בני הא־להים and בנות האדם/2/en

בני האלהים and בנות האדם

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

 

 

Mingling of Angels and Humans

Sources:Jubilees5:1-277:22-29About Jubilees, Enoch6:1-87:1-6Chapter 9:4-9Chapter 10:4-9About Enoch, 2Baruch2Baruch 56:10-16About 2Baruch 56:10-16, PhiloQuestions and Answers on Genesis I:92On the Giants 4:2,4-5, 7-8About Philo, JosephusAntiquities 1:3:1-2About Josephus, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer22About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Bereshit RabbatiBereshit 6:2 (pp.29-31)About 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 called 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.

Angelology – These sources believe in the existence of angels and assume that they are capable of error and sin, and moreover, that they have the ability to procreate.  Both assumptions are questioned:

• Abarbanel opposes this approach on the grounds that angels are pure in their actions and above the behavior described.

• 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

Polemical motivations

Corruption of Power

Sources:Sifre Bemidbar86About Sifre Bemidbar, Targum OnkelosBereshit 6:1-7About Targum Onkelos, R. Shimon b. Yochai in Bereshit Rabbah26:5About Bereshit Rabbah, R. Saadia, RashiBereshit 6:2-6About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, Ibn EzraBereshit 6:2-4About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 6:2-4About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RadakBereshit 6:1-5About R. David Kimchi, RalbagBereshit Beur HaMilot 6:2-5Bereshit Beur HaParashah 6:1-5About R. Levi b. Gershom, Abarbanel #2Bereshit 5 Question 10Bereshit 6About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

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,⁶ "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".⁷
• Astronomers – Ibn Ezra asserts that the phrase refers to people who know "דעת עליון", astronomers who can read the signs of the stars and understand 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 36:7.⁸
• 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 of the masses, without 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.⁹

"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.¹⁰  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 sources¹¹ understand that Hashem is explaining that he has decided to destroy the world but will give mankind a reprieve of 120 years in which they will have a chance to repent.¹² 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),¹³ is merely flesh [and cannot handle strict justice].  Thus, Hashem will give them a reprieve of 120 years.¹⁴
• 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.¹⁵ 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)‎.¹⁶ 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.¹⁷  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".

Mixing of Lines

Sources:RambanBereshit 6:1-6About R. Moshe b. Nachman,¹⁸ Akeidat Yitzchak,  Abarbanel #1Bereshit 5 Question 10Bereshit 6About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, ShadalBereshit 6:1-4About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, R. S"R HirschBereshit 6:1-4About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch,

¹ See above that he maintains that they did not sin.

² He points out that even if one posits that the angels had sinned, it would not make sense that it was the humans who were punished.  The other sources would respond that the angels corrupted the rest of mankind, and bore wicked children who needed to be punished.

³ As evidence, they point to Bemidbar 13:33 which equates "הַנְּפִילִים " with "בְּנֵי עֲנָק".

⁴ See also Bereshit Rabbati which explains the same.

⁵ He points to Bavli Chagigah 16a which contrasts ministering angels with שדים, asserting that only the latter are similar to man in their ability to bear offspring.

⁶ See Sifre, Targum Onkelos, R. Shimon b. Yochai, R. Saadia, Rashi, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, and Radak.

⁷ See also Shemot 7:1, Shemot 21:6 and Shemot 22:7-8.

⁸ See also "עִיר גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים" in Yonah 3:3, "אַרְזֵי אֵל" in Tehillim 80:11 and "שַׁלְהֶבֶתְיָה" in Shir HaShirim 8:6

⁹ Almost all of these sources agree on this point, but do not say explicitly that they arrive at this conclusion from the language of  "וַיִּקְחוּ" .

¹⁰ See Bereshit 6, where Hashem tells Noach that he has decided to destroy the world, "כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס".

¹¹ The Sifre and Bereshit Rabbah do not address the verse.

¹² Ibn Ezra points out that some might argue that at the end of Chapter 5 the text shares that Noach was 500, which would only leave 100 (and not 120) years until the flood.  He responds that this is simply one of many examples where the text is achronological. In light of the fact that Chapter 5 is a genealogy list bringing the reader from Adam to Noach, it is not surprising that in this case the Torah might have preferred thematic order over chronological order.

¹³ R"Y Bekhor Shor suggests that Hashem is comparing the generation of the flood to Adam and Kayin.  Just as Hashem decided not to kill either Adam or Kayin when they sinned, since they were just mortal flesh, so too, this generation which is also just "בשר" should not be judged by the strict letter of the law.

¹⁴ Cf. Abarbanel who explains similarly but comes to the opposite conclusion.  According to him, Hashem is saying that He is no longer willing to judge leniently (as had for Adam and Kayin, knowing that their physicality was easy prey to desire).  This time, barring repentance, Hashem is to destroy the world.

¹⁵ See Radak similarly.

¹⁶ Cf. Ibn Ezra who asserts that they are so called since fear of them falls upon all  who see them.

¹⁷ R. Shimon b. Yochai goes as far as to curse any who read the verse literally.

¹⁸ At the end of his comments, Ramban asserts that the midrash brought in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer best fits the language of the text, suggesting that that is really his preferred reading.