Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Giants

Genesis 6:1-4
1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of  God saw that the daughthers of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.  3 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."
4 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. (Quest Study Bible NIV)

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Who were the sons of God? (6:2)
Some suggest they were supernatural being such as angels.  In the Book of Job the phrase is used for angelic or nonhuman being (Job 1:6; 2:11)  (however, nowhere else in the Bible is there even a hint that nonhuman and human beings can mate.  There are many parallels in pagan thought, but none in biblical thought.  Also Jesus stated that angels do no marry (Matt. 22:30).  Thus, "sons of God" in this passage must refer to human beings.)  (New Illustrated Bible Dictionary - Nelsons)
Others say they were godly men descended from Seth who married sinful women descended from Cain.  A better interpretation may be that they were human rulers who emerged as heads of city-states in the ancient Middle East and flaunted their power by having large harems.  Rulers and judges are sometimes called gods or God in the Hebrew text.  (commentary Quest study Bible NIV)



     

 Who were the daughters of men?
Adam and Eve's offspring.  (Cain was Adam and Eve's first born)



Who were the Nephilim? (fallen ones)
May refer to persons of great physical stature.  But in Gen. 6:4, it probably means prince or aristocrats - men of political stature.  Nephilim is linked to another term that indicates a heroic person with both power and influence. (commentary Quest Study Bible NIV)
The offspring of marriages/union between the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" (Gen.6:4).  The word "Nephilim" is translated as "giants" by the KJV and NKJV.
Giants - human beings of abnormal size and strength.  Races of giants are first mentioned in the Old Testament where giant godlike beings were produced.  These abnormal unions displeased God (Gen 6:5-6). 
Rephaim were primitive giants who lived in Canaan, Edom, Moab, and Ammon.  They were also known as Emim (Deut. 2:11) and Zamzummim (Deut. 2:20).  King Og of Bashan (Deut. 3:11) was the last of these giants.  His iron bed was about 13 feet by 6 feet).
Goliath is the most famous giant in the Bible (1 Sam. 17:4), measuring about (9) nine feet tall.  (New Illustrated Bible Dictionary - Nelsons)



Genesis 6:5-8
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  6  The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.  7  So the LORD said, "I will wipe earth - men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air - for I am grieved that i have made them."  8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 

9 This is the account of Noah.




Editor: Christopher Ortiz
images:  www.jameslyonart.com;
http://www.thevesselofgod.com/giantsonearth.html

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