Nephilim - Who or what were they?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Nephilim, described in Genesis 6:1–4, are the offspring resulting from the union of "the sons of God" (fallen angels) and "the daughters of man," leading to a race of giants known for their strength and renown. Despite the flood, the Nephilim are noted to have existed afterward (Genesis 6:4). In Numbers 13:33 the Israelite spies reported seeing them in Canaan. Jude 1:6–7 further connects the Nephilim to the fallen angels, emphasizing their unnatural pursuits. Ultimately, the Nephilim serve as a cautionary tale about the consequences of straying from God's design and the importance of pursuing holiness.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The word Nephilim means "fallen ones, giants" and is used in Genesis 6:4 to describe the offspring of a sexual union between "the sons of God" and "the daughters of man." Although strange, this scenario is not impossible and is supported by a passage in the New Testament as well.
• This unnatural sexual union produced strange offspring, which are described as "heroes of old, men of renown" and called Nephilim (Genesis 6:4 NIV). This description, and other biblical stories about giants such as Goliath, suggests that these were a race of both very large and very strong men.
• God had prophesied that the Messiah—the offspring or “seed” (HCSB) of the woman—would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15), so it is possible that the sexual union of demons with women was an intent to thwart God's plan for the salvation of humanity.
• It is also possible that the Nephilim were one of the main reasons for the flood of Noah's time. God's Word says of the pre-flood earth, "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. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them'" (Genesis 6:5–7). This would have killed everything on the earth, including the Nephilim, leaving only the unpolluted blood carried by Noah and his offspring (Genesis 6:11–22).
• However, there were still Nephilim on the earth after the flood, as Genesis 6:4 says, "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward." It is likely that the demons committed their sin again, sometime after the flood. When the Israelites went to spy on the land of Canaan, the spies reported back to Moses and the others: "And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them" (Numbers 13:33).
• These "giants" were destroyed by the Israelites, with God's help, during their invasion of Canaan (Joshua 11:21–22) and also later (potentially Deuteronomy 3:11; 1 Samuel 17).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jude 1:6–7 refers to the fallen angels (demons) who left their proper place and, like those in Sodom and Gomorrah, pursued unnatural sexual relations. The union of the angelic beings with humans would definitely fall into the category of "unnatural," and it is likely that these are the demons being referred to in Jude.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Is there anything that prevents demons from making more Nephilim today? From the passage in Jude, we can assume that the angels who committed this sin originally are currently being held in the abyss. Jude verse 6 tells us, "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." Not all demons are in this "prison" but only the ones who mated with human females. Assumedly, this was a group that went beyond the others in their commitment to evil. It does not necessarily mean that others could not now follow suit, but as with all things, it would have to be allowed by God, and part of the ultimate plan to redeem humanity and glorify Himself. Ultimately, the Nephilim serve as a reminder of the need for discernment and the importance of pursuing holiness in all aspects of our lives.

UNDERSTAND

• The Nephilim were giants born from fallen angels and human women.
• The wickedness of the Nephilim contributed to the flood in Noah's time.
• Jude 1:6–7 mentions that the fallen angels that produced the Nephilim are now imprisoned, awaiting judgment.

REFLECT

• How does the story of the Nephilim challenge your understanding of the consequences of disobeying God’s design?
• What does God’s destruction of the Nephilim teach us about God's judgment today?
• How can understanding the sin of the fallen angels and the Nephilim help us discern between natural and unnatural pursuits in our spiritual lives?

ENGAGE

• While elsewhere in the Bible the phrase sons of God is used to describe angels, some people have postulated that the "sons of God" in Genesis 6 were from the line of Abel, while the "daughters of man" were the offspring of Cain. This postulation is not supported with Scripture, and so it is wisest to assume that the phrase sons of God is referring to angels.
• Hebraic legends in the Book of Enoch and other extra-biblical texts talk about the Nephilim as a race of giants who were able to do amazing things but also performed acts of great evil. Their strength and size were most likely the product of demon "DNA" combined with human genes.
• How does the existence of the Nephilim before and after the flood inform our understanding of God's sovereignty over even the most unnatural and rebellious acts?