Earthling
David Henson
The term giant can be found in the Bible to describe people of an unusual size. Og, the king of Bashan was of the people of the Rephaim who were unusually tall. His bier was nine cubits (13.1 ft; 4 m) in length and four cubits (5.8 ft; 1.8 m) in width. (Deuteronomy 3:11) Other giants mentioned in the Bible were Goliath of Gath, who was about 9.5 ft (2.9 m) tall, Ishbi-benob, Saph (Sippai); and Goliath's brother Lahmi as well as a man with six fingers on each of his hands and six toes on each of his feet. (1 Samuel 17:4-7 / 2 Samuel 21:16-20 / 1 Chronicles 20:4-5)
Genesis 6:4 - The Hebrew word nephilim is plural, from the causative form of the verb naphal, meaning to fall, as found at 2 Kings 3:19; 2 Kings 19:7. Nephilim, then, means Fellers, or those who cause others to fall down. It is also used in a false sense at Numbers 13:33 (see below).
Scholarly interpretation varies as follows:
Some scholars believe the meaning of the word from fall indicates that the Nephilim were the fallen angels themselves who mated with human women. The Nephilim being the fallen angels.
Others believe the term "and so after that" at Genesis 6:4 indicates that the Nephilim were not the fallen angels or the mighty ones since the Nephilim "proved to be in the earth in those days" before the sons of God had sexual relations with the women. Those who interpret it this way believe the Nephilim were simply wicked men who would have been destroyed in the flood.
Considering the context, the Nephilim were not the angels themselves but the hybrid offspring of the unnatural union of angels taking the form of man and mating with human women.
I am convinced of the latter interpretation based upon the fact that in physical form the angels who forsook their natural position to become men in order to have sex with human women had their physical forms perish in the flood but would have returned in spirit form to heaven. (1 Peter 3:19-20 / 2 Peter 2:4 / Jude 1:6)
Some translations will move the term “and after that” to the beginning of the verse. This identifies the Nephilim with the mighty ones. For example Some Bibles translate the Hebrew hannephilim as giants and heroes from the Hebrew haggibborim. (See NIV) In the Greek Septuagint the word gigantes (giants) is used to translate both of those expressions.
Numbers 13:33 is a really cool reference for to use here. It can easily be somewhat misunderstood. No one can deny the Bible’s potential for being misunderstood, but often it is misunderstood in that it is expected to reveal the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when that isn’t always the case as such. In this verse ten of the twelve sent out to survey the situation returned fearful and faithless. With Jehovah God on their side they were nevertheless afraid of the men of extraordinary size who they would come up against. They referred to them as the “Nephilim” and as “giants.” Only in this occasion are the people of Canaan referred to as “Nephilim” and only then to strike fear into the hearts of the camp. The fearful returning spies only used the term for that reason. The Nephilim perished in the flood, so the Bible is truthful in revealing this distortion but the distortion itself shouldn’t be misconstrued as truth. The Nephilim of Numbers 13:33 may be misapplied as those mentioned above in Genesis 6:4 when they in fact are not the same.
After the confusion of languages at Babel the brief account of the Nephilim seems to have inspired more than a few pagan mythologies. The confusion, at least in a modern interpretation, might be due to the term giants being thought of as mythological in the sense of the Greek deity, the Titan.
Joshua 12:4; Joshua 18:16 - Is an interesting example of the distinction between the two types of Bibles available. Many people don’t realize that the Bible version differs from the Bible translation in that the version allows for a greater or lesser degree of creative license whereas the translation typically leans towards the literal translation. The King James Version tends to be a great deal more liberal than most versions. Most Bibles read this verse as being in reference to the area of Rephaim, which in other verses is associated with people of unusual tall stature. NIV, ESV, ASV.
1 Samuel 17:4-7 - Goliath's height was six cubits and a span, which in today’s terms would be about 9.5 ft [2.9 m]. His coat of mail weighed about 125 lbs. [57 kg] and the blade of his spear weighed about 15 lbs. [6.8 kg]. His mail alone likely weighed as much or more than David himself.
Deuteronomy 2:20-21; Deuteronomy 3:11 - These verses are similar to the verses above in that the King James Version uses the term associated with the area of Rephaim with the “land of giants” which, while not inaccurate isn’t a very literal translation. These verses differ in that they elaborate on the reference to giants. Here they are described in fuller detail.
Deuteronomy 2:10-11 - This verse indicates to me, the fallacy of the King James Version’s liberal approach to translation. The NIV reads: "The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites." The KJV’s mention of Rephaites simply as “giants” gives us some insight into the unusually tall stature of the people in this area which the more literal translation doesn’t, but on the other hand there is something specific lost in translation; the specific mention of the Rephaites / Emites.
Genesis 6:4 - The Hebrew word nephilim is plural, from the causative form of the verb naphal, meaning to fall, as found at 2 Kings 3:19; 2 Kings 19:7. Nephilim, then, means Fellers, or those who cause others to fall down. It is also used in a false sense at Numbers 13:33 (see below).
Scholarly interpretation varies as follows:
Some scholars believe the meaning of the word from fall indicates that the Nephilim were the fallen angels themselves who mated with human women. The Nephilim being the fallen angels.
Others believe the term "and so after that" at Genesis 6:4 indicates that the Nephilim were not the fallen angels or the mighty ones since the Nephilim "proved to be in the earth in those days" before the sons of God had sexual relations with the women. Those who interpret it this way believe the Nephilim were simply wicked men who would have been destroyed in the flood.
Considering the context, the Nephilim were not the angels themselves but the hybrid offspring of the unnatural union of angels taking the form of man and mating with human women.
I am convinced of the latter interpretation based upon the fact that in physical form the angels who forsook their natural position to become men in order to have sex with human women had their physical forms perish in the flood but would have returned in spirit form to heaven. (1 Peter 3:19-20 / 2 Peter 2:4 / Jude 1:6)
Some translations will move the term “and after that” to the beginning of the verse. This identifies the Nephilim with the mighty ones. For example Some Bibles translate the Hebrew hannephilim as giants and heroes from the Hebrew haggibborim. (See NIV) In the Greek Septuagint the word gigantes (giants) is used to translate both of those expressions.
Numbers 13:33 is a really cool reference for to use here. It can easily be somewhat misunderstood. No one can deny the Bible’s potential for being misunderstood, but often it is misunderstood in that it is expected to reveal the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when that isn’t always the case as such. In this verse ten of the twelve sent out to survey the situation returned fearful and faithless. With Jehovah God on their side they were nevertheless afraid of the men of extraordinary size who they would come up against. They referred to them as the “Nephilim” and as “giants.” Only in this occasion are the people of Canaan referred to as “Nephilim” and only then to strike fear into the hearts of the camp. The fearful returning spies only used the term for that reason. The Nephilim perished in the flood, so the Bible is truthful in revealing this distortion but the distortion itself shouldn’t be misconstrued as truth. The Nephilim of Numbers 13:33 may be misapplied as those mentioned above in Genesis 6:4 when they in fact are not the same.
After the confusion of languages at Babel the brief account of the Nephilim seems to have inspired more than a few pagan mythologies. The confusion, at least in a modern interpretation, might be due to the term giants being thought of as mythological in the sense of the Greek deity, the Titan.
Joshua 12:4; Joshua 18:16 - Is an interesting example of the distinction between the two types of Bibles available. Many people don’t realize that the Bible version differs from the Bible translation in that the version allows for a greater or lesser degree of creative license whereas the translation typically leans towards the literal translation. The King James Version tends to be a great deal more liberal than most versions. Most Bibles read this verse as being in reference to the area of Rephaim, which in other verses is associated with people of unusual tall stature. NIV, ESV, ASV.
1 Samuel 17:4-7 - Goliath's height was six cubits and a span, which in today’s terms would be about 9.5 ft [2.9 m]. His coat of mail weighed about 125 lbs. [57 kg] and the blade of his spear weighed about 15 lbs. [6.8 kg]. His mail alone likely weighed as much or more than David himself.
Deuteronomy 2:20-21; Deuteronomy 3:11 - These verses are similar to the verses above in that the King James Version uses the term associated with the area of Rephaim with the “land of giants” which, while not inaccurate isn’t a very literal translation. These verses differ in that they elaborate on the reference to giants. Here they are described in fuller detail.
Deuteronomy 2:10-11 - This verse indicates to me, the fallacy of the King James Version’s liberal approach to translation. The NIV reads: "The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites." The KJV’s mention of Rephaites simply as “giants” gives us some insight into the unusually tall stature of the people in this area which the more literal translation doesn’t, but on the other hand there is something specific lost in translation; the specific mention of the Rephaites / Emites.
