Notice the identity of the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1–2: The passage states:
“Now it came about, when mankind (הָאָדָם) began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them (וּבָנוֹת יֻלְּדוּ לָהֶם), that the sons of God (בְנֵי-הָאֱלֹהִים) [angels] saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful (בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה); and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.”
Who were these “sons of God”?
They were angels who had left their first estate ‘heaven’
and come down to earth to have sex with human women producing a corrupt
offspring.
Notice: Jude 1:6:
And the angels who kept not their first
estate, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains
under darkness unto the judgment of the great Day. [the White Throne Judgment
when they will cast into the lake of fire and destroyed.
The Interpretive Landscape
Genesis 6:1–4:
In
time, when men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to
them, the sons of God [angels] saw that the daughters of men were
attractive; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Adonai said:
“My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore,
their life span is to be 120 years.” The Nephilim ‘ N’filim’ - Giants were
on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God [angels]
came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the
ancient heroes, men of renown. Adonai saw
that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their
hearts were always of evil only. Adonai regretted
that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved His heart.
The phrase “sons of God” (בְנֵי-הָאֱלֹהִים, b’nei
ha-Elohim) appears elsewhere in the Old Testament, notably in Job,
providing clues as to who they are. The “daughters of mankind” (בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, b’not ha-adam) and the resulting offspring, are linked
to the Nephilim - Giants.
Note: The union of the sons of God – angels and human women
resulted in a new breed of being neither human nor angel but a genetic pollution
of humankind. This was Satan’s bid to not allow the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 to
come to fruition, for if all of humanity became a polluted genetically as the
product of human beings and angel’s the creation of the lord Messiah Jesus – Yeshua
would not have produced a human being like Adam, because Mary would be among
those genetically polluted; a pollution of humanity brought about by the
mixture of angels have sex with human women and producing a genetic pollution totally
different of how God created Adam and Eve genetically perfect. Humankind would
be completely polluted because of the end result of angels have sex with human
women and producing children that would not be genetically perfect as God –
Yehovah created Adam and Eve.
The understanding of the "Sons of God" that left their first etate in the heavens in the Scriptures
This understanding points out that the “sons of God” were
angelic beings who transgressed divine boundaries by leaving their first estate
– heaven and by having sex - marrying human women. This view, prevalent in
early Jewish traditions, draws on texts like the Book of Enoch (1 Enoch 6–11),
a Second Temple work that describes “Watchers” (angels) descending to earth,
lusting after women, and producing giant offspring, the Nephilim. Biblical
support includes:
1 Enoch chapters 6-11:
1 Enoch chapter 6:1-9:
And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that
in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the
angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one
another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget
us children.' And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear you
will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the
penalty of a great sin.' And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear
an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan
but to do this thing.' Then swore they all together and bound themselves by
mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred, who descended in
the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount
Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon
it. And these are the names of their leaders: Samlazaz, their leader, Araklba,
Rameel, Kokablel, Tamlel, Ramlel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros,
Batarel, Ananel, Zaq1el, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel. These are
their chiefs of tens.
1 Enoch Chapter 7:1-6:
And all the others together with them took unto themselves
wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to
defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and
the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became
pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who
consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain
them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to
sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one
another's flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against
the lawless ones.
1 Enoch Chapter 8:1-3:
And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields,
and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of
working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the
beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring
tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication,
and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught
enchantments, and root-cuttings, 'Armaros the resolving of enchantments,
Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge
of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun,
and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their
cry went up to heaven . . .
1 Enoch Chapter 9:1-11:
And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from
heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being
wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth made without
inhabitant cries the voice of their crying up to the gates of heaven. And now
to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying,
"Bring our cause before the Most High."' And they said to the Lord of
the ages: 'Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the
throne of Your glory (stand) unto all the generations of the ages, and Your
name holy and glorious and blessed unto all the ages! You have made all things,
and power over all things have You: and all things are naked and open in Your
sight, and You see all things, and nothing can hide itself from You. You see
what Azazel has done, who has taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed
the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving
to learn: And Semjaza, to whom You have given authority to bear rule over his
associates. And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have
slept with the women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all
kinds of sins. And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby
been filled with blood and unrighteousness. And now, behold, the souls of those
who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and
their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds
which are wrought on the earth. And You know all things before they come to
pass, and You see these things and You do suffer them, and You do not say to us
what we are to do to them in regard to these.'
1 Enoch Chapter 10:1-22:
Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spoke, and sent
Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 'Go to Noah and tell him in my
name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching:
that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the
whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it. And now instruct him that he
may escape and his seed – children may be preserved for all the generations of
the world.' And again, the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot and
cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in
Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and
cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face
that he may, not see light. And on the day of the great judgement, he shall be
cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and
proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all
the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers
have disclosed and have taught their sons. And the whole earth has been
corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all
sin.' And to Gabriel said the Lord: 'Proceed against the bastards and the
reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy [the children
of fornication and] the children of the Watchers from amongst men [and cause
them to go forth]: send them one against the other that they may destroy each
other in battle: for length of days shall they not have. And no request that
they (i.e. their fathers) make of thee shall be granted unto their fathers on
their behalf; for they hope to live an eternal life, and that each one of them
will live five hundred years.' And the Lord said unto Michael: 'Go, bind
Semjaza and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have
defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness. And when their sons have
slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones,
bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the
day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is for
ever and ever is consummated. In those days they shall be led off to the abyss
of fire: and to the torment and the prison in which they shall be confined for
ever. And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will from thenceforth be
bound together with them to the end of all generations. And destroy all the
spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because they have
wronged mankind. Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every
evil work come to an end: and let the plant of righteousness and truth appear
and it shall prove a blessing; the works of righteousness and truth' shall be
planted in truth and joy for evermore. And then shall all the righteous escape
and shall live till they beget thousands of children, and all the days of their youth and
their old age Shall they complete in peace. And then shall the whole earth be tilled in righteousness
and shall all be planted with trees and be full of blessing. And all desirable
trees shall be planted on it, and they shall plant vines on it: and the vine
which they plant thereon shall yield wine in abundance, and as for all the seed
which is sown thereon each measure (of it) shall bear a thousand, and each
measure of olives shall yield ten presses of oil. And cleanse thou the earth
from all oppression, and from all unrighteousness, and from all sin, and from
all godlessness: and all the uncleanness that is wrought upon the earth destroy
from off the earth. And all the children of men shall become righteous, and all
nations shall offer adoration and shall praise Me, and all shall worship Me.
And the earth shall be cleansed from all defilement, and from all sin, and from
all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send (them) upon
it from generation to generation and for ever.
1 Enoch Chapter 11:1-2
And in those days, I will open the store chambers of blessing
which are in the heaven, so as to send them down upon the earth over the work
and labour of the children of men. And truth and peace shall be associated
together throughout all the days of the world and throughout all the
generations of men.'
Job 1:6: Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God
[angels] came to present themselves before Yehovah, that the Adversary - Satan
also came among them.
Job 2:1: Again, it came to pass on the day when the sons of God
[angels] came to present themselves before Jehovah, that the Adversary - Satan
came also among them to present himself before Yehovah.
Job 38:7: When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons
of God [angels] shouted for joy?
The New Testament echos this view:
Jude 1:6–7: And
the angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He
has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the
great Day- even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, in like
manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, are
set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jude’s mentions angels who “did not keep their first estate, but
left their habitation and committed sexual sin with human women, possibly
alluding to Genesis 6:
Strength:
This interpretation aligns with ancient Near Eastern myths of
divine-human unions and fits the supernatural tone of Genesis 6:1–4, especially
the Nephilim’s description as “mighty men” and “men of renown” (Genesis 6:4).
The term b’nei ha-Elohim often denotes spiritual beings in the
Old Testament, and the transgression explains the flood as divine judgment,
that would eliminate the pollution of mankind that had taken place.
Genesis 6:5–7:
Notice: Now how would God – Yehovah enable the fulfillment of
the prophecy of Genesis 3:14-15, speaking about the lord Messiah Jesus - Yeshua
being bruised by Satan – the Adversary, but crushing the head of Satan – the Adversary?
God brought the
flood upon the earth to destroy mankind that had been polluted by the union of
human women with angels who had left their first estate in heaven and come down
to earth to have sex with human women that produced children that were genetically
impure and not genetically like Adam and Eve.
However, God –
Yehovah saved one man and his family who were genetically pure and brought them
through the flood in an ark, to be the continuation of humanity who would be
genetically as God had created Adam and Eve.
Genesis 6:8-22:
Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord - Elohim. These are the generations of Noah.
Noah was a just man and perfect [genetically and spiritually] in his
generations, and Noah walked with God - Yehovah. And Noah begot
three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Thus, did
Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Key Texts
The term “sons of God” appears in Job 1:6 and 2:1, where they
present themselves before God, with Satan as an outsider reporting. Job 38:7
describes them rejoicing at creation, suggesting a angelic existence. These
passages depict the “sons of God” as heavenly, angelic beings. divine
assemblies.
Angels and Heavenly Beings
Clarifying the term “angel” is crucial. In Hebrew, mal’akh (מַלְאָךְ) and Greek angelos (ἄγγελος) mean “messenger.” Scripture
describes archangels (Michael, Gabriel) as Cherubin:
Cherubim:
In Genesis 3:24, cherubim are placed by God - Yehovah to guard the
entrance to the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve are expelled. They are
equipped with a "flaming sword" to prevent access to the Tree of
Life.
In Exodus 25:18–22, two golden cherubim are described as
part of the design of the Ark of the Covenant. Their wings overshadow the mercy
seat, symbolizing God’s – Yehovah’s presence.
In Ezekiel 1:4–28 and Ezekiel 10, cherubim are
described in vivid detail as having four faces (human, lion, ox, and eagle),
multiple wings, and being associated with wheels full of eyes. They are
depicted as powerful beings closely linked to God's throne and glory.
The cherubim appear similar to the "living creatures" described in Revelation 4:6–8, which have six wings, are full of eyes, and continually praise God - Yehovah.
Seraphim:
The term "seraphim" comes from the Hebrew word שְׂרָפִים
(seraphim), meaning "burning ones" or "fiery ones."
They are associated with God's – Yehovah’s holiness and are depicted as being
in His immediate presence, worshipping and praising Him.
The seraphim are prominently mentioned in Isaiah 6:1–7, where
the prophet Isaiah describes his vision of God's throne:
1.
Appearance: The seraphim are described as having six wings:
o
Two wings cover their faces (symbolizing reverence for God's – Yehovah’s
holiness).
o
Two wings cover their feet (signifying humility).
o
Two wings are used for flying (representing their readiness to
serve God - Yehovah).
2.
Role in Worship:
The seraphim are continuously praising God - Yehovah, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy is Yehovah Almighty; the whole earth is full
of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)
3.
Symbolic Action:
In Isaiah's vision, one of the seraphim takes a live coal from the altar with
tongs and touches Isaiah's lips with it, saying:
“See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and
your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7)
This act signifies purification and forgiveness.
Characteristics and Symbolism
·
Holiness: Their presence emphasizes God's – Yehovah’s absolute
holiness and purity.
·
Fire: Their name ("burning ones") reflects their
intense devotion and association with the consuming fire of God's – Yehovah’s
presence.
·
Service and Worship: They are depicted as ever ready to serve
and glorify God - Yehovah.
The seraphim’s primary role appears to be centered around
worship and the proclamation of God’s holiness.
Ofanim:
In Ezekiel's vision:
· The Ofanim are part of a complex and symbolic vision of God's –
Yehovah’s chariot throne.
· They are described as wheels that are full of eyes all around.
· The wheels move in unison with the cherubim, and the spirit of
the living creatures (Cherubim) is in the wheels.
· Ezekiel
1:16-18: The
appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of beryl, and
all four had the same likeness; and their appearance and their work were, as it
were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their
four sides; and they turned not when they went. As for their rims, they were so
high that they were dreadful; and their rims were full of eyes round about the
four.
Symbolism
- Mobility and Omnipresence: The
wheels' ability to move in all directions without turning symbolizes God's
– Yehovah’s omnipresence and omnipotence.
- Eyes: The numerous eyes signify divine wisdom
and awareness, as nothing escapes God's – Yehovah’s vision.
- Interconnectedness: The wheels are connected to the living
creatures, symbolizing harmony between different aspects of creation.
Angels:
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for
those who shall be heirs of salvation?
Reflections
For the Israelites, Genesis 6 was a scriptural narrative
affirming God’s – Yehovah’s sovereignty over a chaotic world. The “sons of God
- Yehovah” referred to in scripture, whether about divine rebellion or humans
being genetically corrupted, underscored the need for divine intervention (the
flood) and covenant renewal (Noah).
Conclusion
This record of “the sons of God – Yehovah [angels] invites us to
marvel at Scripture’s tapestry, where divine and human realms intertwine,
urging us to seek God’s- Yehovah’s wisdom amid the wonder of His creation.
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