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Question #19

19. Who are the sons of God [referred to in Genesis 6:1-4]?

There are four possibilities. (1) They are angels, probably fallen angels. (2) Those who come from aristocratic families. (3) Men who walked with God. (4) Descendants of Seth.

The "daughters of men" would be "worldly women" (3), "the descendants of Cain" (4), or commoners (2).

I dismiss the first because Jesus said there would not be marriage or giving in marriage in heaven because they will be like angels in heaven. The implication seems to be that angels do not procreate.

I reject the second because there was no distinction between royalty or aristocracy and commoners among the Hebrews.

This leaves either possibility three or four. There is only an insignificant difference between the two. We can assume Seth’s descendants were godly men—sons of God—while the descendants of Cain would be worldly-minded.

The word translated "giant" is nephilim, which means fallen. Genesis 6 is transition from the creation to the flood and deals more with the growing sinfulness of humanity than anything else. We can know that the descendants, for some unknown reason, were large in stature (see Numbers 13:33). To presume some unnatural liaison between angelic beings and humanity may go too far. It may be only a genetic anomaly.

Genesis 6, however, suggests the descendants of the "sons of God" were known to be great men and heroes. I opine this could be the historical core to the myth of the ancient gods.

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