The Nephilim were the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” before the Flood, according to Genesis 6:1-4. There has been much debate over the identity of the “sons of God.” Some believe they were fallen angels who mated with human women, while others think they were the godly line of Seth intermarrying with the ungodly Cainites.
Those who hold the fallen angel view believe the Nephilim were supernatural giants. This raises the question of whether Nephilim descendants could exist today. Let’s look at what the Bible reveals about the origin, nature, and fate of the Nephilim.
The Origin of the Nephilim
Genesis 6:1-4 describes the origin of the Nephilim:
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
The identity of the “sons of God” is debated. If they were righteous angels, their mating with humans would constitute a supernatural event outside of God’s design. However, if they were powerful rulers descending from Seth, their intermarriage with Cainites could have produced exceptional offspring.
Evidence against the angel view includes:
- The phrase “and also afterward” (v. 4) suggests the Nephilim existed before the marriages, rather than resulting from them.
- “Sons of God” may refer to godly Sethites rather than angels (Deut 14:1; Hos 1:10).
- Jewish interpreters like Philo and Josephus didn’t view them as angels.
- Angels don’t marry according to Jesus (Matt 22:30).
- Nothing indicates they were unnatural giants.
Arguments for the angel view include:
- “Sons of God” refers to angels in certain Old Testament passages (e.g. Job 1:6; 2:1).
- The progeny were called Nephilim, which implies monstrous births.
- Ancient Jewish literature like 1 Enoch depicts them as giants.
- Jude 6-7 and 2 Peter 2:4-6 may link the Flood to angelic sins.
So while the “sons of God” could refer to angels, the stronger textual evidence favors godly Sethites intermarrying with Cain’s daughters.
The Nature of the Nephilim
What does Scripture reveal about the nature of the Nephilim? Clues include:
- They were called “mighty men” and “men of renown” (Gen. 6:4). This fits mighty rulers, not monstrous giants.
- They were on the earth before and after the marriages, suggesting they weren’t just the offspring.
- No mention is made of their height. “Giants” (hebrew nephilim) could refer to their might, status, or violence.
- They were judged along with the rest of mankind in the Flood.
So the Nephilim were powerful rulers and despots who likely gained greater power by intermarrying with Sethites. They were tyrannical men of status, not mythical monsters. There is no solid ground to see them as semi-divine demigods or huge giants.
The Demise and Legacy of the Nephilim
What became of the Nephilim? According to Genesis, they met their demise in the Flood:
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” […] He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. (Gen. 6:5-7, 7:23)
Noah alone was found righteous in his generation (Gen. 7:1), so the rest of humanity, including the Nephilim, were destroyed. Some believe fallen angelic DNA survived in Noah and his family, but this is pure speculation.
After the Flood, giants are mentioned in Canaan and among David’s enemies. But these beings seem qualitatively different than demigods:
- They are not called Nephilim, just Rephaim, Zamzummin, etc.
- They were born of normal parents.
- They were enemies to be destroyed like other humans.
So there is no definitive mention of Nephilim after the Flood. They and their supposed influence were wiped out.
Could Nephilim Exist Today?
Given the Flood destroyed the Nephilim, and later giants were mortals, it’s highly unlikely any Nephilim descendants exist today. Those holding to the angel view offer a few suggestive but inconclusive arguments:
- Some fallen angelic DNA may have crept into Noah’s family.
- Satan may be producing new Nephilim today by mating with humans.
- Giant people today could be Nephilim.
However, each possibility lacks biblical support:
- Noah was favored by God for a reason (Gen. 6:8-9). Speculation about angelic DNA is unjustified.
- Jesus said angels no longer marry (Matt. 22:30). New angel-human matings seem unlikely.
- Modern giant people suffer from disorders and are fully human. They offer no link to Nephilim.
In conclusion, the Nephilim have no clear presence after the Flood. Though some view them as demonic hybrids invading humanity, the text points to powerful rulers intermarrying and producing even more tyrannical progeny who were judged in the Flood. As nothing biblically suggests angelic-human births continue today, the Nephilim appear to be extinct.
Nevertheless, one aspect of the Nephilim’s legacy may remain – the tendency of power and privilege to corrupt. God judged the pride and oppression of the antediluvian age. Wherever arrogance and injustice reign, the seeds of the Nephilim continue to bear evil fruit. But in Christ, God provides an answer to tyranny and fallen human nature.