Strange that when studying a subject dealing with distinctly Jewish writings---people use distinctly non-Jewish sources.
The amazing name Nephilim: meaning and etymology
Meaning
The Fallen Ones, The Extraordinary Ones
Etymology
From the verb נפל (
napal), to fall, which appears to have to do with the verb פלל (
palal), to distinguish, or פלה (
pala), to be extraordinary.
Related names
• Via פלל (
palal):
Amraphel,
Eliphal,
Eliphelehu,
Ephlal,
Palal,
Pallu,
Pelaiah,
Pelaliah,
Peleth,
Pelethites,
Pelonite,
Pul,
Tiglath-pileser
Etymology and meaning of the name Nephilim
It is not clear where the name Nephilim comes from. There are a few possibilities, and scholars argue about the likelihood of each of them. First of all, the word
nephilim is a plural and the single form, נפל (
npl), does not occur in the Bible (which by itself is not at all unusual). In another context, however, the word נפל (
nepel), which is spelled identical but pronounced slightly different, means untimely birth or abortion. It comes from the verb נפל (
napal), to fall or be cast down:
PsJon Gen. 1-6
VI. And it was when the sons of men began to multiply upon the face of the earth, and
fair daughters were born to them; and the sons of the great saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and painted, and curled, walking with revelation of the flesh, and with imaginations of wickedness; that they took them wives of all who pleased them. And the Lord said by His Word, All the generations of the wicked which are to arise shall not be purged after the order of the judgments of the generation of the deluge, which shall be destroyed and exterminated from the midst of the world. Have I not imparted My Holy Spirit to them, (or, placed My Holy Spirit in them,) that they may work good works? And, behold, their works are wicked. Behold, I will give them a prolongment of a hundred and twenty years, that they may work repentance, and not perish.
TgOnk Gen. 1-6
VI. And Noach was a son of five hundred years, and Noach begat Shem, Cham, and Japheth. And it was when the sons of men had begun to multiply upon the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of the mighty
[32] saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful, and took to them wives of all whom they pleased.
[33] And the Lord said, This evil generation shall not stand before me for ever, because they are flesh, and their works are evil. A term (or length) will I give them, an hundred and twenty years, if they may be converted. Giants were in the earth in those days; and also when, after that the sons of the mighty had gone in unto the daughters of men, there were born from them giants who from of old were men of name.