Chuck Larsen

In Genesis, Chapter 6, we read about the Nephilim and the cohabitation with women and their notorious offspring. In the middle of that discussion we find verse 3 that says, “Then the LORD said, My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” Some translations will interpret that phrase for you. The New Living Translation says, “Then the LORD said, My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”

Since the discussion regarding the Nephilim and their lives of sex and violence serve as the primary introduction to the flood, many commentators take the “120 years” reference as referring to the time God gives the world to repent of their violence and rebellion before He destroys them. There are several things that support this interpretation. First, the time of 120 years matches the time it took Noah to build the ark, during which as Hebrews 11 and both Peter’s epistles imply that it was at Noah’s flood that God’s patience ran out and during which Noah preached righteousness as he was preparing the Ark. Second, the lifespan of those following the flood went anywhere from 148 to 600 years. Admittedly, one might suggest that the limitation to the years of man’s life is a general average, not a specific number. Moses himself lived to be exactly 120 years, but Moses suggested in Psalm 90 that man’s lifespan was closer to 70 years, 80 if he be strong, rather than 120. Furthermore, according to Matthews, “Jewish tradition understood the 120 years as opportunity for repentance” rather than the limiting of man’s life span. A final support for the reference to 120 years being a period of grace in which sinful man could repent before the flood is the fact that many early church fathers took the passage this way.

The New Testament writers compare our days with the days of Noah. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God so loved the world that he sent His son, the Ark in which man can find refuge from the coming destruction. Verse 10 goes on to say, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

Chuck
“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…” 2 Peter 3:11

The offspring of the sons of God and daughters of men were known as the Nephilim. The word itself is interesting in that in Hebrew it literally means “fallen ones.” It might be a reference to their identity with the fallen angels or it might see them as those God rejecters who fell in the flood which was about to come. Fallen might refer to the fact that they have been defeated in battle (the word is often used this way) and might be a look ahead to God’s great victory of all who reject and turn from Him. They are described as “heroes of old, men of renown.” These phrases make me think of the last verse of David’s song recorded in the book of Jasher as well as 2 Samuel 1:27. Saul and his army were set on preventing God’s will of David’s leadership over the nation and resorted to violence to stop it. But when he and the army were destroyed and David was made ruler over Judah, David sang. The last verse says, “Oh How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”

This opened the door to me for a fresh understanding of the Nephilim. They are the violent warriors that arise to accomplish their wills against the direction of God. They are the offspring of violent unions and all this reinforces the theme of human violence as the primary reason for the flood. The phrase in Hebrew “men of renown” is literally “men of the name.” Kissling rightly observes, “This is the beginning of a repeated wordplay in the Hebrew text which becomes a theme linking the generation which perished in the Flood to the generation of Babel (“Let us make a name for ourselves,” Gen 11:4). They are deliberately contrasted with those who receive a name through God’s promise (“I will make your name great” Gen 12:2). Those who achieve a name by their own efforts perish, while those who trust in God’s promise receive a great and lasting name through God’s grace.”

Many attempt to connect these Nephilim with the Anakim who occupied the land from whom Goliath descended. But the Nephilim were killed in the flood. That they are both referred to as giants might mean nothing more than they both stood out in particular ways, the Anakim by their physical stature, and the Nephilim by their notorious nature. But their “renown” was always based on human standards. They were not those trusting in God’s promise for a great name.

Chuck
“There were giants on the earth in those days…the daughters of men bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” Genesis 6:4

In Genesis 6 sons of God and daughters of men cohabited and have offspring that were known as the Nephilim. There has been much speculation on who these sons and daughters were and I’ve changed my mind several times in what I think would be correct. Keep in mind that there are many possible views on this, none of which should be the basis of friendship or communion with believers. The Bible tells us that when humans began to multiply in number on the earth they natural gave birth to daughters. “The sons of God” saw how beautiful they were and married any of them that they chose.” The text goes on to say that these marriages brought forth children on the earth. (I’ll deal with the children – the Nephilim – tomorrow.)

Many have suggested that the term “Sons of God” is referring to angels. The source of this idea is found in the opening chapter of Job where the “Sons of God” presented themselves before God and Satan was among them. The idea that’s presented by many is that these must be “fallen angels” or what we know as demons. But since the Hebrew text of Genesis 6 says that there was “marriage” between the sons of God and the daughters of men, and Jesus made it clear (Matthew 22:30 & Mark 12:25) that angels do not marry, that interpretation may be ruled out. The sons of God might be understood to represent the more godly children of Seth whereas the daughters of men represent the ungodly daughters of Cain. Others suggest that it’s just another way of saying God made man from the dust thus he’s called “son of God” and he made Eve from the rib of man thus she’s called a daughter of man. This would simply mean that men & women married and had children. But this doesn’t explain the offspring (see tomorrow.)

I see the sons of God as male descendants of Adam who have succumbed to the sexual temptations (inspired by evil spirits) of beautiful women and contrary to God’s original plan maintained the idea of polygamy which often includes violence (See Lamech’s story in Genesis chapter 5). Also we see this in the phrase “they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” This establishes the prelude to the flood which begins in Genesis chapter six also. It begins in verse 5; “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Chuck
“The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” Genesis 6:2