Behind | Sons of God and Giants

As we’re learning in Bible Journey, when a passage looks confusing at a glance, or out of place, it may just mean we don’t have enough background, or we aren’t looking closely enough at the text. The pagan tenor of the language used in the Flood narrative, and the reference to “sons of god” reproducing with mortal women, have created a lot of speculation.

The mixing of humans and celestial beings to create “demigods” was common in pagan mythology. Even in Egypt the Pharaoh was said to be the product of intercourse between a god and a woman. These mythologies were polytheistic and imagined a world ruled by pantheons of divine beings. Could this be the background of Genesis 6? A long-standing interpretation of this passage considers these figures to be angelic (compare Job 1:6; 2:1).

Another view focuses on the two family lines we have been studying. We have already seen that the language of kinship with God distinguished humans as God’s royal representatives on earth. Could this passage be referring to the mixing of the two lines, one that had been faithful to their divine imprint as God’s sons (Seth’s) and another that had been faithless from the beginning (Cain’s)? If so, then the Flood makes sense as the next scene. Humanity now only has one man favored by God, and God will rebuild humanity through his family.

Postscript: There are several groups of “giants” mentioned in the Old Testament, among them the Nephilim (here and in Num 13:33), the Anakim (Num 13:33), the Rephaim (Deut 3:11, 13) and, of course, individuals like Goliath (1 Sam 17:4; compare 2 Sam 21:15-22). The Nephilim were not necessarily the offspring of unnatural mating. They were among those whose imposing physical stature would create fear among their enemies, but whose hubris would often trigger the humbling hand of God.