[b]Genesis 6:1-2, 4-7[/b] Much has been written about these particular passages and what it means exactly. Who are these “sons of G-d?” What really happened here? There are basically three views of whom and what the “sons of G-d” and “daughters of men” are: Sons of G-d 1. Sons of princes 2. Angels 3. The seed of Seth Daughters of men 1. People of lower orders 2. Mankind, generally 3. The seed of Cain The first views, in my opinion are easily dismissed and for this reason: The Hebrew phrase “b’nai haElohim” signifies these men are considered sons of THE G-d, not god, not rulers. The second and probably the most popular view, is that these sons of G-d are fallen angels who procreated with any human female that struck their fancy. Their monstrous offspring are the giants mentioned, these “men of renown.” The problems with this view are that, first of all, the Torah plainly states that giants were present before and after this alleged extra-terrestrial love affair began. [b]“There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of G-d came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. – Gen 6:4[/b] My point is, if giants (Hebrew, ha’nephilim) are introduced as the result of angels and human beings having intercourse, how do we account for the giants who were present before this happened? Furthermore, how do we explain the ante-dilivian giants dwelling in Canaan when Israel was coming into the land ([b]Numbers 13:33[/b])? What about goliath of Gath? ([b]1 Samuel 17:4[/b])? One of the reasons that many consider the giants to be offspring of fallen angels is the use of the phrase “[i]ha’nephilim[/i].” The root of this word is “[i]napel[/i]” and means “[i]to fall[/i],” thus the idea that they are “[i]the fallen ones[/i].” The problem with this conclusion is that the giants are “the fallen ones” not the “[i]sons of G-d[/i].” See Leos post in "Sons of G-d". Thank you Leo. While you ponder that allow me to remind you that Yeshua himself distinctly stated that angels can not marry ([b]Matthew 22:30, Luke 20:34[/b]), and these “sons of G-d” most definitely took wives for themselves from among these “daughters of men.” I do not suggest that these nephilim were not opposing the people of G-d. I am, however, challenging the idea that they were offspring of angels and humans, and I am challenging the theory that giants are the emphasis of [b]Genesis 6:4[/b]. So, assuming they are not angels and they are not merely the sons of princes or rulers, who are they? To answer that we will use the Torah and let it define itself (remember, to define Scripture with an outside source is risky (the so-called book of enoch). Let it define itself. [b]“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, ‘for G-d appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.’ And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the L-rd.” – Genesis 4:25-26[/b] [b]“Then men began to call on the name of the L-rd.” [/b]What does this mean exactly? Technically, it could be perceived as saying two different and totally opposite things. Yet in the end, the result is the same, and that is this. About the time Enosh was born, mankind formally divided into two camps – those who would abide in the presence of G-d and those who fled to a distance from Him. In other words, the righteous seed of the woman was separated from the seed of the serpent. A marginal reading of [b]“Then men began to call upon the name of the L-rd”[/b] could be, [b]“then began men to call themselves by the name of the L-rd,”[/b] signifying that the true followers of G-d began to distinguish themselves from others. Perhaps this is a correct interpretation, however, the Hebrew word that is translated as “[i]began – huchal[/i]” suggests something significantly different. The root of this word is “chalal” and actually means, “[i]profane, defile, pollute, make common or desecrate[/i].” Consequently, many commentators, particularly Jewish commentators, consider this passage to mark the beginning of idolatry. Maimonides in his Treatise on Idolatry says: [i]“In the days of Enosh the sons of Adam erred with great error and the counsel of the wise men of that age became brutish…. And in the process of time there stood up false prophets among them the sons of Adam, which said that G-d had commanded and said to them, ‘Worship such a star, or all the stars and do sacrifice unto them…And the false prophet showed them the image which he had feigned out of his own heart, and said it was the image of such a star which was made know unto him by prophecy. And they began after this manner to make images in temples, and under trees, and on tops of mountains and hills and on tops of mountains and hills and assembled together and worshiped them, etc….So in the process of time, the glorious and fearful name of G-d was forgotten out of the mouth of all living….save a few persons in the world, as Enosh, Methuselah, Noah, Shem and Eber.”[/i] The Targum of Onkelos records: [i]“Then in his (Enosh) days the children of men ceased from praying in the name of the L-rd.”[/i] Speaking of the days of Enosh, the Targum of Jonathan says: [i]“This was the age, in the days of which they began to err, and they made themselves idols. And surnamed their idols by the name of the Word of the L-rd.”[/i] So, in the days of Enosh, men began to profane the name of the L-rd, and as a result, those who upheld the name were forced to separate themselves from idolaters. According to many scholars, these remnants of true worshippers were the progenitors of the “sons of G-d” mentioned in [b]Genesis 6.[/b] This strain of righteous seed were the pure line of Seth who was, remember, appointed as the righteous seed in the steed of Abel. Tragically, in the days before the flood, even those of pure Sethite lineage began to mingle with “the daughter of men” and were taking wives “of all whom they chose.” The phrase [b]“of all whom they chose”[/b] suggest they did not use discretion when choosing a wife, but obviously chose wives from those of a lower order. That they were of a lower order is not defines by the color of skin or their cultural origin, because Holy and profane has never been determined by flesh and blood. To the contrary, Seth’s line was considered pure only by the fact that they upheld the name of the L-rd and had not mingled the Good seed with a degenerate seed. In other words, it is and always has been a spiritual issue. To be if a “lower order” is understood to mean that these “daughters of men” were from among those who profaned the name of the L-rd. Most all of the Bible commentators who believe that the [b]“sons of G-d”[/b] were from the line of Seth also believe that the [b]“daughters of men” [/b]were actually descendants of Cain who, you will recall, was of the [b]“wicked one”[/b][b] (1 John 3:12). [/b]In the very beginning, his heretical clan constituted the “seed of the serpent.” Bible commentator Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890) wrote, [i]“It cannot be denied that the connection of [b]Genesis 6:1-8[/b] with [b]Genesis 4[/b] necessitates the assumption, that such intermarriages (of the Sethite and the Cainite families) did take place about the time of the flood; and the prohibition of mixed marriages under the law also favors the same idea.”[/i] Dr. John Gill (1690-1771) observed that, according to Arab tradition, immediately after the death of Adam, Seth’s family separated themselves from the family of Cain and dwelt upon Mt. Harmon, supposedly the burial site of Adam. The Cainites resided in the valley beneath where, according to the tradition, Abel was killed by his brother. After some time had elapsed, the sons of Seth ventured into the valley and found the woman of Cain’s lineage to be of exceptional beauty, and they began to intermarry. One last source I wish to cite on this subject is the book of Jasher. Although I do not consider it to be the definitive last word on any subject, I do find what it has to say about this particular topic very interesting and so I will include it. [i]“And all the sons of men departed from the ways of the L-rd in those days as they multiplied upon the face of the earth with sons and daughters, and they taught one another their evil practices and they continued sinning against the L-rd. And every man made unto himself a god, and they robbed and plundered man his neighbor as well as his relative, and they corrupted the earth, and the earth was filled with violence. And their judges and rulers went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their husbands according to their choice, and the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the L-rd; and G-d saw the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth, all men and all animals.” Jasher 4:16-19[/i] For obvious reasons, I find this quotation extremely interesting. It is obvious by all accounts that the emphasis in the opening verses of [b]Genesis 6[/b] is upon the mixture of Holy and profane – Good and Evil – and not necessarily upon the giants. Whoever the [b]“sons of G-d”[/b] were that took wives for themselves made a disastrous decision. Why? There is and always will be enmity between the two seeds. One being good, the other evil. Yes, I have used outside sources to prove my point but none of them contradict Scripture as some books do. We can either find the Truth and the puzzle fits together or accept something that is less than and end up with half truths and contradictions. When Israel was preparing to go into the land of Canaan, G-d warned His people not to take husbands or wives from among the peoples. [b](Deuteronomy 7:3-4) [/b]The reason not to mix with other peoples was not because of race or culture, but to prevent Israel from becoming like the nations, and thus profaning the name of the L-rd G-d. Consider what Happened to Solomon because of all the strange wives he took into his home. [b](1 Kings 11:1-4)[/b] This was a huge issue when Israel returned from Babylon [b](Ezra 9:1-2). [/b]And Paul makes it an issue as well when he said [b]“Do not be unequally yoked.” (2 Cor. 6:14)[/b] G-d knew then what He knows now, that when His people are joined to those of another seed, these two can not co-exist in mutual harmony. One of the two, either the wheat or the tare must prevail. He knows this because He is the one who placed enmity between the seeds. When those of the good seed mingled with idolaters in [b]Genesis 6[/b], the consequence was the depraved condition of mankind that soon followed. If you will notice the effects of these unions were not limited to mankind, but extended to include the earth itself. [b]“The earth also was corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence. So G-d looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”- Genesis 6:11-12[/b]

Post edited by: barry, at: 2008/01/28 21:40