Genesis 6:4 Updated American Standard Version
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

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The Central Translation Issue: נְפִלִים (Nephilim)

The Hebrew word נְפִלִים (nephilim) occurs only three times in the Hebrew Scriptures: Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33 (twice). The limited use of this term has generated an enormous amount of scholarly debate, since the meaning bears directly on questions of angelology, demonology, anthropology, and biblical theology. Translators have generally taken three approaches:

1. Translation as “giants” – Following the Septuagint (LXX), which renders the Hebrew word as γίγαντες (gigantes). This is the choice of many traditional translations (KJV, NKJV, Septuagint-influenced versions).

2. Transliteration as “Nephilim” – Preserving the Hebrew form without interpretation (NASB, ESV, CSB, UASV).

3. Interpretive rendering – Some modern versions attempt paraphrase (“fallen ones,” “heroes,” “mighty warriors”), importing meaning from the etymology of the root נפל (npl, “to fall”).

The decision here is not merely lexical. It shapes theological understanding of whether the Nephilim were:

• Angelic-human hybrids (offspring of fallen angels and women).

• Fallen angels themselves.

• Merely tyrannical men of great size or power.

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Etymology and Root Analysis

The likely root is the Hebrew verb נפל (npl, “to fall”). The form nephilim could be passive (“fallen ones”) or causative (“those who cause others to fall”). The causative sense would align with the interpretation of them as violent bullies or warriors who caused others to fall before them.

However, the Hebrew Bible provides no further lexical explanation. The word seems deliberately rare, perhaps reflecting the uniqueness of these beings. That scarcity leaves translators with the choice of whether to explain by rendering or to preserve the mystery by transliteration.

The Updated American Standard Version wisely transliterates as “Nephilim,” because the word is technical, unique, and bound up with theological identity. Any translation like “giants” or “fallen ones” risks interpreting rather than translating.

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The Septuagint and Its Influence

The LXX renders נְפִלִים as γίγαντες, from which the English word “giant” derives. However, the Greek word γίγας in classical usage did not always mean simply “a very tall person.” It referred to semi-divine beings of myth—offspring of gods and mortals, known for violence and rebellion. Thus, the LXX translators appear to have understood the Nephilim as hybrid offspring of heavenly beings and humans. Their rendering is interpretive, not strictly lexical.

Later Jewish literature (e.g., 1 Enoch, Jubilees) expands this into elaborate angel-human union myths, presenting the Nephilim as monstrous giants. These writings show how the LXX choice shaped Second Temple theology, which in turn influenced some early Christian interpretations (cf. Jude 6–7; 2 Peter 2:4).

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The Context of Genesis 6:1–4

Genesis 6:1–3 sets the stage:

• “Sons of God” (בְּנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, bene ha’elohim) took wives from human women.

• Jehovah’s response: limiting man’s lifespan to 120 years before judgment (the Flood).

• Verse 4 introduces the Nephilim, tying their existence to this angelic-human union.

The phrase “in those days, and also afterward” has caused confusion. The UASV footnote correctly clarifies that “in those days” refers to the period immediately preceding God’s 120-year decree, and “afterward” extends until the Flood. Thus, the Nephilim’s existence was bound to the window between angelic rebellion and divine judgment.

All Nephilim perished in the Flood (Genesis 7). Numbers 13:33 is not evidence of their survival but of the Israelites’ bad report, which exaggerates the threat in Canaan.

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Nephilim and Gibborim (“Mighty Men”)

Verse 4 continues: “Those were the mighty men (הַגִּבֹּרִים, haggibborim) who were of old, men of renown.”

Are the Nephilim identical to the gibborim?

• The LXX equates them by rendering both as γίγαντες.

• Some modern translations (NIV, TEV) follow this tradition.

• However, the Hebrew text distinguishes them: the Nephilim existed when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and from this union came the gibborim.

Thus, the gibborim appear to be the specific offspring of these angel-human unions, whereas the Nephilim may be the overarching designation for these beings. This explains why the Nephilim are introduced first, and then their specific identity as “mighty men of renown” is explained.

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Theological Implications

1. Sons of God as Angels
   The consistent Old Testament usage of “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) refers to angels, not human men. Genesis 6 follows the same usage. The idea that “sons of God” were simply descendants of Seth marrying descendants of Cain fails for several reasons:

   • Intermarriage between righteous and unrighteous lines had occurred long before; why mention it here as unique?

   • Human marriage does not produce monstrous “men of renown.”

   • Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4 explicitly reference angels who “left their proper abode” and were judged, connecting to Noah’s day.

2. Nephilim as Hybrids
   The Nephilim were not fallen angels themselves but the unnatural offspring of angels who materialized and cohabited with women. They were therefore neither fully human nor truly angelic. Their violence contributed to the corruption of the earth, hastening the Flood judgment.

3. Mythological Parallels
   Ancient pagan myths of gods mating with humans to produce demigods likely distort the memory of the Nephilim. The biblical record strips away myth and provides the sober historical account: rebellious angels intruded into God’s creation order, producing hybrid offspring, which God destroyed.

4. After the Flood
   The Nephilim did not survive the Deluge. Numbers 13:33 reflects the fearful exaggeration of Israelite spies, not a literal survival. The Anakim were large men, but they were not Nephilim. The inspired text does not equate them.

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Translation Decision: Proper Noun or Common Noun?

• Rendering נְפִלִים as “giants” is interpretive and misleading, since height is not the focus of Genesis 6:4.

• Rendering it as “fallen ones” imports etymology directly into translation, which is precarious since etymological meaning is not always semantic meaning.

• Transliterating as “Nephilim” preserves the inspired wording, leaving interpretation to exegesis.

Thus, the UASV choice of “Nephilim” is the most faithful, literal, and contextually sensitive rendering.

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Textual Tradition and Variants

The Masoretic Text preserves נְפִלִים in all occurrences. The Samaritan Pentateuch agrees. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4QGen) also contain the same reading, confirming antiquity. No variant suggests a different word.

The Septuagint’s γίγαντες is interpretive, not textual. No evidence exists that the Hebrew Vorlage contained gibborim in place of nephilim. Rather, the LXX translators read nephilim but chose to render it with a term resonant with Hellenistic myth.

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Implications for Translation Philosophy

Genesis 6:4 demonstrates the translator’s responsibility to distinguish between translation, transliteration, and interpretation. Where Scripture itself provides no further clarification, the translator must resist the temptation to supply theological explanation within the text. This is the reader’s responsibility under careful exegesis.

The Updated American Standard Version, by transliterating “Nephilim,” follows a principle of formal equivalence, ensuring that the reader encounters the inspired wording without premature interpretation. This approach upholds the doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration, preserving what God actually said, not what man thinks He meant.

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