Son(s) of G-d and Nephilim

בס"ד

A Jewish Perspective on Genesis 6:2

The Mysterious Verse

“וַיַּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ”

“The sons of G-d saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves from whomever they chose.” (Genesis 6:2)

This brief but mysterious verse has sparked centuries of interpretation.

Who were these “Bnei HaElohim” — the sons of G-d?

Jewish tradition preserves two distinct interpretive paths, each rooted in a different realm of Torah understanding:

• Pshat – the straightforward, contextual meaning
• Drash – the Midrashic or allegorical, spiritual reading

Pshat (Simple Meaning): Humans of Power and Authority

Most classical Jewish commentators explain that the Bnei HaElohim were humans — powerful men, judges, or rulers who misused their status.

• Rashi: “The sons of the princes and judges (בני השרים והשופטים).” These were men of high standing who abused their authority and took women by force.
• Radak: Notes that Elohim in Exodus 22:27 refers to judges — people vested with G-d-like power to judge and lead.
• Rabbeinu Bahya & Tur HaArokh: Stress that these leaders were meant to uphold justice but instead fostered violence and moral decline.

Moral Message (Pshat):
Those who wield influence must do so responsibly.
When leaders abandon justice, society collapses.

Linguistic Note:
The Torah begins with “Bereshit bara Elohim” — “G-d created.”
Here, in “Bnei HaElohim”, the word Elohim does niet refer to Hashem Himself.
In Pshat, it means figures of authority — powerful humans, not divine beings.

Drash (Midrashic / Mystical Reading): Angels Who Fell

A deeper, Midrashic tradition interprets Bnei HaElohim als heavenly beings, angels who descended to earth and failed a moral test.

• Midrash Niddah  Identifies them as Shamchazai en Aza’el, angels who assumed human form, desired mortal women, and sinned.
• Aggadat Bereishit & other Midrashim recount how two angels, Uzza en Aza’el, challenged G-d:

“What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:5)

G-d allowed them to descend to earth to prove their superiority. But they, too, succumbed to human temptation and corruption. Their fall gave rise to the Nephilim — literally, “the fallen ones.”

Source Note:

הנפילים – ענקים שהיו מצאצאי שמחזאי ועזאל שנפלו מן השמים בימי אנוש
(Rashi on Niddah 61a; Targum Yonatan on Genesis 6:4)

Midrashic tradition adds that these angels descended during the days of Na’amah, sister of Tuval-Kayin, and sinned with humanity.

Their moral downfall is remembered symbolically in the Se’ir La’Azazel (scapegoat) of Yom Kippur, which atones for sins of sexual immorality — echoing the corruption of those fallen beings.

These Nephilim were not merely giants in size but in moral collapse — once pure and lofty, they became the embodiment of pride and desire without restraint.

Moral Message (Drash):

Even the exalted can fal

Spiritual greatness without humility leads to destruction.

Jewish vs. Christian Understandings

In Jewish tradition, the phrase “Ben Elohim” — “son of G-d” — never denotes literal divinity or biological descent.

Rather, it refers to a close relationship with G-d or a special mission:

• Exodus 4:22: “Israel is My firstborn son.”
• Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called My son.”
• Psalms 2: The Davidic king is called G-d’s “son” because of covenantal closeness, not divine essence.

As Rabbi Tovia Singer explains:

“A ‘son of G-d’ in Tanach is never a divine offspring. It refers to nearness to G-d, not divinity.”

In contrast, Christian theology often reads the term literally.
However, the Hebrew phrase Bnei HaElohim is plural — sons of G-d — making a singular, incarnate interpretation inconsistent with the text and with Jewish theology.

Thematic Core

Across both levels of interpretation, the Bnei HaElohim share common traits:

Aspect	Description
Nature	Humans of power (Pshat) or angels (Drash)
Quality	Elevated — socially, physically, or spiritually
Failure	Misuse of authority, lust, or pride
Consequence	Corruption of society, leading to the Flood

Central Lesson:

Power, whether earthly or heavenly, demands humility and ethical restraint.
Unrestrained desire and arrogance bring chaos — a timeless warning from the pre-Flood world.

Conclusie

The story of the Bnei HaElohim in Genesis 6:2 is not mere mythology but a profound moral allegory.
Whether we read it through Pshat (human corruption) or Drash (angelic downfall), the message is clear:

Greatness without moral discipline leads to downfall.

De Nephilim — “the fallen ones” — symbolize the tragedy of potential misused.

Their story reminds every generation that wisdom, power, and spirituality must be guided by humility and ethics, or they will bring ruin rather than redemption.

Door Angelique Sijbolts
Met dank aan Rabbijn Tuvia Serber voor de feedback

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