Who are the “Sons of God” and “Daughters of Men”?

Introduction: How is Genesis 6:1-4 interpreted? What kind of implications does this passage bring? In other words, how does this Scripture relate to the endtime? Let’s take a look at the book!

1. A Time of multiplication! (Gen 6:1-2) – “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”

The words “the daughters of men were fair” means they were beautiful, pleasant, or even agreeable.

2. A Time of devastation & duration! (Gen 6:3) – “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

The word “strive” means “judge”. God seemed to give a timetable for men to turn from their wickedness.

3. A Time of degradation! (Gen 6:4) – “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

The word “giants” is נְפִיל, which can be translated Nephilim(nef-eel’): Technically speaking, it is the name of two peoples, one before the flood and one after the flood. Were these demonic angels? How could they procreate with human women? Of course there are different interpretations of this passage… three to be exact.

The first has to do with kings or rulers and peasant women. This seems unlikely because the word women is generic and has to do with all women. The second view is the Sethite and Canaanite, meaning the descendants of Cain and Seth. This became popular among Catholics and some Protestants. The last view is the angelic view, which advocates that the fallen angels described in Jude and 2 Peter cohabitated with human women. While at first this seems far fetched, please consider that the angels in Genesis 18 took on human bodies. Therefore, it seems plausible that this could happen based on other Scriptures listed below. Other Scriptures along the angelic view would be found in Jude 1:6,7 and 2 Pet 2:4.
 
Conclusion: Lastly, what do the words mean “mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” The word “mighty” means strong. The word “renown” is שֵׁם, which means a name. Whatever view you decide to support, keep in mind that all Scripture is inspired!
 
Love y’all,
Pastor Randy