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Question Sons of God and the Nehpilim of Gensis 6.  

Forum: Theological Expressions
Date: 2002, Apr 06
From: Bill Roth bmadroth

There are basically two interpetation concerning the nephilim of Genesis. The first is that the "sons of God" were angelic beings who "left their" natural habitation and took wives of humans the "daughters of men" and thus produced giants as offspring. These were destoyed in the Noachian Flood. Yet it seems that they somehow reappear again in Numbers 13:33 and elsewhere without explanation.

The second is that the "sons of God" were the progeny of Seth who were the believers. These righteous men took wives of the "daughters of men" interpreted to mean women of the line of Cain. This unholy union of believers and unbelievers resulted in evil offspring and the corruption of mankind.

I have read quite a few works on this over the years and it seem quite a stretch to interpret "sons of God" as the offspring of Seth. All other usages of this term in the OT refer to angelic beings. However, this is an attractive interpretation because in holding to this it tidies up our theology and we don't have to deal with ramifications of perverted angels or explain the genetics involved with crossing humans with fallen angels.

On the other hand interpreting "sons of God" as fallen angels is in keeping in the flow with the rest of the OT and with the Hebrew understanding of this. Until well past the first century, "sinning angels" was the only understanding of of son of God in Genesis 6.

I have concluded that sons of God refers to angelic beings. I would have prefered to have concluded otherwise, but I cannot when applying a hemenuetic that attempts to understand what the writer of Genesis was trying to communicate.

Any comments and ideas on this ?

Bill Roth

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