Genesis 6:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Scripture states, "Thou makest thy angels spirits, thy ministers a blazing fire" (Ps. 103:4), and for humanity, "I said, Ye are gods" (Ps. 81:6); furthermore, "I have brought up and exalted sons" (Isaiah 1:2), and "Israel is my son, my firstborn" (Exodus 4:22). Nowhere does Scripture refer to an angel either as a son or a son of God.

What, then, do they propose? They contend that these beings were angels, yet due to their descent to commit immoral acts, they fell from grace. This notion is even more absurd. Are they suggesting that their loss of dignity was the root cause of their downfall? But Scripture teaches otherwise, indicating that even prior to the formation of the first man, they had already forfeited their glory - the devil and those spirits who aspired to the highest roles, as the wise scripture articulates: "By the envy of the devil death entered the world" (Prem. 2:24). Indeed, tell me, if the devil had not fallen before man’s creation, how could he, while maintaining his position, envy humanity? How does it make sense for an angel, who is incorporeal and holds such honor, to envy a corporeal being? It was because he descended from the pinnacle of glory into the depths of dishonor that he beheld man's creation and the subsequent honor bestowed upon humanity by the Creator’s love, leading him to envy and ultimately to deceive and subject humanity to the consequence of death. This is the nature of evil: it cannot stand the prosperity of others. Clearly, the devil and his legions have lost their heavenly splendor and become disreputable.

Furthermore, it is unreasonable to assert that angels descended to unite with women, as it implies the degradation of incorporeal beings to engage with the flesh. Do you not hear the words of Christ regarding the nature of angels: "In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30)? It is not characteristic of the incorporeal to possess such carnal desires. Moreover, to even consider this idea is a remarkable folly. If even the holy individuals, graced by the Holy Spirit, could scarcely withstand the presence of an angel—if even a man, overcome by desire upon merely seeing an angelic figure, lost his strength and nearly his life—who, in their right mind, would endorse such a blasphemous and irrational notion that incorporeal beings would engage in physical unions?

But lest it appear that we are wasting our time on matters of no consequence, having established to you the improbability of such an occurrence, let us now unveil the true interpretation of the Scripture in question. "Then the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took them to be their wives, whichever one they chose." As stated before, Scripture often refers to men as sons of God. Those referred to as sons of God descended from Seth, and from his son Enosh—when the scripture declares, "then began to call upon the name of the Lord"—his subsequent descendants are designated as sons of God in the divine texts because they emulated the virtues of their forebears. In contrast, the sons of men are those who descended from Cain and his lineage. The Scripture further states, "When men began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them," it is then that the sons of God (the descendants of Seth and Enos) observed the daughters of men and found them to be beautiful.

Observe how Scripture unveils their reckless behavior; their actions were not driven by a desire for procreation but by unrestrained lust. The Scripture indicates they saw the daughters of men and recognized their beauty. The allure of physical attractiveness led them to ruin; the superficial beauty of the face became a catalyst for their immorality. Moreover, the Scripture continues, "And they took them to wife whosoever they chose," highlighting their unbridled intentions. They were overwhelmed by beauty and neglected to discipline their desires, becoming entangled in a path of immorality, rendering themselves unworthy of the highest providence.

To clarify, their misconduct was not sanctioned by the laws of marriage or meant for the purpose of procreation. Scripture reveals this by stating, "They saw that they were beautiful, and took them for wives, whichever one they chose." Will anyone blame their eyes for what they observed? Certainly not; the failure lies not with the eyes, but with their reckless will and unbridled lust. The eyes were designed to perceive creation so that we might glorify our Creator. Therefore, seeing is the purpose of the eye, yet wrongful seeing stems from the mind that governs it. God has arranged the parts of our bodies for virtuous actions and entrusted them to the care of our immaterial essence, our souls. When the soul becomes neglectful and relinquishes control, akin to a charioteer who fails to manage the unruly impulses of his horses, both the horses and himself become endangered—so too does our will, when it lacks proper guidance, leads us down a path of destruction. Consequently, our Lord Jesus Christ, recognizing our nature's frailty and our tendency towards carelessness, instituted a law prohibiting indiscriminate gazing, to extinguish the spark of desire before it ignites. He taught that "everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Therefore, He forbids the unrestrained gaze to guard against sinful actions. Do not think that sin resides only in physical acts; the very thought of it is condemned. Similarly, these men, upon witnessing beauty, allowed their sight to ensnare them, "They saw... that they were beautiful, and they took them to be their wives, whichever one they chose." Yet even amid their lawless actions and unruly inclinations, let us consider the goodness the Lord displayed.

The desires we encounter predominantly stem from innate human motivations; our fleshly passions tend to value activities that reflect worldly deeds. Earthly pleasures, such as eating, drinking, and engaging in marital relations, exemplify the works of the flesh. Additionally, the cravings for wealth and status demonstrate the desires of the flesh, and as noted by a wise disciple of Christ: "All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the worldly things" (1 John 2:16). These sorrowful and perilous cravings can ensnare us, leading to actions rooted in the flesh. To develop a longing for matters beyond the physical realm seems implausible. Would it not be nearly absurd to assert that spiritual beings, unbound by physical limitations, seek after bodily pleasures? What natural impetus might drive such beings or what law would compel them, similar to the urges we experience?

While we do not absolve the demonic entities from culpability—acknowledging them as malevolent and corrupt—any unnatural afflictions they endure do not excuse their actions. Yet, when Sacred Scripture remarks that they united with women, resulting in the birth of giants—remarkable beings but still rational—how should we interpret this? It is impossible for beings, entirely free from flesh, to generate offspring with human women. Many may speculate and devise dubious theories attempting to explain this, misguidedly attributing the evil found among people to demonic influence. However, we find such interpretations to be quite ludicrous and ignorant, as we must question the veracity of any assertions not supported by the Divine Scripture. The text clearly states: "They saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and took them to wife whichever they chose." Other translations, such as Aquila's, affirm this understanding, referencing "the sons of the gods," while Simmah opts for "sons of the lords."

The designation of "sons of the gods" or "rulers" pertains to those descended from Seth and Enos, lauded for their intrinsic holiness and devotion to God, coupled with their ability to triumph over adversaries, as it was clearly exhibited by divine assistance to this righteous lineage. This lineage remained distinct from that of Cain and Lamech, who, like his father, was a murderer, as confessed in: "I have killed a man for a pestilence, and a youth for a scab" (Genesis 4:23). While the holy descendants maintained their integrity, free from the influences of those of a more wicked nature, the purity of their godliness and devotion before God shone brightly, earning them honor. However, upon succumbing to base desires, captivated by the allure of women, they strayed into apostasy, choosing "whosoever they chose" among the daughters of men, those descended from Cain. Ultimately, despite their titles as gods and sons of ruling deities, they reverted to shameful and irreverent lifestyles.

This trend initiated with the lustful and the impoverished; the lustful were drawn to the beauty of the daughters of men, while the impoverished coveted their riches. The entire lineage of Seth adopted these ways. Consequently, as the sons of Seth married the daughters of Cain and forsook their former wives, the latter lost the modesty and purity they had previously maintained for the sake of their husbands. As this lack of self-restraint spread among spouses, Scripture declares, "All flesh had corrupted its way." (Gen. 6:12)

A similar understanding is echoed in the subsequent verses, which declare: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth…” (Genesis 6:5-8). Likewise, Noah proclaimed: “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). These passages indicate that the sons of God were indeed men given to a lawless existence.

If angels had indeed mingled with the daughters of men, then the men would have suffered harm at the hands of the angels, who might have forcibly taken the daughters, and they would also incur God’s wrath for creating such a scenario. The very notion is something I doubt even the deceiver would voice. Sacred Scripture makes it abundantly clear through numerous signs that humanity has sinned, and that divine judgment is proclaimed over them. The misunderstanding of many stems from a cursory reading of these holy texts. The Scriptures note that Seth was born of Adam, and from Seth came Enos, and it adds: “Then men began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). Aquila translated it as, “then began to call on the name of the Lord.” This indicates that Enos, due to his devotion, was the first to receive the divine name, and thus his descendants were called sons of God, just as we are identified as Christians by the name of Christ our Lord. If anyone disputes this interpretation because of Aquila's translation, they should heed what God communicates through the prophet David: “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High’” (Psalm 81:6); and again, “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods” (Psalm 81:1); referring to earthly rulers, as evident from what follows: “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy” (Ps. 81:2-3). Furthermore, “The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken…” (Ps. 49:1), indicating that God refers to those who obtain this title through grace.

Consequently, the lawgiver also states: “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people” (Ex. 22:28). Therefore, the offspring of Seth, being righteous, were designated as the sons of God, as they remained distinct from the descendants of Cain, in adherence to the decree imposed by the Creator. However, after an extended period—over two millennia until the flood came upon the earth—when they beheld the attractive daughters of Cain's lineage and were tempted, likely also by the musical advancements introduced by Jubal, who was descended from Cain, they began to intermingle. This resulted in the corruption of their noble heritage, leading to a fate similar to that of the Israelites who, by associating with the daughters of the Midianites, fell into wickedness and faced divine retribution. The sacred David also remarked: “They mingled with the nations and learned their works” (Psalms 105:35-36). Thus, those of Seth’s line, though originally known as the sons of God due to their virtuous teachings, became ensnared by the allure of unrighteous women, blending their previously distinct generations, which led to their ultimate downfall.

It is crucial to note that the divine text condemns them not merely for sin, but for persistent iniquity, as shown in the verse: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Those who struggle against the burden of sin and occasionally falter may have some grounds for pardon; however, those who surrender entirely to depravity, enslaving their minds to their passions and creatively inventing new forms of vice throughout their lives, are surely beyond the reach of forgiveness. What atonement can suffice for people who willingly march toward their own annihilation?

While we may not wholly accept their views, we honor them greatly, recognizing their virtuous lives and contributions to sacred matters, especially Pamphilus and Pierius for their renowned sacrifices. Alongside them, we shall also mention the Western saints—Irenaeus, the Hierarch of God, who received the holy priesthood in Lugdunum, and Hippolytus, his disciple and a martyr among bishops, both of whom were remarkable in many respects, though at times they strayed from sound doctrine in their discourse.

Without their example of chastity, there would have been no foundation left for the renewal of the world. Do you not understand that the world was nearly doomed because of the immoral, preserved only due to the righteous? Those who are unfit for this world, the ones who bring chaos, will surely be cast out from the age to come, condemned to the flames of Gehenna, like those who succumbed to the temptations of the flesh, unless they genuinely repent and strive to quench those passions, cleansing their past sins with tears here on earth?

Tertullian ascribes to these angels the creation of astrology and various precious adornments. However, these narratives stand in contrast to the words of Jesus Christ, who taught that angels do not wed (Matthew 22:30). Philo interprets these sons of God as human souls that, wishing to inhabit human forms, roamed the air. Contemporary scholars often suggest that these sons of God represent the lineage of Seth, regarded as God's chosen due to grace (Deut. 14:1, 1 John 3:1) and likely forming a distinct community (Genesis 4:26) opposed to the society of the sons of men—the descendants of Cain, united by a common fallen nature (Genesis 4:26). Moses suggests that the mingling began with the allure of the daughters of men and led to the degradation of those who were meant to walk in the Spirit, transforming the light into darkness. The calamity of the ancient world arose from this union and the increase of giants; this spirit of immorality and dominance in both natural and spiritual realms, symbolized in Revelation by the woman and the beast (Revelation 13:17), foreshadows the tribulations of the end times. Notably, Plato also posits that heroes originated from the union of gods and humans, with their name deriving from the Greek word for love, ερωs. Mythology offers numerous instances of such mingling, suggesting that the concept of higher beings taking on human forms was traditionally accepted.