The Meaning of Genesis 6:4 Explained

Genesis 6:4

KJV: 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.

YLT: The fallen ones were in the earth in those days, and even afterwards when sons of God come in unto daughters of men, and they have borne to them -- they are the heroes, who, from of old, are the men of name.

Darby: In those days were the giants on the earth, and also afterwards, when the sons of God had come in to the daughters of men, and they had borne children to them; these were the heroes, who of old were men of renown.

ASV: The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 6:4 Mean?

Study Notes

sons of God
Some hold that these "sons of God" were the "angels which kept not their first estate" Judges 1:6 . It is asserted that the title is in the O.T. exclusively used of angels. But this is an error Isaiah 43:6 . Angels are spoken of in a sexless way. No female angels are mentioned in Scripture, and we are expressly told that marriage is unknown among angels. Matthew 22:30 .
The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been that verse Genesis 6:2 marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain, and so the failure of the testimony to Jehovah committed to the line of Seth Genesis 4:26 . For apostasy there is no remedy but judgment; Isaiah 1:2-7 ; Isaiah 1:24 ; Isaiah 1:25 ; Hebrews 6:4-8 ; Hebrews 10:26-31 . Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," is given 120 years, but he won no convert, and the judgment predicted by his great- grandfather fell; Judges 1:14 ; Judges 1:15 ; Genesis 7:11 .

Verse Meaning

The "nephilim" were on the earth before and after the marriages of the "sons of God" with the "daughters of men." They were literally "fallen ones" or "tyrants." They were "mighty . . . men of renown." That Isaiah , they were powerful individuals, probably military leaders. Moses later described the giants in Canaan as "nephilim" ( Numbers 13:33).

Context Summary

Genesis 6:1-8 - The Wickedness Of Men
When a son was born to Lamech, he named him Noah, which means "Rest."He thought that the boy would grow up to share and alleviate the strain of daily toil. But his hope was premature: rest was not yet: the Deluge would soon sweep over the works of men. The world must await the true Rest-giver, who said, "Come unto Me." It was an age of abounding wickedness, but the language describing it is obscure. Some think that "the sons of God" were fallen angels; others that the seed of Seth became joined in marriage with the daughters of Cain. But God's Spirit strove with man, and though a limit was put to His pleadings, yet He sought men with yearning remonstrance, till His Holy Spirit received the final negative and turned away disappointed and grieved. There was considerable delay. For 120 years the Spirit of God waited. See 1 Peter 3:20. He will not wait for ever, Luke 13:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 6

1  The wickedness of the world, which provoked God's wrath
8  Noah finds grace
9  His family line
14  The order, form, dimensions, and building of the ark

What do the individual words in Genesis 6:4 mean?

The Nephilim were on the earth in days those and also after that when came in the sons of God to the daughters of men and they bore [children] to them Those [were] the mighty men who [were] of old men of renown -
הַנְּפִלִ֞ים הָי֣וּ בָאָרֶץ֮ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי־ כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־ בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הֵ֧מָּה הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעוֹלָ֖ם אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם פ

הַנְּפִלִ֞ים  The  Nephilim 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נְפִילִים  
Sense: giants, the Nephilim.
בָאָרֶץ֮  on  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בַּיָּמִ֣ים  in  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָהֵם֒  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וְגַ֣ם  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אַֽחֲרֵי־  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
כֵ֗ן  that 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יָבֹ֜אוּ  came  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְּנֵ֤י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּנ֣וֹת  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
הָֽאָדָ֔ם  of  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְיָלְד֖וּ  and  they  bore  [children] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לָהֶ֑ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הֵ֧מָּה  Those  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים  the  mighty  men 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מֵעוֹלָ֖ם  of  old 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
אַנְשֵׁ֥י  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַשֵּֽׁם  of  renown 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation