Anakims" in the King James Bible, and "Anakites" in some other sources.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 957329698.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Figure in the Hebrew Bible For other uses, see Anak (disambiguation) . Anak ( / ˈ eɪ n æ k / ; , homophone to a word for "giant, long neck, necklace"; ) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible . His descendants are mentioned in narratives concerning the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites . According to the Book of Numbers , Anak was a forefather of the Anakim , a Rephaite tribe according to Deuteronomy 2:11 .Ten of the twelve Israelite spies described them as very tall descendants of Anak, thus associating them with the Nephilim of Genesis 6:1–4 . Spelled as both ענק and as הענק depending upon the reference. The "Anakim" (Hebrew anakim ) are called "Anakims" in the King James Bible, and "Anakites" in some other sources. "A compilation of references to "Anak" and "Anakim" in various references sources, all at least a century old" .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1176227072.
The opening as it stood in 2025
Figure in the Hebrew Bible For other uses, see Anak (disambiguation) . Anak ( / ˈ eɪ n æ k / ; Hebrew : עֲנָק , homophone to a word for "giant, long neck, necklace"; Hebrew pronunciation: [ʕaˈnɔːq] ) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible . His descendants are mentioned in narratives concerning the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites . According to the Book of Numbers , Anak was a forefather of the Anakim , a Rephaite tribe according to Deuteronomy 2:11 . In their report, ten of the twelve Israelite spies associated the Anakim with the Nephilim of Genesis 6:1–4 . Spelled as both ענק and as הענק depending upon the reference. The "Anakim" (Hebrew anakim ) are called "Anakims" in the King James Bible, and "Anakites" in some other sources. "A compilation of references to "Anak" and "Anakim" in various references sources, all at least a century old" .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1284163816. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “well known figure”. Today it says “figure in the hebrew bible”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
well known figure
Now
figure in the hebrew bible
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.