Somehow, yesterday, I went to rense.com from a thread on arfcom.  It had an add for a book called Nephilim.

I bought it at 1/2 prices books, and I am about 1/2 way through. It is fiction, so no worries.  It is also a good read.

I would like to know here what people think about them and the reference in Gen 6:4 about them.

Not much is available about them, even online.  Did a google search, and it all said the same things.  Anyone have any more perspective on them?  Personal opinions?

Thanks

TXL

Ever heard the phrase of "horse and buggy days" or "covered wagon days"?  Its a time stamp nothing more.  In Gen 6:4 "Nephilim were on the earth in those days" (KJV  "giants in the earth in those days") it is a time stamp and unrelated to the point that righteous men married unrighteous women and man became more wicked.

Shok

Nephilim    were the off spring of fallen angles and women who had babies by them .... Fallen angle half breeds.... That is why the flood had to take place, because the giants  were gonna take over. That is the simple version. Constantine the movie is a cood twist on this story.

Quoted: Nephilim    were the off spring of fallen angles and women who had babies by them .... Fallen angle half breeds.... That is why the flood had to take place, because the giants  were gonna take over. That is the simple version. Constantine the movie is a cood twist on this story.

1IV, this is a comon belief I disagree with.

nephilim

(Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33, R.V.), giants, the Hebrew word left untranslated by the
Revisers, the name of one of the Canaanitish tribes. The Revisers have,
however, translated the Hebrew gibborim, in Gen. 6:4, "mighty men."


Nephilim (giants) existed before sons of God married daughters of man. Read Gen 6:4 carefully.   The flood occured because of man's wickedness and he was continually evil Gen 6:5.  Noah wasn't spared because he wasn't the offspring of an unholy union but because he was upright and had a righteous soul Gen 6:8-9.

In addition Nephilim (giants) appeared after the flood too.  IMHO Nephilim can't be a bloodline since only Noah and his family was spared.  I suspect Nephilim was only a physical characteristic probably common to Anak and the sons of Anak.

Num 13:33  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Besides angels (heavenly hosts and fallen angels) don't marry.  The bible only mentions man and animals as having genders.  Every angel named in the bible had a masculine name.  IMHO spiritual beings of any kind never bread with humans.

Mat 22:30  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Shok

Quoted: Quoted: Nephilim    were the off spring of fallen angles and women who had babies by them .... Fallen angle half breeds.... That is why the flood had to take place, because the giants  were gonna take over. That is the simple version. Constantine the movie is a cood twist on this story. 1IV, this is a comon belief I disagree with. nephilim (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33, R.V.), giants, the Hebrew word left untranslated by the Revisers, the name of one of the Canaanitish tribes. The Revisers have, however, translated the Hebrew gibborim, in Gen. 6:4, "mighty men." Further, this is not interpreted as giant people.  It's a reference that human corruption began at that time, and it began with the heroes of old, the men of renown (Gen. 6:4).  Ever since, the debasement of society has started with "men of renown," that is, with those entrusted with responsibility and leadership. Nephilim (giants) existed before sons of God married daughters of man. Read Gen 6:4 carefully.   The flood occured because of man's wickedness and he was continually evil Gen 6:5.  Noah wasn't spared because he wasn't the offspring of an unholy union but because he was upright and had a righteous soul Gen 6:8-9. In addition Nephilim (giants) appeared after the flood too.  IMHO Nephilim can't be a bloodline since only Noah and his family was spared.  I suspect Nephilim was only a physical characteristic probably common to Anak and the sons of Anak. Num 13:33  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Besides angels (heavenly hosts and fallen angels) don't marry.  The bible only mentions man and animals as having genders.  Every angel named in the bible had a masculine name.  IMHO spiritual beings of any kind never bread with humans. Mat 22:30  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. Shok

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Hi Shok!

My Torah Commentary of Gen. 6:4 state that another interpretation takes "divine beings" as a reference to the descendants of Seth, and takes "human daughters" as a reference to the descendants of Cain.  Apparently, too, there's the interpretation as a recording of inter-class marital unions: sons of the aristocracy married daughters of the common folk.

Of the Nephilim referenced in both Gen. 6:4 and Num 13:33  , the Torah indicates this is an anachronism.  Rashi, like most older sources, relates Nephilim to the word nafal (fall): They are "the fallen ones."  The Greek Septuagint translation is "giants".

The "giants" where actually men of renown.  Jewish understanding of this text is not litteral, as with much semitic language, there is much poetry involved.  Men of renown...human corruption began at that time, and it began with the heroes of old, the men of renown (Gen. 6:4).  Ever since, the debasement of society has started with "men of renown," that is, with those entrused with responsibility and leadership.





Ed

Thanks Scuba,   love hearing Jewish perspective on OT stuff

To understand some of the thinking of the early church type writings, read the book of Enoch.  The writer believed they represent fallen angels.