THE NEPHILIM: Knowing the Mysteries Behind the Giants

 

One of the most mysterious beings in the Bible is the Nephilim. Perhaps many of you have also wondered who they were and why they were giants. They are only mentioned twice in the Bible (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33), which makes it hard to be certain. Several theories have been presented about them, but still, their identity remains a mystery. Today, let’s talk about the Nephilim.

𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

The meaning behind the word Nephilim remains debatable. Scholars suggest that it comes from the Hebrew verb naphal, meaning “to fall.” If this is correct, Nephilim would mean “fallen ones.” Others speculate that it was derived from the Aramaic noun naphiyla (meaning “giant”) that was later rendered into Hebrew. According to some, this best explains why the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses the word gigas, meaning “giant,” to translate Nephilim.

𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻

The most common explanation is that they were a mixed race of fallen angels (“sons of God”) and the “daughters of men” in Genesis 6. According to this theory, fallen angels took on human form and had relations with women, producing supernatural beings called Nephilim. This explains why they were giants and became “heroes of old, men of renown” (v. 4). Some scholars suggest that the Nephilim were one of the reasons why the world became so corrupt that God had to send the Great Flood during Noah’s time. The Nephilim perished in the flood, but later on, it is said that there were again intermarriages between angels and humans, which is why there were still giants in the time of Joshua. The Israelites faced the descendants of Anak—whom the writer connected to the Nephilim—because they were stronger and bigger than them (Num. 13:31–33).

Other scholars disagree with this explanation. They argue that Genesis 6:4 (“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them”) does not actually say that the Nephilim were the offspring of that union. It only states that the Nephilim were already present when the intermarriage happened. If this is correct, then the Nephilim were not a mixed race, but simply a label for the “heroes of old, men of renown.” This would also explain why they were still around even after the Flood, despite the Bible saying only Noah and his family survived. Since the Bible never explicitly mentions another angel-human intermarriage after the Flood, the explanation that giants were half-angels remains questionable.

When discussing the Nephilim/giants, similar myths from the ancient Near East are often brought up. Scholars relate the Nephilim to the stories of the apkallu, ancient semi-divine beings in Mesopotamian myths. The apkallu were also said to have married humans and produced a mixed race. Gilgamesh, another well-known heroic figure, was also considered mixed—⅔ divine and ⅓ human. According to the epic, he was a giant, standing at 11 cubits tall (about 16.5 ft or 5 m).

𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀

Although the Nephilim are mentioned only twice in the Bible, scholars connect other giant clans who opposed Israel to them. Aside from the Anakites (Num. 13:33), the Bible also mentions the Emites and Zamzummites, both considered Rephaites (Deut. 2:11, 20). The Rephaites were a race of giants who were powerful in ancient times, but by Joshua’s time they were nearly extinct. King Og of Bashan was said to be the last of the Rephaites (Josh. 12:4). The connection between the giant clans of Joshua’s day and the Nephilim remains debatable. Some argue they descended from the Nephilim (which is hard to prove, since only Noah’s family survived the Flood), while others believe the spies simply used the name Nephilim to intimidate the Israelites. The record says the spies spread a bad report to make the people rebel (Num. 14:36–37).

Perhaps the most famous biblical giant was Goliath, whom David killed (1 Sam. 17). Although the text does not directly call him a giant, it is obvious from the description. His height is recorded as “six cubits and a span” (v. 4). Depending on how this is converted into modern measurements, some say he was about 11 ft (3.35 m) tall, though most suggest he was a little over 9 ft (almost 3 m). Whatever the exact height, it is certain that Goliath was far taller than average. Not only that, but he was also stronger than normal, which made him the Philistines’ champion. David was not the only giant slayer—his elite men also killed the remaining giants from the line of Rapha, namely, Ishbi-Benob, Saph, Goliath the Gittite (likely the son of the Goliath in 1 Sam. 17), and another unnamed giant (2 Sam. 21:15–22).

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Due to the limited biblical data, the Nephilim remain a mystery. Because of people’s fascination with them, scholars often depend on extra-biblical accounts to satisfy curiosity. But the Bible gives us enough to know that they were enemies of God and a threat to His people. It also reveals that God, through His people, eradicated these fearsome beings. This proves that no one and nothing can stand against the Lord. For God’s people, this truth invites us to fully trust Him. Just as David declared when facing Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied… All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Sam. 17:45, 47). Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Walton J. and, Craig K. (2016). See footnotes for Genesis 6:4. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. Zondervan Publishing.
Walton J. and, Craig K. (2016). See footnotes for Deuteronomy 2:11. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. Zondervan Publishing.
Heiser, M (2015). The Bad Seed. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘮: 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘝𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. Lexham Press
Douglas, JD. (Gen Ed). (1986). Giants. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺. Zondervan Publishing.