Sons of Gods? In Genesis

¶ … Sons of Gods?

In Genesis 6:2 (King James Version), it is written that, "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." To determine who the sons of God were in this historical and religious context, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature, followed by an analysis of which of the possible alternatives identified is the best possible solution to this question in the conclusion.

From the perspective of some biblical authorities, the sons of God of Genesis origin are merely physical manifestations of God's desire to provide mankind with some superior genetic stock, and the description provided in the Bible suggests that they were fairly lascivious about the process as well. For instance, according to Bulgakov and Jakim (2002), the sons of God described in Genesis 6:2 represent a "parasitic intrusion of fleshless spirits into the life of flesh, their spiritual enfleshing, as it were. They attempt to share the life of the flesh by becoming spiritual carriers of passions and lusts. This is symbolically expressed in the narrative of Genesis 6:2 where 'the sons of God' began to choose as their wives, 'the daughters of men,' which led to the birth of giants" (2002, p. 160). Indeed, Bulgakov and Jakim argue that it was clearly God's intent to have the sons of God, who were by nature nonsensual because of their divine relationship, become sensual in order to carry out God's will for mankind. In this regard, Bulgakov and Jakim add that, "One has to think that [Genesis 6:2] refers to a certain excitation of the flesh, a sensual passion implanted into beings who are nonsensual by nature. It is permissible to think that demons are humanized by human passions and lusts, which they themselves excite, and a mutual perversion therefore takes place" (2002, p. 160).

This is a fairly racy interpretation of what other authorities regard as a metaphorical description of supernatural, if not extraterrestrial, visitors as indicated in the following passage from Genesis 6:4. "The Nephilim were 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" (quoted in Robbins, 1996 at p. 106). This is an increasingly popular view among the ancient astronaut theorists, for example, with the reference to "Nephilim" being used by some to mean angels, others to mean demons, and yet others who believe these were extraterrestrial visitors and there is enough tangential evidence to fuel additional interest in this explanation concerning these alternative identities of the sons of God.

A final explanation is provided by Eastman (2002) who maintains that the reference to the sons of God in the Genesis narrative are the basis for the same treatment of human disobedience to God's will that are used in the New Testament in Romans. From Eastman's perspective, God was just setting mankind up in Genesis 6:2 so he could then demonstrate his mercy by forgiving them. According to Eastman, Genesis 6:2 is similar to Romans 8:20:22 in that "With God as the implied subject, [both] suggest that futile thinking and darkened hearts are not chosen conditions but unanticipated consequences. The threefold ... Of 1:24, 26, and 28 reinforces this dialectic between divine sovereignty and human disobedience and provides a context for understanding God" (p. 263).

Conclusion