Who were the Nephilim?

Question

Some beleive they were demons, some beleive they were gods. The Bible says they were the offspring of the Fallen Angels and the Daughters of Man. What do you know about them, and what do you beleive?

Answer 1

Nephilim
by Judd H. Burton
Genesis 6:4 states "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days --and also afterwards-- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." The Nephilim were a race of giants that were produced by the sexual union of the sons of God (presumably fallen angels) and the daughters of men. Translated from the Hebrew texts, "Nephilim" means "fallen ones." They were renowned for their strength, prowess, and a great capacity for sinfulness.
The origination of the Nephilim begins with a story of the fallen angels. Shemhazai, an angel of high rank, led a sect of angels in a descent to earth to instruct humans in righteousness. The tutelage went on for a few centuries, but soon the angels pined for the human females. After lusting, the fallen angels instructed the women in magic and conjuring, mated with them, and produced hybrid offspring: the Nephilim.

The Nephilim were gigantic in stature. Their strength was prodigious and their appetites immense. Upon devouring all of humankind's resources, they began to consume humans themselves. The Nephilim attacked and oppressed humans and were the cause of massive destruction on the earth.

Two texts of central import to the story of the Nephilim, the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, mention several names for the Nephilim. The diverse kinds of these giants are cited in several passages. They are variously referred to as Emim, or "Terrors" (Gen. 14:5; Deut. 2:10), Rephaim, or "Weakeners" or "Dead Ones" (2 Sam. 23:13; 1 Chron. 11:15), Gibborim, or "Giant Heroes" (Job 16:4), Zamzummim, or "Achievers" (Deut. 2:10), Anakim, or "Long-necked" (Deut. 2:10; Josh. 11:22, 14:15), and Awwim or "Devastators" and "Serpents." Other giants are mentioned in these texts as well, such as Goliath (2 Sam. 21:19), a giant with twelve fingers and twelve toes who is mentioned as one of the Rephaim (2 Sam. 21:20), and a tall Egyptian (1 Chron. 11:23). The passage of Numbers 13:26-33 recounts the Nephilim of Canaan that Joshua and the other Hebrew spies saw. Furthermore, according to Judaic lore, a certain one of the Nephilim, Arba, built a city, Kiriath Arba, which was named for its builder and is now known as Hebron.

The wickedness of the Nephilim carried with it a heavy toll. Genesis 6:5 alludes to the corruption that the Nephilim had caused amongst humans and themselves: "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become..." Their evil rebellion had incurred both the wrath and grief of God. God instructed the angel Gabriel to ignite a civil war among the Nephilim. He also chose Enoch, a righteous man, to inform the fallen angels of the judgment pronounced on them and their children. God did not allow the fallen angels any peace, for they could not lift their eyes to heaven and were later to be chained. The end of the Nephilim came about in the war incited by Gabriel, in which the giants eventually annihilated each other.


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Answer 2

The bible does NOT say they are offspirng from demons, this is an old wives tale as is Mary Magdilene being a prostitute.

Nobody knows what the ''Sons of God'' were, but the most obvious interpretation is that the Nephilim were a hybrid race between two distinct but sexually compatible beings. Many believe the ''Sons of God'' were fallen angels who corrupted mankind. The ''Sons of God''' are clearly distinguished from the daughters of men. This suggests the ''Sons of God'' were either not born on earth or simply righteous men as opposed to earthly. We can only speculate, but as angels are not biological organisms, they are not likely to be reproductively compatible with humans.
The text says they took wives so they were married, would an angel get married? Even a demon? I don't think so.
And, now, who were these Nephilim? The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Torah, from about 200 BC) translates Nephilim as "giants," likely based on the reference in Numbers 13:33 (see below) that Nephilim were "of great size." Thus, the term is commonly translated as giants or heroes.I don't know if this helps you much. Who the Nephilim and the "sons of God" were is a matter of conjecture and interpretation, and there are lots of different interpretations. As to what happened to them, at least here we have consensus: they did not survive the Flood.

Answer 3

The nephilim were created around the time of Noah because there was a class of angels who believed that true pleasure came from being as close to mortal as possible. These angels would take human women as wives and their children were the nephilim.

Answer 4

THE SONS OF GOD
That there was a fall of the angels is certain from Jude 6.
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
The nature of their fall is clearly stated, they left their own “habitation” (oiketerion) in Greek, this word being used only one other place II Cor.5:2 where it is translated (spiritual) “house”.
The nature of their sin is stated to be “in like manner” to Sodom and Gomorrah Jude 7.
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
The time of their fall is given “in the days of Noah”.
I Pet.3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; I Pet.3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
II Pet.2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Their progeny, called (Nephilim) translated “giants”, were monsters of iniquity; and being superhuman in size and character, had to be destroyed. This was the one and only object of Noah’s deluge. Only Noah and his family had preserved their pedigree pure from Adam. All the rest of the Adamites had become corrupt.
It was God’s plan that from umbilical cord to umbilical cord would come Christ. Since God’s planting in Eden Satan and fallen angels have tried to disrupt this plan. This is the parable of the tares of the field.
Matt.13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; Matt.13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Matt.13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. Matt.13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; Matt.13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matt.13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
A deep subject and this is only a brief version of the subject.

Wayne Murray

Answer 5

son of angels and mortal women. i believe the bible says they are the first heroes. always intrigued and seemed a bit like some old pagan myths.

Answer 6

interesting read but myths and fables are just that: myths and fables.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim

Answer 7

i agree with the bible but they were all destroyed at the flood.

Answer 8

the latter but I am not sure. Good question.