בני הא־להים and בנות האדם/2/en

בני האלהים and בנות האדם

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

 

 

Mingling of Angels and Men

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:92 On the Giants: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 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.

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.¹ 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.²

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 if the guilt, asserting that they walked around uncovered like prostitutes causing the angels' desire.  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,

120 years

הַנְּפִלִים

Giants after the flood

Angelology

Polemical motivations

Purpose of the story

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, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 6:2-4About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RadakBereshit 6:1-5About R. David Kimchi, RambanBereshit 6:1-6About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Abarbanel #2Bereshit 5 Question 10Bereshit 6About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Mixing of Lines

Sources: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 also Bereshit Rabbati which explains the same.

² 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.