exegetical · Gen 6:1–4 · ✓ Approved

The sons of God and the Nephilim (Genesis 6:1–4)

Says 6:2 and 6:4 set בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, the sons of God, against בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, the daughters of man. Job 1:6, 2:1 and 38:7 have the same phrase. Swete prints οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ, the angels of God, at 6:2, and οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ at 6:4. Swete's apparatus records, with a query, that angels apparently stands over an erasure in Alexandrinus. הַנְּפִלִים were on the earth in those days and afterward (6:4); the children are הַגִּבֹּרִים, men of renown. Swete has γίγαντες for both nouns. See the Hebrew and Greek notes.

Uncertain Who the sons of God are is open, and no lean is taken. (1) Heavenly beings: ground, the phrase in Job, and the Greek angels at 6:2; this reading often points to Deuteronomy 32:8, and to Psalm 82; see the notes on those passages. Objection: 6:3 judges man. 1 Peter 3:19–20, 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 are cited for it; Matthew 22:30 against it; the wording is what those texts say; the link to 6:1–4 is open. (2) Seth's line, after chapters 4 and 5. Objection: men in 6:1–2 is the mankind of 6:1. (3) Rulers or great men. Objection: the phrase does not name human rulers elsewhere. Nephilim is open: giants, after the Greek, or fallen ones, from the verb to fall. Whether they are the children of 6:2, and how they relate to Numbers 13:33, is open. See the historical notes. 1 Enoch is reported there as reception, not as authority.

Claims

Says6:2 and 6:4 set the sons of God against the daughters of man; Job has the same phrase; Swete has angels at 6:2 (apparently over an erasure in Alexandrinus) and sons at 6:4; the Nephilim were in those days and afterward; Swete has γίγαντες for both nouns.
UncertainHeavenly beings, Seth's line, or rulers; giants or fallen ones; the Nephilim and the children; the link of the cited NT texts to 6:1–4; no lean.

Citations

BSB public domain Gen 6:1–22
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 6:1–22 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 6:1–22, vol. 1, pp. 9–10 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n40–n41); read on the page images; Swete 6:1a is ENG 5:32
Etheridge public domain Etheridge, vol. 1 (1862), Targum of Palestine (Pseudo-Jonathan) on Gen 6:4–8, p. 177 (n189); read on the page image; quoted at 6:4 and 6:8, otherwise paraphrased
Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Augustine, City of God 15.22–15.23, pp. 303–305 (n326–n328) (trans. Dods, NPNF¹ 2); read on the page images; “also called angels of God” (15.22, p. 303) quoted, otherwise paraphrased
BSB public domain 1 Pet 3:19–20; 2 Pet 2:4–5; Jude 6; Matt 22:30; Matt 24:37–39; Heb 11:7; Luke 17:26–27
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 1 Pet 3:19–20; 2 Pet 2:4–5; Jude 6; Matt 22:30; Matt 24:37–39; Heb 11:7; Luke 17:26–27; SBLGNT apparatus at 1 Pet 3:20, 2 Pet 2:4 and Matt 22:30

Sources Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain OSHB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 RP2018 Unlicense Etheridge public domain Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain

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2026-11-10

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