Difference between revisions of "בני הא־להים and בנות האדם/2/en"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This topic has not yet undergone editorial review
m |
m |
||
Line 62: | Line 62: | ||
<point><b>Giants after the flood</b></point> | <point><b>Giants after the flood</b></point> | ||
<point><b>Purpose of the story</b> – According to this approach, the story provides the backdrop for the Flood.</point> | <point><b>Purpose of the story</b> – According to this approach, the story provides the backdrop for the Flood.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>Angels</b> – This position is motivated, in part, by a discomfort with the possibility that the verse refers to angels. R. Shimon b. Yochai goes as far as to curse any who read the verse literally.  Abarbanel questions how such spiritual beings can have relations or sin. Ralbag</point> | + | <point><b>Angels</b> – This position is motivated, in part, by a discomfort with the possibility that the verse refers to angels.<fn>R. Shimon b. Yochai goes as far as to curse any who read the verse literally.</fn>  Abarbanel questions how such spiritual beings can have relations or sin. As Ralbag is averse to understanding "מלאכים" throughout Tanakh as referring to celestial beings, it is not surprising that here, too, he prefers an alternative understanding of "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים".</point> |
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Mixing of Lines | <category>Mixing of Lines |
Version as of 03:15, 18 August 2015
בני האלהים and בנות האדם
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
Mingling of Angels and Humans
Sources:Jubilees, Enoch, 2Baruch, Philo, Josephus, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Bereshit Rabbati, Cassuto
Meaning of "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" – These sources understand "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" to refer to angels. As evidence, Cassuto points to parallel terms in Tehillim 29:1 and Iyyov 1:6.
Meaning of "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם" – This phrase refers to women in general. They are referred to as the "daughters of man" as a contrast to the "sons of god", to highlight that while the latter were angelic, the women were mere humans.
Evaluation of the action
- Sinful – Most of these commentators blame the angels for lusting after the women and view their actions as sinful. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, though, has the women share some of the guilt, asserting that they walked around uncovered like prostitutes. Enoch further suggests that, in addition to the fornication, the angels taught mankind the art of weaponry, makeup, and jewelry leading them to transgress. 2Baruch, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and Bereshit Rabbati add that the giants born of the union were unjust and filled the earth with violence.
- Neutral – Cassuto, in contrast, asserts that there was no sin in the union. The verse's language, "וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים" is the normal Biblical terminology for legal matrimony and contains no hint to adultery. Similarly, the phrase, "מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ" does not mean that they took women against their will but only that each angel chose a woman from amongst those whom they had favored.
Punishment and the flood – 2Baruch, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and Bereshit Rabbati all view the deluge as stemming from the angel's actions. Enoch, in contrast, presents the angels as getting punished independently while Cassuto does not think that the angels were punished at all,1 and asserts that the flood came as a result of other sins entirely.2
"לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה" – Most of these sources do not address the verse. Cassuto, though, suggests that Hashem is emphasizing that, contrary to what some might believe, the children of the angels and women are not immortal, and, like all humans, have a normal lifespan of 120 years. According to him, the verse reads: "My spirit of life won't stay in them permanently (לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם), for they, too, are mere flesh (בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר), and as such, their days will number 120 (וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה).
הַנְּפִלִים – Jubilees, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, and Cassuto assert that the term refers to the giants3 who were born of the union of the בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים and בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם. Cassuto asserts that they are called "נְּפִלִים" because they all eventually fell to the sword and died. The others seem to suggest that the word alludes to the fallen angels who bore them.
Giants after the flood
Purpose of the story
- Introducing the flood narrative – According to most of these sources, the story describes the continued deterioration of mankind and as such serves to introduce the Flood narrative and Hashem's decision to destroy the world.
- Anti-mythological polemic – Cassuto asserts that the story is a reaction to mythological tales of gods coupling with humans to form immortal beings. The Torah, instead, has lesser angels fornicating and producing human, not godly, offspring.
- Etiological tale – Alternatively, one could suggest that the story comes to explain the origins of giants.
Can angels have relations? R. Yehoshua in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer questions how angels which are non-corporeal, can have relations or bear children. He answers that these angels were fallen angels who assumed the form and body of humans when they fell from holiness.4 Cassuto suggests, instead, that there are many levels of angels and while those closest to Hashem (מלאכי השרת) do not procreate, the lesser angels do.5
Angelology – These sources believe in the existence of angels and assume that they are capable of error and sin. Opponents6 question such a view, assuming that angels should be pure in their actions and above the behavior described.
Polemical motivations
Corruption of Power
Sources:Sifre Bemidbar, Targum Onkelos, R. Shimon b. Yochai in Bereshit Rabbah, R. Saadia, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Radak, Ralbag, Abarbanel #2
Meaning of "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" – All these commentators assume that the phrase refers to people of power, but differ in the specifics:
- Sons of judges – According to most of these sources,7 "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" are the sons of judges or officers. As evidence that the word "אֱלֹהִים" connotes authority Rashi points to Shemot 4:16, while Radak brings Shemot 22:27 where the term is parallel to the word "נשיא".8
- Astronomers – Ibn Ezra asserts that the phrase refers to people who know "דעת עליון", astronomers who can read the signs of the stars and understood from them which women were more likely to bear strong offspring.
- Giants – Ralbag maintains that the word refers to giants, pointing out that the word "אֱלֹהִים" often comes to amplify something or express a great size. As support, he points to the term "הַרְרֵי אֵל" in Tehillim 36:7.9
- Long-lived and strong – According to Abarbanel, some of mankind were especially long-lived, big and strong. These men were called "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" since they were similar to celestial beings who are immortal.
Meaning of "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם" – Women born to the masses, who did not have any particular stature (in either position, size or long life) are referred to as "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם", as a contrast to the "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים".
"וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים " – Ralbag asserts that the word "וַיִּקְחוּ" connotes an abduction or taking by force (and not just marriage). As such, the verse is emphasizing how the women were taken against their will.10
"מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ" – Bereshit Rabbah, Rashi, and Radak learn from this phrase that the בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים took whomever they wanted, even married women.
Evaluation of the action – All of these sources view the coupling as a sin, viewing the בני אלוהים as taking advantage of their position of power at the women's expense.
Punishment and the flood – According to these sources, the actions of the "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" is what led Hashem to decide to destroy the world. The Sifre suggests that the rape described in these verses typified the violence mentioned as the cause of the deluge.11 If this is how the leaders of the generation acted, one can only imagine the deeds of the lay people.
"לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה" – Most of these sources12 understand that Hashem is explaining that he has decided to give mankind a reprieve of 120 years in which they would have a chance to repent, but if they did not he would destroy them via flood.13 The sources differ, though, in how they understand the word ""יָדוֹן" and the first two clauses of the verse where Hashem explains His decision:
- Fight – Rashi and Radak relate "יָדוֹן" to "מדון", meaning fight. According to Rashi, Hashem announced that He will no longer argue with Himself (לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי) regarding man (בָאָדָם) [whether or not to destroy him], since even though man is just soft flesh (בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר), he still does not surrender to Hashem. Radak, says instead, that Hashem will no longer let the spirit which He infused into man be in a constant battle with man's desire, a product of his being a physical being.
- Judge – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, "יָדוֹן" comes from "דין" and connotes judgement. Hashem is saying that He will never judge man strictly according to his deeds, since he, too (like those who sinned before),14 is merely flesh [and cannot handle strict justice]. Thus, Hashem will give them a reprieve of 120 years.15
- Sheathe – Radak also suggests that "יָדוֹן" might be related to the word "נדן", meaning sheath. Due to man's misdeeds, Hashem does not want His spirit to stay in its sheath, the body of man, forever, but will destroy both (after 120 years).
הַנְּפִלִים – These sources differ in the way they understand the term and how it relates to the actions of the "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים":
- Identical to בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים –Ralbag asserts that the נְּפִלִים and בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים are one and the same.16 The verse is simply coming to say that such giants can be found in each generation, since when they procreate they bear offspring in their likeness, who are also men of strength and size (הַגִּבֹּרִים).
- Children of בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים – According to Abarbanel, נְּפִלִים refer to the premature offspring of the union. Due to the discrepancy in size between the large בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים and the small women, whenever such a union took place (now or in later generations) the women's bodies aborted their babies before their time. Despite the early birth, though, the children that were born were of unusual strength.
- Unconnected to בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor the נְּפִלִים are giants, so called because of their wondrous size (from the root פלא), or because others have the sensation that they will fall upon them (from the root נפל).17 The verse is giving the reader a time-frame for the events, saying that the deeds described happened when the נְּפִלִים lived on the earth.
Giants after the flood
Purpose of the story – According to this approach, the story provides the backdrop for the Flood.
Angels – This position is motivated, in part, by a discomfort with the possibility that the verse refers to angels.18 Abarbanel questions how such spiritual beings can have relations or sin. As Ralbag is averse to understanding "מלאכים" throughout Tanakh as referring to celestial beings, it is not surprising that here, too, he prefers an alternative understanding of "בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים".