01 Gen 6.2-4, the 'nephilim'

<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+6%3A2-4">Gen 6.2-4</a>  The "sons of god" translates ben elohim.  The noun elohim is used for God, but also for authorities, powerful/influential/notable people.  This this context, the result of their sexual union with the women they chose were "mighty men", and men of renoun/fame (Heb shem).  Given the lack of Biblical evidence of any ability for non-humans to procreate, the best interpretation of these verses is that the biggest, most aggressive and powerful, most dominant men were the "sons of god".  Possibly these men were selected by demons for their size and aggressiveness, inhabited by those demons, and moved to even more extreme acts of aggression and evil in dominating those around them.  (see comment on <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+6%3A2">Gen 6.2</a>, MacArthur study Bible*).  These men chose the most healthy, possibly also the largest women as their mates, and so began a "sub-race" of very large, powerful, people.  People "famous" (shem) for their power, size, influence; probably also their cruelty and the danger they posed.  The "nephilim", the race of giants of whom Sihon, Og, and Goliath were members.

"The sons of God, identfiied elsewhere almost exclusively as angels (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Job+1%3A6">Job 1.6</a>, <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Job+2%3A1">2.1</a>, <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Job+38%3A7">38.7</a>), saw and took wives of the human race.  This produced an unnatural union which violated the God-ordained order of human marriage and procreation (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+2%3A24">Gen 2.24</a>).  Some have argued that the sons of God were the sons of Seth who cohabited with the daughters of Cain; others suggest they were perhaps human kings wanting to build harems.  But the passage puts strong emphasis on the angelic vs. human contract.  The NT places this account in sequence with other Genesis events and identifies it as inolving fallen angels who indwelt men (see notes on <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=2Pe+2%3A4"> 2 Pet 2.4</a>-4; <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Jude+1%3A6">Jude 6</a>) <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mt+22%3A30">Mt 22.30</a> does not necessarily negate the possibility that angels are capable of procreation, but just that they do not marry.  To procreate physically, they had to possess human, male bodies."