Who were the “Sons of the gods”?

• 2 Views of Genesis 6:1-8:
  • Genesis 6:1-8 can be seen as a of the former genealogies of chapter 5
  • Genesis 6:1-8 can be an as to the reason for the Flood.
  • Actual Hebrew translation could go either way with evidence from Scripture
  • “The sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1)
  • “The sons of the gods” (Psalms 29:1; 89:7)
  • The controversy surrounds the of the meaning:
  • “Sons of the gods” refer to nonhuman, godlike beings (angels, demons, spirits) –
• Evidence:
  • “Sons of God” refer to heavenly, godlike creatures elsewhere (Ps. 29:1, Job 1:6)
  • Jude 6-7 may refer to this incident
  • Jesus said angels do not marry, he did not say that they “ ”
  • This is the most reading of the text
  • In 6:1-4, a contrast is intentionally made between “daughters of man” and “sons of the gods”
• Problems:
  • Problem: could simply mean to make a distinction b/w the daughters of “some men” married the sons of “other men”
  • Angels are commonly understood as not having the privilege of – bringing Image Bearers into being
  • Has a tone
  • Angels are not previously mentioned
  • Why are humans for the wickedness of angels?
  • New Testament support is questionable
  • “Sons of the gods” refer to (superior men, kings, rulers)
• Evidence:
  • Magistrates or rulers often referred to as
  • Kings sometimes called of deities
  • Problems
  • is not expressed
  • Scripture never considers to be sons of deity
  • Needs the connection of v.4, but the “mighty men” are the Nephilim, not the children of the union
  • “Sons of the gods” refer to
• Evidence:
  • Sethites are the from whom Noah descended – seems already established
  • Hebrew indicated continuation from previous chapter
  • Elsewhere the “elect” nation of Israel is called God’s “ ” (Exod. 4:22; Deut.14:1)
• Problems:
  • Might be a stretch to get this vernacular to fit this meaning – the term for “ ” is general here
  • There is no evidence that these lines are kept totally
  • In Noah’s time, not the line, but alone was found to be righteous

  • Who were the “Nephilim”?

• Genesis 6:1–4
• Some have suggested that “Nephilim” were:
  • The same as the “ ”
  • Only regardless of origin
• Nephilim are mentioned here and one other time referring to the dwellers of the Promised Land. Numbers 13:33
  • The spies’ account suggests that Nephilim were
  • May suggest that these spies understood these Nephilim to be offspring of angel marriages
  • Greek mythology: gigantes
• The Connection of Genesis 5 and 6:
  • Genesis 5 to Genesis 6:8 deals with
  • It is logical to think that these would be grouped together
  • It is also logical to assume that these first eight verses are intentionally meant to
  • vernacular: “My Spirit shall not remain with man forever, his days will be 120 years”
  • In immediate context, seems to refer to normal lifespan of humans would now be .
• Possible explanations:
  • 120 years was before Flood arrived
  • This lifespan was implemented to the human race starting at this point.
• The Big Question:

  • If God took so much pride in his greatest creation: humankind, then why in the world would He destroy them all in a massive watery tomb?

2Introduction to the Great Flood: The Sin

• (Genesis 6: 5)
• The sin sounds familiar: “ … …and ” – this may be written in such a way as to mirror Eve’s sin.
• Evil of man was “great in the earth” and “every idea of the plans of his mind was nothing but all the time.”
• “Idea” = plan, thought – IE: what a does in preparing his .
• “Mind” (literally “ ”) where will and thought originate – not merely emotions but his very personality
• Perhaps the scenario with Able has spread to the rest of the earth
• It seems like capital punishment is means for dealing with evil in Genesis 6.
• Capital punishment was God’s solution on how to deal with ‘ ’ and ‘ ’. (6:11, 13)
• The Flood may have been a “cleansing agent”
• After the Flood, justice came through (“…by man shall his blood be shed”)

3Introduction to the Great Flood: The Divine Response

• (Genesis 6: 6-7)
• The Lord “ ” that he had made man…
• Suggestion of a change of attitude
• When God “repents” He begins to
• The Lord does not His (Num.23:19; 1 Sam.15:29)
• The Lord “felt bitterly …”
• Describes the most form of human emotion
• Mix of and bitter
• Jonathan’s emotions were described similarly when he heard Saul planned to kill David
• David’s reaction when he heard of Absalom’s death
• Emotions of a Isaiah 54:6

4Introduction to the Great Flood: The Hope

• (Genesis 6: 8)
• Noah found “ ” with God
• A formal expression in making a of a superior
• Used to describe when someone in helps someone without Gen. 39:4
  • Sometimes used in prayers when men ask from (Ex. 33:12, 13, 16)
  • It is rare that finds favor with God
• Used of Ex. 33:17
  • Noah is placed with men of which leads the reader to believe that he will be saved in the coming catastrophe.
  • What began with creating life in Genesis 5
  • Will crumble to ultimate destruction by Genesis 6.
  • The world needs to be reduced to watery chaos
  • Before a new start can begin