Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NEPHILIM

(Heb. nĕpîlîm)

The offspring of heavenly beings (“sons of God”; cf. Job 1:6; 2:1; Ps. 29:1; 82:6) who had sexual relations with human women (“daughters of men”; Gen. 6:1-4). Since the boundary between the divine realm and the earthly was not supposed to be crossed in this way, this was the final abomination that led to God’s decision to destroy the Nephilim and all people in the Flood (Gen. 6:3, 5-7).

Prior to the conquest of Canaan Israelite spies reported that there was a gigantic race of people, Nephilim, living in the land of Canaan (Num. 13:33). These people seem to be survivors of the Flood (cf. Gen. 6:4), but there is no explanation of how they survived the disaster. Perhaps there were two conflicting traditions, one in which the Nephilim perished in the Flood and another in which they survived and settled in Canaan. Alternatively, it may be that the giants in the Promised Land came to be called Nephilim by analogy with the earlier race of mighty heroes.

Bibliography. R. S. Hendel, “Of Demigods and the Deluge: Toward an Interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4,” JBL 106 (1987): 13-26; “When the Sons of God Cavorted with the Daughters of Men,” BibRev 3/2 (1987): 8-13, 37.

William B. Nelson, Jr.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NEPHILIM

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)