Genesis 6:4 - The Nephilim?

xMurphyx · Nov 14, 2004

Hey, I'm curious as to who or what the Nephilim were. There are theories about how they're the offspring of angels sent to earth to teach people and human women. I also read that they were the giants of Bible times.

I'm one of those people that when something gets in my head I can't get it out so I'm wondering if someone could help me figure this out. The first direct mention of the Nephilim in the Bible is Genesis 6:4.

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days- and also afterward(meaning the flood I suppose) - when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown."

Thanks so much!

visionary · Nov 14, 2004

there are other times it has been discussed.

http://www.christianforums.com/t908597-genesis-6.html

http://www.christianforums.com/t105465-nephilims-fallin-angels.html

zoziw · Nov 14, 2004

Hi xMurphyx

The topic has always fascinated me as well.

While I do not endorse basing doctrine or beliefs off of non-canonical books I do find the description of this event in The Book of Enoch an interesting read.

Because it falls outside of the Canon I am not saying this is what must have happened but it at least gives an idea of what people a long time ago thought and maybe that will help quench your curiousity.

http://www.heaven.net.nz/writings/thebookofenoch.htm

The description starts at Chapter 6.

Matthan · Nov 14, 2004

These giants, combined with all the sinfulness in the world, is what led God to destroy it with water, saving only Noah and his family. A fresh start, and no more giants to contend with.

Some people postulate that other "giants" such as Goliath were also the result of a single sinful angel knowing a human woman.

Matthan

Flynmonkie · Nov 14, 2004

Hi!
The member Pilgram is very well versed in this area... you might try PMing and asking!

visionary · Nov 15, 2004

Matthan said:
These giants, combined with all the sinfulness in the world, is what led God to destroy it with water, saving only Noah and his family. A fresh start, and no more giants to contend with.

Some people postulate that other "giants" such as Goliath were also the result of a single sinful angel knowing a human woman.

Matthan

Since Moses was considered righteous in his generation, it could be found some cross breeding in one of the wives of the sons, that carried the big gene for giants that showed up in Goliath.

AJ · Nov 15, 2004

For a slightly "alternative" view... But a very thought provoking one, visit:

http://www.harpazo.net

[font=verdana,Arial,MS Sans Serif,Helvetica]:: The Sons of God[/font]

[font=verdana,Arial,MS Sans Serif,Helvetica]The Hebrew term translated "Sons of God" as used in the above passage
is B'nai Elohim a term that always refers to "Angels."

It occurs 4 times in the Old Testament (Gen. 6:4 ... Job 1:6 ... Job 2:1 ... Job 38:7 )
and is rendered "Angels of God" in the ancient Septuagint translation.

The term translated "giants" is from the Hebrew
Nephilim which means = "The fallen ones"

This is from the verb: 'Nepal' = which means
to fall, be cast down, to fall away, desert.

In the Septuagint translation, the term used was "gigantes" or "earth-born".

They are also called 'Ha Gibborim' = "the mighty ones"

The text in Genesis 6 implies that there was an unnatural union between some "Fallen" Angels (Sons of God) and Human Women (Daughters of Men) which resulted in offspring that were superhuman, gigantic, violent and very evil!

This seems to shed more light on the drastic judgment of the flood!

In Jude 1:6 ... there is also reference to this strange event...
"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;" 2 Peter 2:4-5 (KJV)

[/font]

Pilgrim 33 · Nov 16, 2004

Throughout Scripture the list regarding the Nephilim is, indeed, formidable; a few to take together in brief consideration are:

Genesis 6:4 (the sons of God saw the daughters of men)
Numbers 13 ([we were] as grasshoppers)
Joel 2 (a great people and strong)
2 Peter 2:4, 5 (angels that sinned)
Rev 9 (locust army)

It is difficult at best to read these passages and their surrounding text and not come away wondering if it is entirely possible that the Nephilim will return in the end times.

All too often it is assumed that the armies of man will come to battle each other at Armageddon and that the Lord will return with His army in just the nick of time. Why? The flaw (as I see it) with this view is why would God's army be needed if the battle is between mankind? It makes more sense that mankind is incapable (read Joel 2 and Rev 9 carefully) of battling the Nephilim and that it will take, instead, The Lord's army to defeat Satan's end times last ditch effort army.

Satan has the all too well known habit of mirror imaging everything God does; and the Nephilim easily fit in as Satan's counterfeit of God coming in the flesh.

Just my 2 cents.

visionary · Nov 16, 2004

Pilgrim 33 said:
Throughout Scripture the list regarding the Nephilim is, indeed, formidable; a few to take together in brief consideration are:

Genesis 6:4 (the sons of God saw the daughters of men)
Numbers 13 ([we were] as grasshoppers)
Joel 2 (a great people and strong)
2 Peter 2:4, 5 (angels that sinned)
Rev 9 (locust army)

It is difficult at best to read these passages and their surrounding text and not come away wondering if it is entirely possible that the Nephilim will return in the end times.

All too often it is assumed that the armies of man will come to battle each other at Armageddon and that the Lord will return with His army in just the nick of time. Why? The flaw (as I see it) with this view is why would God's army be needed if the battle is between mankind? It makes more sense that mankind is incapable (read Joel 2 and Rev 9 carefully) of battling the Nephilim and that it will take, instead, The Lord's army to defeat Satan's end times last ditch effort army.

Satan has the all too well known habit of mirror imaging everything God does; and the Nephilim easily fit in as Satan's counterfeit of God coming in the flesh.

Just my 2 cents.

Very interesting......the battle just did take on a whole new level as you have indicated. Not only physically, in our world, but in the spiritual world, and will we now see the spiritual realm ....and connect like in the days of Noah?

Pilgrim 33 · Nov 17, 2004

visionary said:
Very interesting......the battle just did take on a whole new level as you have indicated. Not only physically, in our world, but in the spiritual world, and will we now see the spiritual realm ....and connect like in the days of Noah?

they don't have spirits for they are of the earth.
they do have souls, they are of man (and angel).
how is this different from the nazi's and their collaborators like planned parenthood in their quest for the master race?
how are nephilim different from clones?
also, it makes more sense that these (wandering souls of dead nephilim) are what are referred to as "evil spirits".

@@Paul@@ · Nov 18, 2004

Pilgrim 33 said:
All too often it is assumed that the armies of man will come to battle each other at Armageddon and that the Lord will return with His army in just the nick of time. Why? The flaw (as I see it) with this view is why would God's army be needed if the battle is between mankind? It makes more sense that mankind is incapable (read Joel 2 and Rev 9 carefully) of battling the Nephilim and that it will take, instead, The Lord's army to defeat Satan's end times last ditch effort army.

Satan has the all too well known habit of mirror imaging everything God does; and the Nephilim easily fit in as Satan's counterfeit of God coming in the flesh.

Just my 2 cents.

Great thoughts Pilgram...

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Satan has seed too... First he tried the "seed of the woman" by poluting mankind with "his seed" > which is why i think God had to destroy the earth. Maybe only Noah and His family were "clean"...

If he did it before the flood, I suppose it could be done again to create His Army.

More two cents, that's 4 total.

Pilgrim 33 · Nov 18, 2004

@@Paul@@ said:
Gen 3:15 ...thy seed...

Hey, cool snag! yes, i suppose this could refer to literal as well as the more commonly accepted unsaved human crowd.

The Genesis 6:4 scenario is a snapshot of history at that time, comparatively nearer its end (The Flood) than its beginning; iow, how far back into the first @1500 years before The Flood must we go before we find the Nephilim were first introduced into the human line? Considering the long patriarchal lifespans (800-900+ years) it could have been considerably close to The Expulsion from Eden.

Some of the earlier writings (Legends/Jews, Enoch, etc) have considerably more to say "openly" on the subject than the Bible which, while it really does contain a lot it is much more "cloaked", particularly, imo, with respect to propheCtic events. ;-)

Genesis 6:4 - The Nephilim?

xMurphyx

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visionary

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zoziw

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Matthan

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visionary

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AJ

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Pilgrim 33

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visionary

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Pilgrim 33

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@@Paul@@

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Pilgrim 33

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Genesis 6:4 - The Nephilim?

xMurphyx

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The First Official FrankenMonkie ;)

Your God is my God... Ruth said, so say I.

Faith, Hope &amp; Love

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