See also Nephilim (Titans), Anakim, Eymim, Repha'im and Zuzim for the aboriginal inhabitants of Kena'an, all of whom are described as "races of giants" at different points of the Tanach.
Giborim is used to mean "strong" or "mighty ones", which appears to suggest a kinship with the Greek Titans, and also a similarity to the role of the Elim, Anakim and Nephilim of aboriginal times; however, the various usages of the word in the Tanach turn out to be slightly less than this: mere human heroes.
Genesis 10:9 uses Gibor/גבור) in the singular for Nimrod, "a mighty hunter".
Psalms 33:16 and 45:4 have Melech Gibor (מלך גבור) = "a mighty king", presumably the equivalent of our describing a monarch as "the Great". King Eshmun-Azar of Tsur (Tyre), the man who helped Shelomoh build the First Temple, is remembered as "Hiram of Tyre", which elsewhere is "Huram of Tyre"; Hu-Ram likewise means "He is Great".
Daniel 11:3 has El Gibor (אל גבור), which is somewhat more interesting in the light of the aboriginal meaning of the term. It seems to mean "god", because of the use of the word El (אל); however El means "a force" or "power" before it comes to mean a god, and here it requires interpreting as "a mighty hero".
Genesis 6:4 is more specific in calling the Giborim "the mighty heroes of old".
They are linked with the Anakim (ענקים) of Chevron in that both are treated as aboriginal inhabitants of Kena'an (Canaan), and both are seen - as are the Nephilim (נפילים), who make up the third group of this type - as being of enormous size.
2 Samuel 23:9 has Giborim for the group of "heroes" who were either King David's bodyguard, or his elite fighting force.
Giborim is used to mean "strong" or "mighty ones", which appears to suggest a kinship with the Greek Titans, and also a similarity to the role of the Elim, Anakim and Nephilim of aboriginal times; however, the various usages of the word in the Tanach turn out to be slightly less than this: mere human heroes.
Genesis 10:9 uses Gibor/גבור) in the singular for Nimrod, "a mighty hunter".
Psalms 33:16 and 45:4 have Melech Gibor (מלך גבור) = "a mighty king", presumably the equivalent of our describing a monarch as "the Great". King Eshmun-Azar of Tsur (Tyre), the man who helped Shelomoh build the First Temple, is remembered as "Hiram of Tyre", which elsewhere is "Huram of Tyre"; Hu-Ram likewise means "He is Great".
Daniel 11:3 has El Gibor (אל גבור), which is somewhat more interesting in the light of the aboriginal meaning of the term. It seems to mean "god", because of the use of the word El (אל); however El means "a force" or "power" before it comes to mean a god, and here it requires interpreting as "a mighty hero".
Genesis 6:4 is more specific in calling the Giborim "the mighty heroes of old".
They are linked with the Anakim (ענקים) of Chevron in that both are treated as aboriginal inhabitants of Kena'an (Canaan), and both are seen - as are the Nephilim (נפילים), who make up the third group of this type - as being of enormous size.
2 Samuel 23:9 has Giborim for the group of "heroes" who were either King David's bodyguard, or his elite fighting force.
There is also the singular GEVER, which is used as an alternative to ISH and BEN ADAM to simply mean "a man" - though in modern Ivrit it tends to have the rather more colloquial intent of the English "bloke". Odd this, because in the Tanach it is almost exclusively used in poetry (Psalm 34:9, 52:9, 88:5; Job 3:3 et al). The feminine, GIVERET, was used to mean a lady, in the aristocratic sense, and like the English "mistress" which became shortened to Mrs, Miss and Ms, so Giveret today is the wife of Mr.
It is possible that the root was the Chaldean GEVAR, which is found in the Book of Daniel (2:25, 5:11).
Finally there is the angel Gabriel, or Gavri-El, which likewise occurs in Daniel (8:16, 9:21) and in Luke 1:19. Note that Daniel 8:16 also has the word ADAM for "man", making a clear distinction; though GAVRI-EL still means "man of El"
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