Subject: The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4 |
Bible Note: Dear Jesusman, Gen 6:1-2 The sons of God (bene 'Elohim)... daughters of men. Wickedness was increasing on every hand. Cain's descendants became exceedingly godless and pagan. A powerful race of giants, called "Nephilim," came into prominence. The verb (napal), "to fall," has been considered the source of the noun, and so these gigantic creatures have been thought of as "fallen ones." The reference to the (bene 'Elohim) has occasioned marked differences of opinion among scholars. ('Elohim) is plural in form. It is usually translated "God." But it can be translated "gods," as, for instance, when it refers to the gods of the heathen neighbors of Israel. It can, also, denote the heavenly circle of beings in close fellowship with Jehovah, residents of heaven, assigned specific duties as God's assistants (see Job 1:6). In some cases in Scripture "sons of God" may be identified with "angels" or "messengers." Jesus is the Son of God in a unique sense. Believers are called "sons of God" because of their relationship to him. In the OT, however, "sons of God" are a special class of beings that make up the heavenly court. The reference to the marriages of (bene 'Elohim) to the daughters of men has been dealt with in many ways. To translate it literally would make the passage say that members of the heavenly company selected choice women from the earth and set up marriage relationships with them, literally and actually. This can be the only interpretation of Job 1:6. There, the (bene 'Elohim) were plainly the members of God's heavenly court. S. R. Driver maintains that this is the only legitimate and correct sense that can be accepted. (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press) Bless you, Love Fountain |