This also explains why the spies chose to mention the Nephilim specifically when “they brought forth an evil report on the land.” This is because mentioning the Nephilim connects to a development that occurred between their first words of report and their second:
The Torah records that after the spies finished relaying their report of the great strength of the inhabitants of the land, “Kalev hushed the people... and said, ‘We shall surely ascend and conquer it, for we can surely do it!’” Rashi explains that Kalev silenced the people and refuted the claims of the spies (that “the people are powerful...”). He pointed out the awesome miracles that Moshe had performed, miracles that completely transcended the natural order (“Did he not part the sea for us, and bring down the manna for us, and make the quail fly to us?”). Thus, “we shall surely ascend — even {if our destination would be} in the heavens, and he were to say ‘make ladders and go up there,’ we would succeed at whatever he says.”
Responding to Kalev’s words, the spies retorted, “we cannot go up against this people, for they are stronger mimenu,” and as Rashi explains, “as if it were possible, they said this referring to the One Above.” If “mimenu” referred only to the Jewish people, the spies wouldn’t have refuted Kalev’s point at all, since he had emphasized that Hashem can perform miracles on behalf of the Jewish people. We must therefore conclude that their claim {of “stronger mimenu”} was actually “referring to Hashem.”
However, this alone wouldn’t suffice for the spies. After all, how could the Jewish people (who had witnessed all these miracles) conceive of anything being “stronger than Him” (referring to Hashem)?
This is why the spies introduced new elements, “they brought forth an evil report on the land,” which would lend credibility to the claim of something being “stronger {than Him} — referring to Hashem.”
We can now understand the spies’ addition of “there we saw the Nephilim...”: They were not emphasizing the strength that the Nephilim had due to their great physical height (as giants), for it is obvious that physical height bears no weight before “Hashem.” Instead, the spies were pointing to the unique power and strength implied by the word “Nephilim”: “Giants from among the sons of Shamchazai and Azael, who fell from the heavens.” These weren’t just any giants, these giants descended (from angels “who fell) from the heavens.” Therefore, they possessed the power to rebel against Hashem.
