The Bible Said What? The Nephilim

If you were to stop by the communications office at Woodside on any given Tuesday afternoon, you’d find most of us engaged in what we call our 3 p.m. group chat. It happens at the point in the day where we’ve hit a wall and need a creative break. Usually, the conversations start off fun or lighthearted, but then quickly turn to deep topics—anything from conspiracies about the Hollywood elite to unanswered questions about God or the Bible.

Recently, we’ve been on a “did you know the Bible talks about this weird thing?” kick. The topics we’ve been spending the most time with are the spiritual realm, angels, demons, spiritual warfare—you know, the light-hearted things. These conversations recently led us to a short, somewhat random passage in Genesis 6 about a very odd being known as the Nephilim.

“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. Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.’  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.” – Genesis 6:1-4

This passage is sandwiched between the genealogy of Noah and the beginning of the flood. It’s one of those sections where, if you weren’t paying attention, you’d easily skip over—which is what I did for many years. But as my fascination for mysterious things grew over time, I found myself coming back to this passage. Who are these mysterious beings and why did God choose to mention them in Scripture?

Now, I need to give you a disclaimer: my fascination with the Nephilim has led me down many different rabbit trails. I won’t get into the intricacies of all of them, especially since we don’t have the word count to do so. BUT I did “force” my friends Jacob and Brandon to talk through these theories with me on an upcoming episode of our podcast and video series, Everyday Theology [coming January 2025]. If you want to tune in, click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel. For now, though, I’ll give you some brief background on these interesting creatures and what their presence in Scripture means for us today.

Let’s start with the basics. The Nephilim are only mentioned twice in Scripture, both in Genesis 6:1–4 and then in Numbers 13:33. Their name, derived from the Hebrew root naphal (to fall), is often translated as “fallen ones.” However, the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) translates the root word as “giants,” which has shaped much of our cultural understanding of who these beings were.

In Genesis, the Nephilim are described as the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men,” becoming “the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” But who exactly were these “sons of God?” That’s where things get complicated—and interesting. Stay with me here.

Scholars have many different interpretations of who the Nephilim actually were. While there are many theories, there are two main ones we’re going to focus on today:

1. The Nephilim were giants. The traditional view, based on Numbers 13 and the Septuagint translation, is that the Nephilim were literal giants—massive beings with extraordinary strength and size. This interpretation aligns with the Israelite spies’ description of feeling like “grasshoppers” in comparison. It also helps us make sense of the fact that the Nephilim lived after the flood. This is an indicator that giants like Goliath were exceptional, but not superhuman.
2. The Nephilim were fallen ones. Many believe the “sons of God” were angelic beings who left their heavenly domain to engage in forbidden relationships with human women. This view is supported by passages like Job 1:6, where “sons of God” refers to angels, and Jude 6, which speaks of angels abandoning their proper dwelling. This interpretation also aligns with ancient non-biblical Jewish texts—like the Book of Enoch—which describe the Nephilim as the offspring of these unions. However, this view raises questions about whether angels, as spiritual beings, could physically reproduce [Matthew 22:30].

So, which interpretation is true? We don’t know. While I have my own theories about the Nephilim, I cannot in good conscience present them to you as “truth.” What I can tell you is that Genesis 6 implies that the Nephilim were present during the pre-flood era, and their presence contributed to the wickedness that led to God’s judgment—which led to the destruction of the earth and humanity. This would naturally lead one to think that the Nephilim were destroyed in the flood, but their mention in Numbers 13 raises more questions. Could both of the above theories be true? Maybe. But again, we don’t know for sure.

So yes, you just read an entire blog about a passage in Scripture that we don’t have real answers to. But I’m not sorry you did. When we don’t understand something about the Word of God, it gives us cause us to stop and think. The Nephilim remind us of God’s Sovereignty because, despite human rebellion and supernatural interference, God remains in control. Are you trusting in God’s Sovereignty? Do you believe that, no matter what, He is in control?

The Nephilim remain one of the Bible’s most intriguing mysteries, leaving us with more questions than answers. But perhaps that’s the point. There are things in our lives we may never understand, but that doesn’t mean they don’t serve a purpose. This story challenges us to wrestle with Scripture, seek God’s truth, and trust His wisdom in the face of the unknown.