Subject: "sons of God saw daughters of men?" |
Bible Note: Hello Quvmoh, Thanks my friend. For what it's worth, there are divergent, yet orthodox views on this subject. For instance, in answer to 'who the sons of God' refers in Gen. 6:1-4, Dr. Walter Kaiser in "Hard Sayings of the Bible" notes, "Few texts in the history of interpretation have aroused more curiosity and divergence of opinion than Genesis 6:1–4. It is at once tantalizing and deeply puzzling. What is most difficult is the identification of the main participants in this short narrative—the “sons of God,” the “daughters of men” and the “Nephilim” (or “giants”). An impressive array of scholars has lined up for each of the three major positions taken on the identification of these three groups of participants. The three positions may be labeled: 1. “the cosmologically mixed races view” (angels and humans), 2. “the religiously mixed races view” (godly Sethites and worldly Cainites) and, 3. “the sociologically mixed races view” (despotic male aristocrats and beautiful female commoners)." Dr. Kaiser further elaborates, "By all odds, the view that may perhaps claim the greatest antiquity is the cosmologically mixed races, or the angel theory, view. The famous Jewish historian Josephus (born 37 b.c.) also appears to follow this angel theory. He wrote, “Many angels accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust” (Antiquities 1.3.1). Likewise, the Greek translation of the Bible of the third century b.c. reads “angels of God” for the phrase “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2" However, he states, "In spite of the antiquity of the cosmologically mixed races view, there are such overwhelming problems with it that it is not recommended as the solution to this problem. While it is true, of course, that the term “sons of God” does occur in Job 1:6, 2:1 and 38:7 with the meaning “angels” (and that the phrase “sons of the mighty” appears in Ps 29:1 and 89:7 with the meaning “angels”), it does not fit well here for several reasons." By contrast, Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary says, "Although each of the three views has its problems, those of the “angel” view can be most satisfactorily resolved. The expression “sons of God” is used exclusively in the Old Testament of angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). According to this view, the Nephilim (from a Hebrew word meaning “to fall”) were the monstrous offspring of these unnatural unions. (For more on the Nephilim, cf. Num. 13:33.) Although they were big, they were not stronger than God, who blotted them out (Gen. 6:7; 7:23) in the flood, along with the rest of the world." [Robert B. Hughes and J. Carl Laney, Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary] Speaking the Truth in Love, BradK |