Gen 6:1–4: "the sons of God" and the Nephilim

Says 6:2 and 6:4 set בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, "the sons of God," with the article on "God," against בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, "the daughters of man," the noun of 6:1. For the first noun BDB has "son" and "member of a guild, order or class"; for the second, "rulers, judges," "divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels." Job 1:6, 2:1 and 38:7 have it without the article (xref.Gen.6.2.Job.1.6.heb; xref.Gen.6.2.Job.38.7.heb). Swete has οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ, "the angels of God" ("angels" apparently over an erasure in Alexandrinus), at 6:2, and οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ at 6:4.

Says הַנְּפִלִים (BDB "giants") were on the earth בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, "in those days," וְגַם אַחֲרֵי־כֵן, "and also afterward" (xref.Gen.6.4.Num.13.33.heb); the children are הַגִּבֹּרִים, "the mighty men" (BDB "strong, mighty"), אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם, "men of the name" ("men of renown," BSB). Swete has γίγαντες for both.

Uncertain Who the sons of God are. (1) Heavenly beings: ground, Job and the Greek "angels" (var.Deut.32.8.sons-of-israel; note.language.Deut.32.8-Deut.32.9.lxx-angelon-theou; note.exegetical.Deut.32.8-Deut.32.9.most-high-and-nations); objection, 6:3 judges man. (2) Seth's line, after chs. 4–5: objection, "man" in 6:1–2 is all mankind. (3) Rulers or great men, after "rulers, judges": objection, the phrase names no human rulers elsewhere. 1 Pet 3:19–20, 2 Pet 2:4 and Jude 6 are cited for (1), Matt 22:30 against it; their bearing here is open (note.cross-reference.Gen.6.1-Gen.6.22.nt-texts-form). "Nephilim," too, is open: (1) "giants," BDB's gloss, after the Greek; (2) "fallen ones," from "fall," the verb under which BDB enters it, calling its origin doubtful. So is whether they are those children. No lean is taken here.