This is not something to divide over. But when we bring up words and meanings in the text, they matter.
And there are some serious questions that need to be answered by the Sons of Seth, Daughters of Cain theory.
I love the joke that Chuck Missler used to make about this topic. He would quip that if those men were of Seth (the "godly" line and by inference the sons of God) - and the daughters were from the ungodly line of Cain, then as he put it, why would those naughty daughters (he joked they were hoochie mamas) of Cain be bearing Nephilim and or Gibborim to the godly sons of Seth.
Their offspring should be normal- with some that are outstanding, but not marked out as unusual for their size and or strength. Nor should they all be male.
His point was that strictly human pairings would result in a few extra tall and strong, but they wouldn't all be like that, nor would they all be male. Genesis 6 goes out of it's way to point out these offspring are unusual. Same as it goes out of the way to contrast ordinary men against these "sons of God"
There is something more going on to have "men of renown" happening with this specific pairing.
Why for example should they always be male offspring from the union of a godly and ungodly line if both parents are human? Yet Nephilim or Gibborim are always male. We don't ever hear about female Nephilim or Gibborim.
Or why the godly line of Seth were busy grabbing these women, whoever they liked? The wording doesn't sound consensual. If we take the idea that the sons of God means the godly line of Seth then why are they grabbing women they liked the look of regardless of consent.
And why are the naughty daughters of Cain so good looking, compared to the godly daughters of Seth. Were Seth's daughters and granddaughters so ugly that these sons of Seth had to hunt down the daughters of Cain? What kind of beauty treatment was Cain's family line handing out that made his female descendants so attractive?
Yet the wording says these are the daughters of men (and the word is Adam, meaning the female descendants of Adam) no distinctions in the blood lines , and the ones who take them are the direct creation of God, the Bene Elohim. H1121 of H430.
eSword words keyed to Strongs in this passage:
Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when
men H120 (began to multiply on the face of the earth, and
daughters H1323 were born unto them, (
my notes, normal men, normal daughters, no distinctions)
Gen 6:2 That the
sons H1121 of God H430 saw the
daughters H1323 of men H120 that they
were fair; and they
took H3947 them
wives H802 of all which they chose.
H977 (now we see a contrast between the fathers of these daughters and the ones who take them)
Gen 6:3 And the LORD H 3068 (this is Jehovah) said, My spirit shall not always strive with
man, H120 for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
(my note, see that God is speaking of mankind here- those of made of flesh whose days shall be 120- not those sons of God or these unusual offspring)
Gen 6:4 There were
giants H5303 in the earth in those days; and also after that,
when H834 the
sons H1121 of God H430 came in H935 unto H413 the
daughters H1323 of men, H120 and they
bare H3205 children to them, the
same H1992 became mighty men H1368 which
were of old,
men H376 of
renown. H8034
(
my note, giants appear in this context of vs 1-2, v 3 points out that man is flesh, then giants appear WHEN -as a result- the sons of God -as opposed to the ordinary sons of Adam - go in to these women, daughters of ordinary men and further explanation is given that these were mighty men men of renown.)
Strong's concordance stuff- my comments in italics
------
H120 is Adam seen in verse 1. The men plural (no distinction between Sethites or Cainites) and these men are separate and distinct from the bene elohim or direct creations of God which are the Angels, and Adam himself.
'âdâm
From H119;
ruddy, that is,
a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.): - X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low,
man (mean, of low degree),
person.
H1323 -
the daughters of men
bath
From H1129 (as feminine of H1121);
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively): - apple [of the eye], branch, company, daughter, X first, X old, + owl, town, village.
Verse 2 begins the contrast between the natural men that had daughters in the normal way, these men are of Adam's lineage, compared to these "sons of God" aka the Ben or Bene Elohim.
H1121 - first part of the compound phrase Sons (of)
bên
From H1129; a
son (as a
builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including
grandson,
subject,
nation,
quality or
condition, etc., (like H1, H251, etc.): - + afflicted, age, [Ahoh-] [Ammon-] [Hachmon-] [Lev-]ite, [anoint-]ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, [Assyr-] [Babylon-] [Egypt-] [Grec-]ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant[-est], whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
H430 -second part of the compound phrase God
'ĕlôhı̂ym
Plural of H433;
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme
God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
H3947 - how these "sons of God" took these women they chose
lâqach
A primitive root; to
take (in the widest variety of applications): - accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive (-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
H802 - the word for wives
'ishshâh nâshı̂ym
The first form is the feminine of H376 or H582; the second form is an irregular plural; a
woman (used in the same wide sense as H582).: - [adulter]ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.
H977 - chose
bâchar
A primitive root; properly to
try, that is, (by implication)
select: - acceptable, appoint, choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.
H5303 - the word translated giants-
nephı̂yl nephil
From H5307; properly, a
feller, that is, a
bully or
tyrant: - giant.
H834 - When
'ăsher
A primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);
who,
which,
what,
that; also (as adverb and conjunction)
when,
where,
how,
because,
in order that, etc.: - X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how (-soever), X if, (so) that ([thing] which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither (-soever), who (-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.
H935 - came in
bô'
A primitive root; to
go or
come (in a wide variety of applications): - abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, [in-]vade, lead, lift [up], mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken [in age], X surely, take (in), way.
H413 - Unto
'êl 'el
(Used only in the shortened constructive form (the second form)); a primitive particle, properly denoting motion
towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, that is,
near,
withor
among; often in general,
to: - about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because (-fore, -side), both . . . and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in (-to), near, (out) of, over, through,to (-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).
H3205 - they bare (bore)
yâlad
A primitive root; to
bear young; causatively to
beget; medically to
act as midwife; specifically to
show lineage: - bear, beget, birth ([-day]), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail (-eth, -ing woman).
H1992 - the same (referring to the children they bore- all male by the way- no females which is also odd who became mighty men)
hêm hêmmâh
Masculine plural from H1931;
they (only used when emphatic): - it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.
H1368 - mighty men.
gibbôr gibbôr
Intensive from the same as H1397;
powerful; by implication
warrior,
tyrant: - champion, chief, X excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.
H376 - men
'ı̂ysh
Contracted for H582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to
be extant);
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation.) : - also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, [foot-, husband-] man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man [-kind], + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso (-ever), worthy. Compare H802.
(When this word men says to compare to H802 that is the word used for wives or women in general seen above, so this is male gender)
H8034 - of renown
shêm
A primitive word (perhaps rather from
H7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous
position; compare H8064); an
appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication
honor,
authority,
character: - + base, [in-] fame [-ous], name (-d), renown, report.
edited to add
After the Cross, we are the direct creation of God. as we are now new born again, born of the Spirit people. So we can be considered Bene Elohim in the New Testament sense of born again.
also Numbers 13 and 14
Caleb and Joshua don't actually dispute the fact that the descendants of Anak live there, the Bible footnotes itself to explain that the descendants of Anak, are in fact Nephilim in verse 33. of chpter 13
The sin of the people is in viewing the children of Anak as stronger than God.
Joshua and Caleb both say that they should go in and take the land. Regardless of the size of the people. In chapter 14 they point out this:
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes
7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.
8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
so
the land is good
If God is pleased with us HE will give it to us
Don't be afraid of the people of the land because WE WILL DEVOUR THEM (instead of at the end of chapter 13 the 10 spies said the land would devour the children of Israel!)
Their protection is GONE, the Lord is with us, DON'T be afraid.
The point isn't that the Nephilim aren't there or aren't terrifying (much like Goliath of Gath later)
But that with God all things are possible from slaying giants to conquering the land God gave them.
and not wearing a NBA jersey….
against His children intermarrying with pagans.
