Daily a new Bible text for devotion - EZBB

Genesis 6:1-2

The interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4 is difficult and controversial. The debate centers on the interpretation of the expression "sons of God." Who are they? The crucial question concerns whether the expression refers to human beings or to spiritual beings (demons).

Option 1: Sons of God = Sons of Seth
One viewpoint is that the "sons of God" would be descendants of Seth. In this interpretation, the pious descendants of Seth were intoxicated by the beauty of the women descended from Cain, then marrying those who rejected God, leading to greater wickedness.

The strongest evidence for this position is found in Genesis 4-5, which describes two lineages from Adam: one from Cain and the other from Seth. The Old Testament sometimes refers to God's covenant people as sons of God (Deut 14:1, Jer 3:19), although the exact expression "sons of God" is not used in relation to them. If this view is correct, it could explain why God later forbade the Israelites from marrying Canaanite women (Ex. 34:16, Deut. 7:3).

Option 2: Sons of God = Fallen Angels
The oldest, and probably the most widely held, interpretation is that the "sons of God" are fallen angels (demons). This was the favored interpretation in ancient Judaism and the early church (cf. 1 Peter 3:19-20; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). The expression "sons of God" is clearly used elsewhere in reference to the angelic hosts in God's heavenly court (cf. Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Furthermore, the narrator seems to contrast "man" and "the daughters of men" with the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-2.

Whichever interpretation is correct, the main point is clear: humanity was falling deeper and deeper into sin and drifting further and further away from God.