Genesis 6:1-4
Dr. Ángel Manuel Rodríguez
Instituto de Investigación Bíblica, Asociación
General
I've been
reading some commentaries on Genesis 6:1-4, and almost all of them interpret
the expression "son of God" as a reference to divine beings or
angels. What is a proper understanding of this biblical text?
Until
recently the prevailing opinion among commentators was that the phrase
"sons of God" referred to angels. Canaanite literature used this same
phrase to designate divine beings, members of the divine pantheon. This use of
the phrase has been read into the passage by a number of modern scholars. They
use ancient mythology to interpret the text because, supposedly, this passage
contains ancient myths.
Extrabiblical materials can be helpful in
understanding difficult passages. However, those backgrounds should not
determine the interpretation of a passage if in the process we sacrifice the
principle that the Bible is its own interpreter. We should begin with the
biblical text itself. From it we can observe the following points:
1. Use of "sons of God" in the
Old Testament. A study of the phrase reveals that it is used to designate the
Israelite king (Ps. 2:7; 2 Sam. 7:14); angels (Job 38:7); and heavenly beings,
members of the divine council (Job 1:6; 2:1). In a very special way the Israelites
are called sons/children of God. Israel is the firstborn son of God (Ex. 4:22,
23).
2. Immediate context. In Genesis 4 and 5
the human race is divided into two main groups: the descendants of Cain (Gen.
4: 17-24) and those of Seth ( verses 25, 26).
In
Genesis 6:1,2 this division is clearly recognized by referring to those who
followed the Lord as "sons of God" and to the rest of humanity as
"men." There is nothing in the immediate context to suggest that the
"sons of God" are kings, angels, or heavenly beings.
3. Significance of the expression
"to take a wife." Verse 2 describes a legal and permanent union
between the sons of God and the daughters of men. "They took to wife such
of them as they chose" (RSV) includes a verb that is a technical
expression to designate marriage, the act of entering into a legal and binding
relationship between a man and a woman (Gen. 4:19; 11:29; 12:19; 20:2, 3).
Had the reference been to angels, one
would have to conclude that they married the daughters of men and became their
legal husbands. This is rejected by all serious interpreters.
4. Concept of judgment. The sin of the
"sons of God" brought judgment on the human race. Had they been
angels or heavenly beings, they, and possibly the daughters of men, should have
been punished for their sins, but not the human race as a whole.
5. Descendants were human beings.
Children born as a result of these intermarriages are not described as
semidivine or semiangelic beings. There is a reference to the nephilim who were
on the earth in those days, but the Hebrew text does not say that they were the
descendants of the intermarriages (although some translations make that
suggestion).
The sentence "The Nephilim were on
the earth in those days. . ." seems to be a parenthetical statement.
Nephilim is a Hebrew word whose meaning is not clear, and translators do not
provide any English equivalent. In Numbers 13:33 this term designates giants.
The antediluvian Nephilim were destroyed by the Flood, but later the term was
used to refer to people of unusual height and violence who inhabited the land
of Canaan.
"Men of renown" means "men
of reputation" and describes a person with a good character (1 Chron.
12:30), and also individuals who use their influence for evil purposes (Num.
16:2, 3; 1 Chron. 5:24, 25). Here the contexts seems to require a negative
interpretation of that terminology.
Thus contextual and linguistic analysis
indicates that the best interpretation of the phrase "sons of God" is
the one that finds in it a designation of the descendants of Seth. This appears
to be the one suggested by Scripture itself.
Copyright ©
Biblical Research Institute General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®
Fecha: 04 de noviembre de 1996
Fuente:
https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/bible-ot-texts/genesis-61-4
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