“There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” — Genesis 6:4
Introduction
Few subjects in Scripture stir more curiosity than the Nephilim. Though mentioned only a handful of times, their presence is tied to some of the most dramatic acts of God in human history—the wickedness of the pre-Flood world, the judgment of the Flood itself, and even the spiritual warfare Israel confronted after entering Canaan. To understand the Nephilim is not to explore myth or fable, but to uncover one of Satan’s earliest and boldest attempts to corrupt humanity and derail God’s redemptive plan.
Who Were the “Sons of God?
The controversy surrounding the Nephilim begins with the interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4. The text states that the “sons of God” took wives from the “daughters of men.”
There are only three possible interpretations historically proposed:
- The “sons of God” were angelic beings (the oldest and most consistent Jewish and early Christian view)
- They were rulers or kings from the line of Cain
- They were Sethites marrying Cainites
Only the first view matches the language of Scripture. In the Old Testament, the term “sons of God” (bene ha’elohim) always refers to angelic beings (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). The New Testament confirms that certain angels sinned in a unique manner “in the days of Noah” and are now chained in darkness for it (2 Peter 2:4–5; Jude 6–7). Thus, Scripture points to this being a supernatural rebellion—fallen angels taking human women in order to produce a corrupted offspring.
The Nephilim: A Hybrid Race of Giants
The offspring of this union were called Nephilim—a Hebrew word meaning fallen ones. Genesis 6:4 describes them as “mighty men… men of renown.” They were giants (Hebrew: nephilim, Greek LXX: gigantes)—not merely tall, but violent, powerful, and corrupted in nature.
Their existence was part of a satanic strategy:
- To corrupt the human bloodline so that the prophesied Messiah (Genesis 3:15) could not be born
- To fill the earth with violence, wickedness, and spiritual corruption
This explains why “all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” and why God sent the Flood—not only to judge human sin, but to preserve the purity of the human race from total corruption (Genesis 6:11–12).
The Flood: God’s Judgment On Satan’s Project
Noah is described as “perfect in his generations” (Genesis 6:9). The phrase refers not to moral perfection, but purity in lineage or genetics. Noah’s line had not been polluted. If Satan could corrupt humanity entirely, the Messiah could never come—but God preserved the line through Noah.
The Flood therefore was not merely a judgment on human wickedness, but a decisive strike against a global satanic infiltration of the human race.
“And Also After That”
Scripture records that Nephilim appeared again after the Flood (Genesis 6:4). This means that, though greatly reduced, the same demonic strategy reoccurred on a smaller scale. We meet them again in:
- Numbers 13:33 — the Anakim, called “descendants of the Nephilim”
- Deuteronomy 2–3 — giant tribes in Canaan (Rephaim, Zamzummim, Emim)
- Joshua 11 & 14 — the Anakim in the hill country
- 1 Samuel 17 — Goliath of Gath, descended from the giants
Satan’s goal at this stage was clear: to prevent Israel from occupying Canaan and stop the covenant line from which Christ would come. This is why God commanded Israel to utterly destroy certain tribes—not because of ethnicity, but because of Nephilim corruption within them.
The Nephilim and the End Times
Jesus said that the last days would be “as it was in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37). The days of Noah were marked by:
- Unrestrained wickedness
- Deep spiritual deception
- Direct interference from fallen angels
- Hybrid corruption of humanity
While Scripture does not claim the Nephilim will return, the same pattern of demonic intrusion and genetic tampering is prophetically consistent with end-time deception. The final Antichrist will be empowered by Satan in a supernatural, imitation-incarnation (2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13).
Conclusion
The story of the Nephilim is not a side issue—it is a front-line revelation of the ancient war between God and Satan. The Nephilim demonstrate:
- Satan’s relentless attempt to corrupt and destroy humanity
- God’s unstoppable preservation of the Messianic line
- The reality of spiritual warfare in both history and prophecy
- The seriousness with which God judges rebellion
The Flood, the conquest of Canaan, and the preservation of Israel all intersect at this point: God will always defend His redemptive plan, and no force—angelic or human—can prevent His Word from being fulfilled.
And just as the Lord preserved His people in the days of Noah, He will preserve His Church before the coming judgment on the world (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10). The Nephilim narrative is ultimately a testimony that God wins, Christ triumphs, and Satan fails.