Douglas Wilson, a Reformed theologian, presents a thought-provoking and candid commentary on the Nephilim of Genesis 6:1-4.
Introduction
Douglas James Wilson, born in 1953, is a conservative Reformed and evangelical theologian, pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and a faculty member at New Saint Andrews College. He is a prolific author and speaker in classical Christian education and Reformed theology and an advocate for Van Tillian presuppositional apologetics and postmillennialism.
In his article and commentary titled “The Nephilim, Hades, and Other Oddments,” Wilson asserts that the Nephilim were the result of an unnatural union between celestial beings (bene elohim) and human women. This perspective stands in contrast to other interpretations that suggest the ‘sons of God’ were merely descendants of Seth who intermarried with the daughters of Cain.
The Intermarriages Between the Bene Elohim and Human Women
Wilson firmly supports his view by referring to the use of the phrase “bene elohim” in other scriptural contexts, where it consistently refers to celestial beings. He questions the validity of the line of Seth argument, as it fails to explain the presence of giants and the unanimous ancient consensus on the celestial connection.
“The cosmological issues swirling around this topic provide a good case study on how easy it is to get Christians to be embarrassed by certain aspects of Scripture—even if they affirm their belief in technical inerrancy, and even if the text of Scripture is very plain on whatever the embarrassing subject is…
I am arguing here that the Nephilim were the gigantic offspring of an unnatural sexual union between celestial beings (bene elohim) and human women…
There is no reason to resort to the contrived idea that the bene elohim were actually descendants of Seth who apostatized by intermarrying with the daughters of Cain. Elsewhere in Scripture, the phrase bene elohim always refers to celestial beings.
And if it had been a merger between the lines of Seth and the line of Cain, why is all the masculinity on one side, and all the women on the other? And why on earth would such unions result in giants? And why would the entire ancient world concur with the reading that this was a perverse celestial/earthly connection, from Josephus to Beowulf to the Book of Enoch—from responsible histories to oddball books?
The line of Seth argument doesn’t really come into its own until the modern era—which is precisely when some of these ancient tales began to be a tad embarrassing for us big kids.”
The Nephilim, Hades, and Other Oddments
The issues surrounding the Nephilim present a challenging case study on how certain aspects of Scripture can lead Christians to feel embarrassed, despite affirming belief in technical inerrancy. Regardless, Wilson acknowledges the complexity of the topic and remains steadfast in examining the text of Scripture. Especially, since the works of Josephus to Beowulf to the Book of Enoch concurs with the notion of a celestial and earthly union.
In his commentary, Wilson explains that the angels who abandoned their “appropriate habitation” were guilty of “fornication” and “the pursuit of strange flesh.” He compares this sin to the sin of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were also judged by God for their sexual immorality.
Wilson further contends that the angels involved in these unions were judged by God for their sinful actions. He draws a connection between the “spirits in prison” mentioned in 1 Peter 3:19-20 and the Nephilim, suggesting that they are one and the same. This leads him to conclude that the Nephilim, as the offspring of these angels, are now imprisoned, awaiting final judgment.
The Search for Truth
At Chasing The Giants.com, we are committed to constructing a dependable resource of searchable data and quality research on the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1-4. Our goal is to help seekers of truth find answers and gain insights into biblical mysteries.
Read Doug Wilson’s scholarly article on The Nephilim, Hades, and Other Oddments or watch his Youtube commentary to learn more.
