The “Sons of God” in Genesis 6
Who were the “sons of God,” taking as their wives the “daughters of men” in Genesis 6:1-8? What can we possibly learn from this Bible text? The context of Genesis 6 leads us to the conclusion that the “sons of God” mentioned in Genesis 6:2 were the descendants of Seth, the son of Adam (Gen. 4:25).
In Genesis 4 we are introduced to two families: (1) Cain and his descendants, and (2) Seth and his descendants. Cain’s descendants followed the pattern set by their father, Cain, and continued to live farther and farther away from God (Gen. 4:16-24). In contrast, Seth and his family “began to call on the name of the Lord” (Gen. 4:26). Genesis 5 records this family tree all the way to Noah (Gen. 5:32).
Genesis 6:1-8 tells us how the world became so wicked and vile that God determined to destroy sinful man (which he did with the flood). This occurred because those whose ancestors had previously “called upon the name of the Lord” began to compromise and cohabit with the “daughters of men” (that is, the men and their families who did not call upon the name of the Lord). They abandoned their spiritual heritage and “took wives for themselves of all whom they chose” (Gen. 6:2). When men began to be driven by their own lustful desires rather than the word and will of God they were influenced by the evil they grew to love. The result was a world full of violent attackers, robbers, and tyrants (Gen. 6:4 says “giants” which is translated from a word which means “to fall upon” or attack) rather than one filled with people who “called upon the name of the Lord.” These men made a name for themselves among other men, but not in eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:4). It was Noah, a just man who walked with God who caught God’s attention and obtained God’s favor (Gen. 6:8-9).
The divine reaction to the wickedness of men was one of grief, sorrow, and ultimately judgment (Gen. 6:3, 5-7). God determined to destroy the earth and accomplished their punishment with the great flood (Gen. 6:13, 17; 7:1ff).
There is no compelling reason from the immediate context or the rest of the Bible to convince us that the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 were heavenly creatures instead of human beings. Such is the stuff of human fancy and fiction. There is no basis for this view in the inspired text. The “angels who sinned” in 2 Peter 2:4 cannot be the “sons of God” of Genesis 6:2 because those angels were “cast down to hell and delivered into chains (pits, ASV) of darkness.” They were not sent to the earth (see also Jude 6).
So, the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 were men who did not remain holy and separated from the sin that was around them. Instead, they married women who influenced them to forsake righteous living. The result was mankind’s ruin and destruction.
There are clear lessons for us to learn from this sad period in human history:
• “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33).
• The person one chooses to marry will influence him or her for good or evil, so wisely choose a mate who will help you live in God’s favor (Prov. 18:22; 1 Pet. 3:1-7).
• God expects us to live holy lives, separated from sin. “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:15-16).
• God will punish sin, so we must be careful to live in truth and holiness (Rom. 1:18; 2:1-11).
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Truth
Magazine Vol. XLV: 8 p5
April 19,
2001