The Nephilim are mysterious figures
mentioned in the Old Testament,
most notably in Genesis 6:1-4.
They are described as
the offspring of “the sons of God”
and “the daughters of man”
and are called
“the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”
Their exact identity has been
the subject of much discussion
throughout church history.
The primary passage is Genesis 6:1-4:
“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose… The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”
They are also mentioned in Numbers 13:33, where the Israelite spies report seeing the Nephilim (the sons of Anak) in the land of Canaan and describe themselves as grasshoppers in comparison.
There are three primary views regarding the identity of the “sons of God” and the Nephilim:
While all three views have been held by respected teachers, the fallen angels interpretation has the strongest support from the earliest sources and the broader biblical context of the unseen realm.
The account of the Nephilim appears just before the flood narrative and is presented as part of the increasing wickedness on the earth that grieved God (Genesis 6:5-7). Whatever the precise identity of the Nephilim, the passage highlights the corruption of humanity and the seriousness of crossing boundaries God has established.
The Nephilim remain one of the more mysterious subjects in Scripture. While the Bible does not give a full explanation, the passage serves as a sober reminder of the reality of the unseen realm and the consequences of rebellion against God’s created order. Believers should approach the topic with humility, careful attention to the text, and a refusal to go beyond what is written.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.