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Nephilum

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Kat:
Hi Anne and Diana,

This is a curious topic, so I looked into it.
I found in 'Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the OT' quite a long article on this (you can get this commentary from e-Sword).

Here is a small excerpt from that article.

If in the olden time there were pious men who, like Enoch and Noah, walked with Elohim, or who, even if they did not stand in this close priestly relation to God, made the divine image a reality through their piety and fear of God, then there were sons (children) of God, for whom the only correct appellation was “sons of Elohim,” since sonship to Jehovah was introduced with the call of Israel, so that it could only have been proleptically that the children of God in the old world could be called “sons of Jehovah.” But if it be still argued, that in mere prose the term “sons of God” could not have been applied to children of God, or pious men, this would be equally applicable to “sons of Jehovah.” On the other hand, there is this objection to our applying it to angels, that the pious, who walked with God and called upon the name of the Lord, had been mentioned just before, whereas no allusion had been made to angels, not even to their creation.

These 'sons of God/Elohim' seem to be talking about people that lived a moral life and were seeking to serve and obey God.  They could not be considered among the elect tho, because Christ had not come as the Saviour yet.
Now the daughters of men, seem to be ungodly people, and to marry among them was seen as being unequally yolked.
Here is another excerpt.

"that the connection of Gen 6:1-8 with Gen 4 necessitates the assumption, that such intermarriages (of the Sethite and Cainite families) did take place about the time of the flood (cf. Mat 24:38; Luk 17:27); and the prohibition of mixed marriages under the law (Exo 34:16; cf. Gen 27:46; Gen 28:1.) also favours the same idea.” But this “assumption” is placed beyond all doubt, by what is here related of the sons of God. In Gen 6:2 it is stated that “the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose,” i.e., of any with whose beauty they were charmed; and these wives bare children to them (Gen 6:4). Now אשּׁה לקח (to take a wife) is a standing expression throughout the whole of the Old Testament for the marriage relation established by God at the creation, and is never applied to πορνεία, or the simple act of physical connection. This is quite sufficient of itself to exclude any reference to angels. For Christ Himself distinctly states that the angels cannot marry (Mat 22:30; Mar 12:25; cf. Luk 20:34.).
Gen 6:4
“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: these are the heroes (הגּבּרים) who from the olden time (מעולם, as in Psa 25:6; 1Sa 27:08) are the men of name” (i.e., noted, renowned or notorious men). נפילים, from נפל to fall upon (Job 1:15; Jos 11:7), signifies the invaders (ἐπιπίπτοντες Aq., βιαῖοι Sym.). Luther gives the correct meaning, “tyrants:” they were called Nephilim because they fell upon the people and oppressed them.

Hope this helps, it gave me a clearer understanding of this subject.

mercy, peace, and love
Kat

rrammfcitktturjsp:
Kat,

  That really helps.  Thanks for posting. Still researching.

  Sincerely,


  Anne C. McGuire

mari_et_pere:

There's a man named David J. Smith from Waxahatchie, TX. He's a preacher of a church there. He also has a radio prgram on the AM channels. He's talked about the Nephilim once or twice. He contends this:

In those days, God felt He had to destroy ALL LIFE (except obviously for Noah's family and the animals) because everything was so out-of-control evil. He goes on to talk about how "so as it were in those days, so shall the end times be". Not a quote but you get the jist. What's today like? Genetic experiments, cross-breeding of just about anything we can think of to cross-breed, yada yada yada. Basically he contends that it was BECAUSE of the "Nephilim", the cross-breeds between demons and women, for the Great Flood.
Maybe, maybe not, but I'm sure that would have a great deal to do with it. I can't imagine what type of creature would eventually come out of that type of geneaology. Half demon, half man, coupled with another, and another, until down the road, what would we have? Creatures of mythical proportions I suppose. Sounds like fantasy, like science fiction, but then again that's how a lot of non-believers view the Bible, is it not?
Also on the spiritual side: I thought of this just now. Couldn't these Nephilim, presuming that they were cross-bred human/demons, wouldn't that symbolize human nature's way of mixing what we know is the Truth with the evil desires we allow ourselves to succumb to? And then the Flood comes to wipe the evil away, since obviously we can't ride the fence, we can't be half and half, such as a half-breed Nephilim. Just a thought.

M@tt

YellowStone:
I remember posing this question to Ray some time ago.

Basically (in a nutshell) the "Sons of God" were descendants from Abels bloodline (the one who followed God) as apposed to the descendents of Cain, who had were not following God.

Deu 32:8 -9
vs 8 - When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
vs 9 - For the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage

The "Nephilum" were supposedly giants (quoted elsewhere in this thread) and are not to my knowledge tied to the "Sons of God" in any Scripture
outside of Gen 6.

Gen 6:1-4
* vs 1. - And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
* vs 2. - That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
* vs 3. -  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
* vs 4. - There were giants (Nephilum) in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [children] to them, the same [became] mighty men which [were] of old, men of renown.
It would appear that the giants / Nephilum were in the Earth prior and after the coming of the sons of God to the daughters of men.

I have performed my own research on the "Sons of God" and have to agree with Ray. How could a spirit have sexual relations with a physical woman? I am afraid that this breaks every law of even Earthly Physics. :)

Can anyone tie the Nephilum to Goliath? I have always wondered about this?

Love to all,
Darren

mari_et_pere:

Not wanting to argue, but:


--- Quote ---I have performed my own research on the "Sons of God" and have to agree with Ray. How could a spirit have sexual relations with a physical woman? I am afraid that this breaks every law of even Earthly Physics.
--- End quote ---

Who said anything about them being in spirit form? I've never read in the Word that fallen angels can't have a physical form. I'M NO SCHOLAR however, so I digress.

M@tt
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