Sons of God & Daughters of Men
"When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal, his days will be a hundred and twenty years.' the Nephilim were on the earth in those days -- and also afterward -- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." -- Genesis 6:1-4
As I was reading over this passage this morning, a new idea struck me. I have often wondered what in the world "sons of God", "daughters of men", and "Nephilim" were, and I have never received what I thought to be a satisfactory answer. My "Spirit of the Reformation" study bible (NIV) was only a little help in giving me a few options; "sons of God" are typically thought of as one of these three: men from the line of Seth, angels, or successors to Lamech. Of course, the first option seems to be the most reasonable, and thus the most widely accepted option today. My study bible tells me that the angels option is the earliest Jewish interpretation, though. I believe that due to all my recent reading of Lewis, my mind jumped at this option and began to run with it.
In his space trilogy, Lewis continually brings ideas from mythology into a very real existence. I have also wondered where the ancient Greeks came up with some of their mythology; what in creation lead them to write stories (stories we still read today nonetheless) that intertwined the lives of immortal beings and mortal beings. When I read this passage this morning, my thoughts began to think of men like Achilles or Hercules, ancient mythical men conceived and born from the lust of an immortal (god, goddess, or angel) for a mortal being. And these men were "heroes", great warriors whose stories have been retold for thousands of years, but also men who were susceptible to corruption and sin.
There are far too many similarities to allow me to throw this option out without careful consideration. Were there perhaps "heroes", "men of renown" born of the union between an immortal and a mortal who once walked this earth before the flood not so really long ago?
As I was reading over this passage this morning, a new idea struck me. I have often wondered what in the world "sons of God", "daughters of men", and "Nephilim" were, and I have never received what I thought to be a satisfactory answer. My "Spirit of the Reformation" study bible (NIV) was only a little help in giving me a few options; "sons of God" are typically thought of as one of these three: men from the line of Seth, angels, or successors to Lamech. Of course, the first option seems to be the most reasonable, and thus the most widely accepted option today. My study bible tells me that the angels option is the earliest Jewish interpretation, though. I believe that due to all my recent reading of Lewis, my mind jumped at this option and began to run with it.
In his space trilogy, Lewis continually brings ideas from mythology into a very real existence. I have also wondered where the ancient Greeks came up with some of their mythology; what in creation lead them to write stories (stories we still read today nonetheless) that intertwined the lives of immortal beings and mortal beings. When I read this passage this morning, my thoughts began to think of men like Achilles or Hercules, ancient mythical men conceived and born from the lust of an immortal (god, goddess, or angel) for a mortal being. And these men were "heroes", great warriors whose stories have been retold for thousands of years, but also men who were susceptible to corruption and sin.
There are far too many similarities to allow me to throw this option out without careful consideration. Were there perhaps "heroes", "men of renown" born of the union between an immortal and a mortal who once walked this earth before the flood not so really long ago?
posted by Brian | 12:48 PM
2 Comments:
I too have wondered that. Perhaps it's because I like reading mythology also. However, other tribes of people in far away lands - say Easter Island had some experience with people other than their own. No one has a good explanation for the statues on Easter Island or the designs that can only be seen from great distances above the Earth in South America or cave paintings that show people descending to the Earth. Makes one think.
The book of Enoch goes with the Fallen Angels view.
The angels saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and took them as wives. With this they taught the women, who taught others things like, war, oral sex, music working with metal and many other things.
They saw what they did was not good, so approached Enoch to mediate for them before God. God told Enoch, that it was a shame that what they did, and they should be standing there to protect man, instead of sending the man Enoch to mediate for them.... longs story short the Fallen Angels where chained in darkness... Now, I do not believe this is scripture, but if you look at 2 Peter 2, Peter does talk of these Angels as does Jude so I do think the Book of Enoch had a profound effect on the theology of the Jews and early Christian.
I think if that either way one chooses to interpret this passage, the point is man became evil. We can blame the angels, or blame ourself, but the only person God held responsible was the men that God judged in the flood.
Blessings from Billings MT,
iggy
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