“The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men”

(Genesis 6:2)

There is no reason to suppose, as some do, that the “sons of God” were angels or supernatural beings of any sort. It is true that in at least one place (Job 38:7) this phrase is used of them; but we have the sure testimony that God’s angels do not marry this is sufficient to rule them out as the subject here (Matt. 22:30; Luke 20:35).

“Sons of God” and “children of God” are most often used in Scripture as designations of the true believers. The following passages might be written in the margin of your Bible, for ready reference:

  1. Gen 4:26, margin: Certain men began to call themselves by the name of the Lord.
  2. Deut 14:1; Hos. 1:10: The Jews are called God’s children. The nation was the “eccelsia” of that day (Acts 7:38).
  3. 1 John 3:2,10: The children of God are the saints. They are also the chil­dren of promise, “those who believe”, and “those who obey” (Rom. 9:6-8; John 1:12; Matt. 5:9,45).

In Noah’s day, therefore, the “sons of God” were those of the righteous family of Seth, who knew the Truth and were in covenant relationship with their Father by faith. These men abandoned the principles of separation from the world, one of the foremost tenets of Truth, and married the “daughters of men.” These were the offspring of Cain — aliens, fleshly minded, not the Truth. “This practice,” writes Brother Thomas, “has ever been fruitful of apostasy.” (Elpis Israel, pp. 118-120).

We might consider one other aspect of the account in Genesis. In 6:4 we find that there were “giants in the earth in those days.” The word for giants probably means “fallen ones,” rather than “giants” or “ones who fall upon.” We therefore have a picture of apostate sons of God — men who have left their first love and “fallen in” with the allurements of the world.

The danger of compromise and association with wordly individuals and worldly principles is just as real for us today as it was for those fallen “sons of God” in Noah’s generation. Let us take warning of this account, for it it written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11).