Genesis 6:1-8

Today we consider Genesis 6:1-8, a passage of Scripture describing superhuman beings that precipitated wickedness on the earth’s inhabitants. The ensuing evil that invaded the earth resulted in God’s decision to reset mankind. The particulars of this passage have been undoubtedly debated, so let me point out the highlights.

Genesis 6:1-4 opens when the population of the earth was booming. During this time, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose” (Genesis 6:2). The union between the “sons of God” and the “daughters of man” produced children who are described as the Nephilim—a direct transliteration of the original Hebrew. Sometimes this word is translated “giants.” In this passage, Nephilim are described as “mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”

The question is: Who were the “sons of God” that engaged in sexual relations with human women producing these “mighty men,” “men of renown”? There are three main interpretations. First, some believe that the “sons of God” were powerful rulers of the day. A second view holds that the “sons of God” were the godly descendants of Seth, who married the evil daughters of Cain.

There are two main issues with these explanations. First, human men marrying human women does not explain how their offspring were giants, “men of renown.” Second, God never prohibited the descendants of Seth and Cain from marrying one another. Here, I believe, is the best interpretation of this passage. The “sons of God” were fallen angels who took on human form in order to have sexual relations with human women. The following explains why I believe this is the best view.

First, in the Old Testament, “sons of God” always describes angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Second, there were times in the Old Testament when angels took on human form. In Genesis 19:1-5 the men of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to have sex with two angels who were visiting Lot. Third, this interpretation sets the context for the Flood. Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” I think we could agree that fallen angels taking on human form and having sex with human women would result in a race of superhuman beings. And this demonic race would cause great wickedness and evil on the earth.

One weakness of this view is Jesus saying in Matthew 22:30 that in heaven, we will be like the angels who are not married or given in marriage. But in this Genesis 6 passage, we are not talking about angels in heaven but fallen angels, intent on causing havoc.

Remember in Genesis 3:15, God told Satan that one would come through Eve’s line and crush Satan’s head. I explained that this describes the coming of Jesus. So, could it be that fallen angels took on bodies and started a wicked race to prevent Jesus from coming through Eve’s line? This would align with Satan’s ongoing attempts to destroy Jesus and his redemptive mission on earth.

Here’s another question relevant to this passage. If the fallen angels did this once, why haven’t they done it again? Jude 1:6 says,

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Many believe Jude is describing the fate of the fallen angels in Genesis 6:1-4. They were immediately judged by God and put in “gloomy darkness” until the final judgment. With that punishment, it is reasonable to assume that other fallen angels did not follow their lead.

So—while this is, I’ll admit, not airtight—it seems that Genesis 6:1-4 describes fallen angels mating with human females. This produced a race of evil superhumans, which pervaded the earth with wickedness. That would certainly set the context for the Flood.

When God saw the wickedness of humanity and that their thoughts and intentions were consistently evil, he “regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved his heart” (Genesis 6:6). So, what does it mean that God “regretted” making man and that he was grieved? The Hebrew word translated “regret” means “to heave a sigh.” The word “grieved” means that God was pained and saddened deep in his heart. There seems to be a contradiction in Scripture when we read passages like this[1] compared with other passages that say God never changes his mind.[2] The only way man can understand the eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful God is to use language we know.[3] One commentator explains how to understand this tension,

This is the tension that always occurs when we use human terms to describe God. God is not a man, but the only words we have to describe Him and His feelings are human terms. It must be asserted that God is not fickle. He is steadfast and longsuffering in His redemptive purpose for humanity, but mankind’s response in repentance of sin often determines God’s actions in a particular situation (Psalm 106:45; Jonah).^[4]

Genesis 6:1-8 describes an extremely dangerous time to live on the earth. The offspring of demons ushered in wickedness in ways that we cannot imagine. In response to the evil that was devastating his creation, God decided to “blot out man” and reset with a man named Noah. That’s where we will start next time.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Genesis 6:1-8—As you read this short passage, reflect on the wickedness that sin brings. A world overrun by sin is not the way it’s supposed to be.

Prayer and Application
Ask God to search your heart. Ask him to reveal if you are doing anything that grieves his holy heart.

Have Questions?
I am sure there are a few questions regarding today’s passage! Our team is here to assist you as you explore God’s Word. Simply submit your question below, and we’ll get back to you soon.

[1] Here are some other passages about God “repenting” or “being sorry”: Gen. 6:6–7; Exod. 32:14; 1 Sam. 15:11; 2 Sam. 24:16; Jer. 18:7, 8; 26:13, 19; Jonah 3:10.
[2] Here are some passages about God never changing his mind: Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Jer. 4:28; Ps. 132:11.
[3] This is called anthropomorphism—describing God in human terms.
^[4] Robert James Utley, How It All Began: Genesis 1–11, Vol. 1A, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International, 2001), 90.