What’s Going on with the Phrase “Sons of God” in Genesis 6:2?

The phrase “sons of God” (בְּנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, b’nei ha-elohim) in Genesis 6:2 has intrigued scholars, theologians, and careful Bible students for centuries. Let’s briefly examine some of the interpretations across different periods and sources.

Early Jewish Literature

Early Jewish texts provide some of the earliest interpretations of the “sons of God” as angelic beings:

• 1 Enoch: Chapters 6-11 narrate the story of the “Watchers,” angels who descended to earth, took human wives, and fathered giants known as Nephilim. This interpretation was widely accepted in Jewish thought before and during the Second Temple period.
• Book of Jubilees: The Book of Jubilees describes the fall of angels who married human women, contributing to the corruption that led to the flood.
• Philo of Alexandria: interpreted the “sons of God” as divine beings, consistent with the supernatural understanding prevalent in his time.

Early Christian Writings

Early Christian interpretations also favored the angelic beings view, influenced by Jewish tradition and expanding upon it:

New Testament References: Passages such as 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 1:6-7 refer to angels who sinned, perhaps alluding to Genesis 6. These texts suggest that early Christians seem to have written that the “sons of God” would be classed as “angelic beings.”

Church Fathers: Several early Church Fathers endorsed this interpretation:

• Justin Martyr: Affirmed that the “sons of God” were angels who took human wives.
• Tertullian: Connected Genesis 6 with the fallen angels and their progeny, the Nephilim.
• Clement of Alexandria: Supported the angelic interpretation in his writings.

Modern Scholarship

Modern scholars continue to explore and support the angelic beings’ interpretation, drawing on ancient texts and contexts:

• Michael Heiser: In The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, Heiser argues for the supernatural view, emphasizing the context of the divine council and ancient Near Eastern literature that parallels the Genesis account.
• John J. Collins: A scholar of Jewish apocalyptic literature, Collins discusses the angelic interpretation in his works on 1 Enoch and the Book of Jubilees. He highlights its prevalence in early Jewish thought.

The phrase “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 has long been understood as referring to angelic beings. This interpretation lines up the ancient belief in divine beings interacting with the human world, contributing to the narrative of corruption and divine judgment leading up to the flood.

‌‌~PW 🌮🛶‌

For Further Reading

• Collins, J. J. (1998). The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (2nd ed.). Eerdmans.
• Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Lexham Press.
• Justin Martyr, & Barnard, L. W. (1997). St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies. Paulist Press.
• Nickelsburg, G. W. E., & VanderKam, J. C. (2004). 1 Enoch: A New Translation. Fortress Press.
• Philo of Alexandria. (1929). De Gigantibus (F. et al. Whitaker, Trans.). Harvard University Press.
• VanderKam, J. C. (1989). The Book of Jubilees. Sheffield Academic Press.