6:4 - The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterwards—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.
This verse opens with a strange diversion to report on the presence on the Nephilim on the earth in those days when the events recounted in vv1-3 occurred. The purpose of this remains unknown. One possible suggestion is that it served to post notice that they were not the offspring of the unions of the bene ha'elohim with the benot ha'adam, a conclusion that, given the reputation of the Nephilim (and associated with the Anakites as such) elsewhere in the OT, some may be tempted to jump to too quickly.
The second fact presented by this verse is that offspring of the bene ha'elohim and the benot ha'adam grew up to become the gibborim, "men of renoun" (this latter expression 'asher hashshem is the exact equivalent of the Chinese expression for the famous, they "have a name"). Just so we are clear, note that the qualification that these men were renowned "from of old" has reference to the time when the author of Genesis wrote, not the time when the events of vv1-4 occurred.
Now what is interesting is that God had already decided on His judgment before this fact of the offspring's births is stated. This makes it absolutely clear that what offended Yahweh's holiness was the marriages themselves, rather than the offspring and what they would do. Notice also that the offsprings of these offensive marriages are now considered for all practical purposes as 'anashe, 'men,' i.e., humans. 1 If in their collusion with the "sons of God" humans had hoped to breach the human-divine divide and derive some measure of divinity, their hopes are now irreversibly dashed. They may be admired for their supremacy as warriors and heroes but they remain as earth-bound as ever. And just as mortal.
Commentators do not always enjoy the privilege pastors and preachers do of writing on seasonally appropriate passages as part of their vocation. This section of Genesis occupied me through the season of Lent, when most Christians are steering their hearts and thoughts on the Passion of Christ. My wife asked me over dinner if there is any relevance my thought on the union between the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" might have to Easter. Like a wave it washed over me that, yes, there is. What the men and the angels (if they are that) conspired to do in the hope of infringing the divine-human divide—and failed so disastrously to attain—Christ accomplished for us through his sacrificial death on the Cross. In Christ we are now children of God and heirs with Christ. In just a while more, and certainly in the resurrection, we shall be with Him in glory. But even now, if we abide in Christ, we can be "like Him," the very bait that the serpent cast towards Eve and the aspirations of all failed attempts at breaching the walls of heaven. What is there in Christ not to rejoice in? Hallelujah!
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2020