בני הא־להים and בנות האדם

Introduction

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An Enigmatic Tale

Bereshit 6:1-4 describes the coupling of the "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" and "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם":

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(א) וַיְהִי כִּי הֵחֵל הָאָדָם לָרֹב עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה וּבָנוֹת יֻלְּדוּ לָהֶם. (ב) וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ. (ג) וַיֹּאמֶר י״י לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה. (ד) הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וְגַם אַחֲרֵי כֵן אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם וְיָלְדוּ לָהֶם הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם.

(1) It happened, when men began to multiply upon the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, (2) that the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose. (3) Hashem said, “My spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; and his days will be one hundred twenty years.” (4) The fallen-giants were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God consorted with the daughters of man, and they bore them children. They were the mighty men of the ages, men of renown.

This passage is one of the most esoteric in Tanakh. Many of its terms are undefined, and the connection between its statements is unclear, leaving the reader to wonder about almost every detail:

  • "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" and "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם" – Who are the "sons of G/god" and "daughters of man"?  The term "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" is an odd choice for a monotheistic work like the Torah.  Does it refer to an immortal being or to a human in a lofty position?
  • "וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים"  – Why does Tanakh bother to tell us about their mating?  Was it considered problematic, and if so, why?
  • "לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר" – What does this phrase mean?  What is Hashem's conclusion in the aftermath of the described union?
  • "וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה" – In this statement, Hashem appears to limit man's lifespan to 120 years.  Is this a punishment or statement of fact?  If the former, how does it fit the crime?  Moreover, how is one to understand how, in subsequent stories in Torah, there are numerous characters who live well past this age?
  • "הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ" – Who are these figures and what is their connection to both the "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" and "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם" mentioned above, and to the "גִבֹּרִים" mentioned afterwards? Are they positive or negative characters?  Do they have any relation to the "הַנְּפִילִים בְּנֵי עֲנָק" of whom the spies speak in Bemidbar 13?1
  • "וְגַם אַחֲרֵי כֵן" – This phrase would seem to suggest that the "נְפִלִים" were around also after the events of this story. Yet, did not everyone from this era perish in the Flood?

Context

Our story is sandwiched between a genealogy which lists the descendants of Shet and the description of the Flood.  Do either of these narratives bear on our text?  Is the line of Shet somehow important for understanding the players in our passage?  Is Hashem's resolution to destroy the world (mentioned in the verse immediately following our text)  a reaction to the deeds of the "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" and "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם"?  If so, what was so terrible about the union that it resulted in the total annihilation of mankind? 

Purpose of the Story

One of the most troubling aspects of the story is its very existence in Torah. The text could have flowed naturally straight from the birth of Noach into the story of the Flood.  Why interrupt the flow with a discussion of the union between "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" and "בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם"? What message is this story trying to impart?

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