Who Were the Sons of God and Daughters of Men in Genesis 6:1–4?
A Biblical and Theological Exposition of the Angelic Rebellion That Preceded the Flood
I. The Passage in Question
“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,
that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.
And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’
There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them.
Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”
— Genesis 6:1–4, New King James Version
This brief but theologically dense passage raises major questions about angelology, humanity, judgment, and the spiritual corruption of creation before the flood. The two key questions are:
Who were the “sons of God”?
Who were the “daughters of men”, and what were their offspring—the Nephilim?
II. The Identity of the “Sons of God” – Three Views Examined
View 1: The Fallen Angel View (Correct View)
The “sons of God” were fallen angels who took human wives, resulting in a race of hybrid beings known as the Nephilim.
Support from Scripture:
The Hebrew term bene ha’elohim is used elsewhere in Scripture only of angels, never of humans:
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.”
— Job 1:6, New King James Version
Also see Job 2:1 and Job 38:7.The unnatural offspring—giants, or Nephilim—were “mighty men of old, men of renown,” a clear indicator that their origin was not normal human reproduction.
This interpretation is confirmed by New Testament writers:
“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
— Jude 1:6, New King James Version
“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness…”
— 2 Peter 2:4, New King James Version
These “angels who sinned” did so in the days of Noah, matching Genesis 6.
Objection: “Angels don’t marry” (Matthew 22:30)
“For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.”
— Matthew 22:30, New King James Version
This passage refers specifically to holy angels in heaven, not to rebellious angels who abandoned their nature. It does not deny the possibility of fallen angels taking on fleshly form and engaging in forbidden union with women.
Angels Can Appear as Men:
The angels who visited Abraham and Lot (Genesis 18–19) looked like men, ate food, and were sexually targeted by the men of Sodom.
Thus, Scripture supports the idea that fallen angels can assume human form and even mimic reproduction.
View 2: The Sethite View (Incorrect)
This view claims that the “sons of God” were godly men from the line of Seth, and the “daughters of men” were ungodly women from the line of Cain.
Problems:
The phrase “sons of God” never refers to believers or godly humans in the Old Testament.
There is nothing inherently sinful in the marriage between Sethites and Cainites—God never forbade it.
It does not explain the emergence of giants, “mighty men,” or why such unions provoked the global judgment of the flood.
This interpretation spiritualizes the text, ignores grammar, and fails to account for the judgment that follows.
View 3: The Royalty/Tyrant View (Incorrect)
This theory interprets “sons of God” as human rulers or kings who took many wives, and “daughters of men” as common women.
Problems:
Again, it does not explain the giants or the “men of renown.”
God never condemns multiple wives as a reason for destroying the world.
This view lacks any support from the Hebrew text or biblical context.
III. Who Were the “Daughters of Men”?
They were simply human women—daughters born to mankind as it multiplied on the earth. The term “men” (adam) in the Hebrew refers to humanity in general.
The text implies passivity on the part of these women. The fallen angels chose wives for themselves from among them—an act of spiritual violation and corruption of human nature.
IV. Who Were the Nephilim?
The Nephilim were the offspring of this unnatural union between fallen angels and women.
“There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them.
Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”
— Genesis 6:4, New King James Version
The Hebrew word Nephilim literally means “fallen ones.”
They were giants, both in size and strength.
They were violent warriors, feared throughout ancient Canaan (cf. Numbers 13:33).
Their existence led directly to the judgment of the flood (Genesis 6:5–7).
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth… And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth…”
— Genesis 6:5–6, New King James Version
V. Why Did God Judge the World?
The incursion of fallen angels into humanity resulted in:
Corruption of human genetics
Unprecedented wickedness and violence
A hybrid race not made in God's image
This explains why the flood was total and absolute—destroying all flesh except Noah and his family.
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
… Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”
— Genesis 6:8–9, New King James Version
The phrase “perfect in his generations” may indicate Noah’s uncorrupted lineage, in contrast to the hybridized world around him.
VI. Historical and Jewish Interpretations
Early Jewish writings (e.g., Book of Enoch, Jubilees, and the Dead Sea Scrolls) unanimously interpret Genesis 6:1–4 as fallen angels cohabiting with women.
Church Fathers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian held this view.
The view that emerged later (Sethite) was an attempt to sanitize the supernatural in reaction to Gnostic and mythological abuses.
VII. Conclusion: The Supernatural Rebellion That Preceded the Flood
Genesis 6:1–4 reveals a terrifying and real event in human history:
Fallen angels transgressed their domain and took human women, producing a race of giants that corrupted the earth.
This act of rebellion prompted divine judgment, leading to the flood. The “sons of God” were not men, rulers, or believers—but rebellious spiritual beings who sought to defile humanity, oppose the coming Messiah, and pollute the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain… He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
— Jude 1:6, New King James Version
