6:1-2 There are three major views about the identity of the sons of God.
1. They were fallen angelswho married women.278Arguments in favor of this view follow with responses.
a. The term "sons of God"as it occurs here in Hebrew refers only to angels in the Old Testament (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; et al.). Response. Angels do not reproduce (Matt. 22:30).
b. 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6-7 appear to identify angels with this incident. Response. There are no other references to angels in the context here in Genesis. These New Testament passages probably refer to the fall of Satan.
c. If God could impregnate Mary, spirit beings may be able to do the same thing to human women. Response. Spirit beings cannot do everything that God can do.
2. They were g
odly Sethiteswho married ungodly women.279Arguments in favor of this view follow with responses.
a. The Old Testament often refers to the godly as God's sons (e.g., Exod. 4:22). Response. This would have to be an exception to the technical use of "sons of God"as a reference to angels in the Old Testament.
b. Moses had already established the concept of a godly line in Genesis (4:26).
c. Sonship based on election is common in the Old Testament.
d. Warnings against marriages between believers and unbelievers are common in the Pentateuch.
3. They were dynastic rulerswho married women.280Fallen angels (demons) may have indwelt or at least controlled them.281Arguments in favor of this view and responses follow.
a. Ancient Near Eastern literature often called kings sons of gods.
b. The Old Testament refers to administrators (e.g., judges) as gods. Response. Scripture never regards them as descendants of deities as pagan ancient Near Eastern literature does.
c. This story is similar to Babylonian antediluvian stories.
Scholars have debated this passage heatedly, but there is not yet decisive evidence that enables us to make a dogmatic decision as to the correct interpretation.
"What does he [Moses] mean? I do not know, and I do not believe anyone knows. So far as I am concerned, this passage is unintelligible."282
Context is very important in any interpretive problem, and I believe it argues for view 2 in this case.283
Those who believe that the angelic conflict is a major theme of Scripture have emphasized this passage. I do not believe that it is. I believe the angels are important primarily because of their function as God's messengers sent forth to minister to people (Heb. 1:14).
6:3 The "120 years"are evidently the years that God would give humankind before the flood. They probably do not indicate a reduction in the normal human life span to 120 years.284
"The attempt by man to become more than he is results in his becoming less."285
6:4 The "nephilim"were on the earth before and after the marriages of the "sons of God"with the "daughters of men."They were literally "fallen ones"or "tyrants."286They were "mighty . . . men of renown."That is, they were powerful individuals, probably military leaders. Moses later described the giants in Canaan as "nephilim"(Num. 13:33).
