Who were the sons of God in Genesis 6?

Understanding Genesis 6:1-4

Genesis 6:1-4 describes the "sons of God" (bene elohim) taking the "daughters of humans" as wives, producing the Nephilim — a passage that has generated intense debate for millennia. Three major interpretations have emerged, each with serious biblical and theological support.

View 1: Fallen Angels (The Supernatural View)

The oldest interpretation, held by most Jewish interpreters before Christ and many early Church Fathers (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria), identifies the "sons of God" as angelic beings who transgressed their proper domain by cohabiting with human women. This reading draws on the fact that bene elohim in the Old Testament most naturally refers to angelic beings (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 29:1; 89:6). The New Testament appears to confirm this interpretation: Jude 6-7 describes angels who "did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling" and committed sexual immorality "in a similar way to Sodom and Gomorrah." 2 Peter 2:4-5 connects angels who sinned with the time of Noah. 1 Enoch (widely read in Second Temple Judaism and quoted by Jude) elaborates extensively on this narrative.

The primary objection is Jesus' statement that angels "neither marry nor are given in marriage" (Matthew 22:30) — though defenders note Jesus was describing angels in heaven, not fallen angels in rebellion.

View 2: Sethite Lineage (The Genealogical View)

Augustine popularized the view that "sons of God" refers to the godly line of Seth (Genesis 4:25-5:32), while "daughters of humans" refers to the ungodly line of Cain (Genesis 4:17-24). The sin was intermarriage between the faithful and unfaithful — a pattern Scripture warns against repeatedly (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; 2 Corinthians 6:14). This view became dominant in Western Christianity and avoids the theological complications of angel-human unions.

The main weakness is that bene elohim never refers to human beings elsewhere in the Old Testament, and the passage seems to describe something extraordinary — not merely marriage between different family lines.

View 3: Ancient Rulers (The Royal View)

Some scholars argue "sons of God" refers to kings or rulers who claimed divine status — a common practice in the ancient Near East. These tyrants used their power to take women by force, and the passage condemns their abuse of authority. This view has support in the fact that ancient kings were sometimes called "sons of God" and that the context emphasizes violence and corruption (Genesis 6:5, 11-13).

The Nephilim Connection

Genesis 6:4 mentions the Nephilim ("fallen ones" or "giants") as the offspring of these unions. Numbers 13:33 later references Nephilim in Canaan, and Deuteronomy 2-3 describes unusually large peoples (Anakim, Rephaim, Emim). Whether these are literal descendants or a separate phenomenon remains debated.

Why It Matters

Regardless of which view one holds, the passage serves a clear narrative purpose: it explains the escalation of evil that provoked the Flood. The corruption was so severe — crossing boundaries that should never have been crossed — that God grieved having made humanity (Genesis 6:6). The passage is a prelude to judgment, and its theological weight lies in what it reveals about the seriousness of sin, the violation of God-ordained boundaries, and the divine response to unchecked evil.