What does this Bible verse mean?

Question

Genesis 6:1-4 - "1 When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose. 3 Then the LORD said : 'My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise of one hundred and twenty years.
4 At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heros of old, the men of renown.

My Bible notes that the sons of heaven literally meant "the sons of the gods" or "the sons of God" i.e. the celestial beings of mythology. What does this mean?

Answer 1

This passage is shrouded in mystery, but scholars generally believe the "sons of heaven" refer to fallen angels in masculine form while "daughters of Eve" refer the the female humans.
In other words, demons had sex with women & have birth to demi-gods; or superhuman beings. Have you ever noticed how on ancient Egyptian tombs, they show humans as being smaller while the demi-gods are larger?
Well, this may actually have some validity to it.
It was supposedly satans' way of corrupting the human blood line, in an effort to prevent the Messiah from being born of a woman.

Answer 2

Nephilim = derived from a Hebrew word meaning "to fall',
probably best rendered "fallen ones"
I believe it is a reference to fallen angels, who became corporeal - took upon themselves the nature of flesh, and had intercourse with human women. The offspring produced beings of apparently exception size and likely exceptional abilities. Some believe that the myths concerning the Titans, offspring of men and gods, may have been derived from this.
Two passages in the New Testament appear to refer to this passage, namely II Peter 2:4 and Jude 6-8, wherein these angels are shown as examples of immediate and severe judgments of God. The passages are best understood in a more literal translation, like the NASB, or better still, by studying from the Greek text.

Answer 3

I've heard various interpretations

the sons of heaven
1) spirits or 2) Godly Men

His Days will compromise 120 yrs
1) destroy the earth in 120 yrs or 2) from now on man lives Max 120 yrs old

still thinking about the Sons of Heaven, but if you check the ages of men after Noah it seems we were genetically re-programed to have a max age of 120 yrs, except for 1 man who hide the last descendant of David from Jezebel for i think 18 years, he lived approx 138 yrs. Note Jewish calender yrs don't line up with 365 days

try reading from a parallel bible with KJ,NIV,Living,& Revised Standard all side by side.

Answer 4

The general thought among most churches is that the angels of heaven actually mated with humans and produced giants. As for the third verse it was simply stating that man would be mortal and not live on earth forever. Man would die at around 120 years.

Answer 5

some claim angels were involved but the whole thing is typical bible talk as the scribes of the times wrote what the leaders liked to see and have us believe in the same version . No guarantees that it should actually make sense.
peace out

Answer 6

This phrase has been interpreted in various ways. Ancient Jewish commentators, the early church Fathers, and many modern expositors have thought these “sons” to be angels, comparing them with the “sons of God” of Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7.

This view must be rejected, because punishment soon to be meted out was for the sins of human beings (see v. 3), and not of angels. Further, angels do not marry (Matt. 22:30). The “sons of God” were none other than the descendants of Seth, and the “daughters of men,” of the godless Cainites. God later spoke of Israel as His “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22), and Moses called the people of Israel “children of the Lord your God” (Deut. 14:1).

For some time the two classes remained separate. The race of Cain, spreading from the place of their first settlement, dispersed over the plains and valleys where the children of Seth had dwelt; and the latter, in order to escape from their contaminating influence, withdrew to the mountains, and there made their home. So long as this separation continued, they maintained the worship of God in its purity. But in the lapse of time they ventured, little by little, to mingle with the inhabitants of the valleys. This association was productive of the worst results. "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair." The children of Seth, attracted by the beauty of the daughters of Cain's descendants, displeased the Lord by intermarrying with them. Many of the worshipers of God were beguiled into sin by the allurements that were now constantly before them, and they lost their peculiar, holy character. Mingling with the depraved, they became like them in spirit and in deeds; the restrictions of the seventh commandment were disregarded, "and they took them wives of all which they chose." The children of Seth went "in the way of Cain" (Jude 11); they fixed their minds upon worldly prosperity and enjoyment and neglected the commandments of the Lord. Men "did not like to retain God in their knowledge;" they "became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Romans 1:21. Therefore "God gave them over to a mind void of judgment." Verse 28. Sin spread abroad in the earth like a deadly leprosy.

Answer 7

here the bible is refering to the celestial creature,the angels.they rebelled against god and took up earthly bodies in order to have intercourse with the women of the earth,they were violent and vicious creatures and the children they created were huge freaks of nature who were also violent and mean.that is why god brought destruction upon the earth throughout the flood.now,these angels formed part of satans organization and continue to form it for they are not alowed to return to the heavans with god,they were kicked out of the heavens when Jesus christ became king of god's kingdom so now they roam the earth freely and have therefore brought an enormous amount of problems and violence along with false knowledge.thats why it is very important that you understand your bible and not only believe in god,that wont save you for according to the bible,even the demons believe in god but,what good does that do?so anyways,the "sons of god" that that says are indeed the angels that used to form part of Jehovahs celestial organization but are now a part of satans organization.

Answer 8

Some people theorize that the Nephilim were the result of Angels copulating with human women, and that they were demi gods due to the mystical nature of half the parentage.

Answer 9

actually it means that the sons of God (followers of the true God) were having children with the daughter's of men (those who worshiped other gods)


that "sons of God" refers to the godly line of Seth (just mentioned in the chapter 5) who had sexual relations with the ungodly line of Cain (mentioned in chapter 4) and produced ungodly children.

the Bible tells us that angels neither marry or have children.

Answer 10

Many people believe these were angels who mated with the daughters of man.