Who Were the “Sons of God”? — Investigating Genesis 6:2

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Context and Introduction

Genesis 6:1-2 provides the backdrop to a period of increasing wickedness before the great Flood:

“Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.”

This passage introduces the enigmatic term “sons of God” and their interactions with the “daughters of man.” Their union produced the Nephilim, described as “mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:4) This situation led to an outpouring of wickedness that eventually resulted in the Flood.

Were the “Sons of God” Angels or Human Beings?

Two primary interpretations have been offered by biblical scholars and theologians regarding the identity of the “sons of God”:

1. The Angelic Interpretation

The most ancient and widely supported interpretation is that the “sons of God” were disobedient angels who left their assigned positions in heaven and took on human form to have relations with human women. This understanding aligns with several key biblical references:

Job 1:6 – “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan also came among them.” This reference clearly identifies “sons of God” as angels.
Job 38:7 – Referring to the creation of the earth, Jehovah asks Job: “when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Again, this passage shows that “sons of God” refer to angelic beings.

The New Testament provides further confirmation of this view.

1 Peter 3:19-20 – Peter writes about Jesus: “he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared.” This refers to disobedient spirits (fallen angels) from the time of Noah.
Jude 6 – Jude adds, “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.” This passage specifically refers to angels who abandoned their heavenly position, which is consistent with the angelic interpretation of Genesis 6:2.

2. The Sethite Interpretation

A second interpretation identifies the “sons of God” as the descendants of Seth, the righteous son of Adam. According to this view, these men, who were worshippers of Jehovah, married “daughters of man,” referring to the unrighteous descendants of Cain. This view gained popularity during the Middle Ages, promoted by some early church fathers, including Augustine.

Supporters of this view argue that:

The phrase “sons of God” may refer to God-fearing men, as in Deuteronomy 14:1: “You are sons of Jehovah your God.”
The union of the righteous Sethites with the wicked Cainites led to moral corruption and idolatry, prompting God’s judgment through the Flood.

Why the Angelic Interpretation is Superior

Upon deeper examination, the angelic interpretation emerges as the more consistent and coherent explanation. Here’s why:

The Unnatural Nature of the Offspring

Genesis 6:4 describes the offspring as “mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” If these offspring were merely human, born of ordinary men and women, there would be no reason to highlight them as uniquely powerful or notable. The description suggests that these Nephilim were the result of an unnatural union that produced offspring who were extraordinary in stature and strength.

The Severity of the Judgment

The wickedness that resulted from this union was so pervasive that Jehovah decided to wipe out all life on earth with a flood. Genesis 6:5 states:

“Then Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

If the “sons of God” were merely men of Seth’s lineage, why would their actions lead to such catastrophic judgment? The extreme nature of the punishment indicates something far more serious than ordinary intermarriage between two human lineages.

Support from the New Testament

As noted earlier, both Peter and Jude explicitly reference the actions of fallen angels during the time of Noah. These angels did not merely rebel against God; they “did not stay within their own position of authority but left their proper dwelling.” (Jude 6) This fits precisely with the account of angels taking human wives in Genesis 6.

Did Angels Have the Power to Materialize?

The Bible repeatedly shows that faithful angels, at Jehovah’s command, had the ability to take on human form and interact with people. Consider:

Genesis 18:1-2, 8, 20-22 – Three angels appeared to Abraham in human form, ate food, and conversed with him.
Genesis 19:1-11 – Two angels appeared to Lot in Sodom, physically rescuing him and his family from destruction.
Joshua 5:13-15 – The commander of Jehovah’s army appeared to Joshua in human form.

Since faithful angels had the power to materialize and interact with humans, it is reasonable to conclude that disobedient angels could likewise take on human form.

The Consequences for the Rebel Angels

The disobedient angels who abandoned their heavenly dwelling were stripped of their ability to take human form after the Flood. They were imprisoned in “eternal chains under gloomy darkness” (Jude 6) and confined as “spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19). This judgment indicates that these angels no longer have the ability to interact physically with humanity, but their influence continues through demon possession and deception.

Who Were the Nephilim?

Genesis 6:4 identifies the Nephilim as the offspring of the union between the “sons of God” and the “daughters of man.” The term Nephilim comes from the Hebrew verb naphal, meaning “to fall.” These were not merely ordinary men—they were powerful, violent, and corrupt beings who contributed to the increasing wickedness that led to the Flood.

The Greek Septuagint translates Nephilim as gigantes (giants), suggesting they were larger and more powerful than ordinary men. This understanding is supported by Numbers 13:33, where the spies described the Nephilim they encountered in Canaan as “men of great stature.”

The Flood: A Direct Response to the Corruption

Jehovah’s decision to bring the Flood was not solely because of general human wickedness but was directly tied to the actions of these rebel angels and their corrupt offspring. The world had become utterly polluted by violence and immorality, and Jehovah’s response was a necessary cleansing of the earth.

Conclusion: Why the Angelic View is the Correct Interpretation

The weight of biblical evidence—both from the Old and New Testaments—strongly supports the view that the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 were disobedient angels who took human wives and produced the Nephilim, a corrupt hybrid race that contributed to the moral degeneration of the pre-Flood world.

The severity of the judgment, the extraordinary nature of the Nephilim, and the explicit references by Peter and Jude all point to the angelic interpretation as the most consistent with biblical teaching. This understanding reinforces the overarching biblical theme that rebellion against Jehovah’s divine order always brings devastating consequences, underscoring the need for absolute obedience and reverence for God’s sovereignty.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).