Who were the Nephilim?

In the previous few verses (Gen 6:1-2) we read about the mysterious group called “the sons of God” taking the “daughters of men” to be their wives at will. We discussed several possible interpretive options that exist when it comes to identifying who the “sons of God” are. We concluded that the most responsible way to interpret this difficult text (although other interpretations are possible too) is to think of “sons of God” as powerful heavenly beings, members of the Divine Council (Ps 82). Now we will turn our attention to how this may be connected to the legendary Nephilim (also known in some translations as giants).

The Nephilim in Genesis: A Tentative Connection

הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ, בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, וְגַם אַחֲרֵי-כֵן אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל-בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, וְיָלְדוּ לָהֶם:  הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם, אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם:

⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth (הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ) in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind (אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל-בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם), and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם, אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם). (Gen 6:4)

According to the traditions set forth in Books of Enoch and Jubilees – Nephilim were the children and grandchildren of such unions. In time it has become the majority view across a wide variety of Jewish and Christian traditions.

Read Genesis 6 again, this time slowly and carefully. Do you notice how tentative and non-committal the author is about linking the two events? At the very least, we can say that Moses does not seem certain about this connection. He observes that around the time when the sons of God began to engage sexually with the daughters of man, the Nephilim were living on earth. He uses the Hebrew phrase בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם (bayamim haham), which means “during those days.” He then adds “and also afterward” (וְגַם אַחֲרֵי; v’gam acharey). If you ask us, we would say that the text of Genesis 6:1–4 justifies concluding that Moses suspected the Nephilim were the offspring of these forbidden unions, but he was not certain. This is reasonable, after all, since Moses did not live during those ancient times, nor did he have firsthand information from anyone who did. He wrote many centuries later based on the oral tradition passed on to him.

Second, we want to draw your attention to the fact that Moses himself does not seem to view the Nephilim negatively. At this point in Moses’ narrative, the Nephilim appear to be spoken of with almost an admiration by him (“Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown”).

The Nephilim in Numbers: Giants and Fear

As we continue studying the nature of the Nephilim, we cannot avoid looking at a key text found in the Book of Numbers. There we read about a negative report that spies sent out by Moses brought back from the promised land:

²⁸ …the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And indeed, we saw the descendants of Anak  there! (in Hebrew Anak means Giant/Gigantic) ²⁹ Amalek is living in the land of the Negev, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”

… ³² So they brought a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature. ³³ We also saw the Nephilim (הַנְּפִילִ֛ים) there, sons of Anak, from Nephilim (בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Num 13:28-33)

It is unclear why Numbers 13:33 uses different spelling for first and second use of Nephilim in one and the same sentence. First variation has “yod” the second does not. The spelling “נְּפִילִים” (first use) does not fit neatly with the expected morphology from the Hebrew root “נָפַל” (naphal), meaning “to fall.” Late Michael Heiser notes that if “Nephilim” were derived from “naphal,” it would be spelled differently, such as “nephulim” or “nophelim,” based on standard Hebrew word formation rules. He hypothesizes that the form “Nephilim” might be of an Aramaic or Akkadian origin (נפילא; naphila). In both of these languages the word can mean a giant or a monstrous being. This theory is supported by the observation that “Nephilim” (spelled with a “yod”) appears in only two places in the Hebrew Bible, suggesting it might be a loanword or have a non-standard origin. There are also other explanations that highlight lack of standardized spellings in the ancient world, but since it is used within one and the same sentence, we think these explanations are insufficient.

The verse, however, unmistakably links the Anakim with the Nephilim. Because of it there is no doubt that Anakim is some way are connected to the larger Nephilim family.

The Anakim and Goliath: Descendants of the Nephilim

We also read in the Book of Joshua that because of Joshua’s efforts (keep in mind Joshua was one of twelve spies) Anakim were almost destroyed with very few exceptions. We read:  

²¹ Then Joshua came at that time and eliminated the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. ²² There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod some remained. (Josh 11:21-22)

No doubt you are already thinking (and rightly so) about one of the most famous giants in biblical history. He was one of the last Anakim/Nephilim. We read in 1 Samuel 17, about the story involving Goliath of Gath and simple shepherd boy named David:

² Saul and the men of Israel were assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle formation to confront the Philistines. ³ The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, while Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion (a representative fighter) came forward from the army encampment of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span (about 3 meters). (1 Sam 17:2-4)

In 2 Samuel 21:15–22, four giant warriors from Gath, likely Goliath’s relatives, are killed by King David’s men. These warriors are described as “born to the giant in Gath,” tying them to Goliath’s clan. Other texts, like Deuteronomy 2:10–11 and 20–21, mention giant peoples in Canaan, including the Rephaim, Anakim, Emim, and Zamzummim.

Now that we have established that Nephilim and their descendants were much larger than normal people, we are prepared to look at why Jewish Septuagint (LXX) translated Nephilim not as “fallen ones/those who cause others to fall” but as “giants” instead.

The Septuagint and Jewish Traditions: Giants in a Hellenistic World

The Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the 3rd-2nd century BCE, renders the Hebrew term Nephilim (נְפִילִים) in Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33 as gigantes (γιγάντες), meaning “giants.” This translation choice likely stems more from the interpretive rather than linguistic factors.

The Jewish translators of Greek Siptuagint (LXX) may have indeed thought that that Nephilim (נְפִילִים) comes from Aramaic naphiyla (נְפִילָא), which means a “giant” or “monstrous being”. We, however, may never know. Working in a Hellenistic context, they may have purposely used the term gigantes in Greek to convey the physical and mythological aspects, evoking the Titans or Giants of Greek mythology—powerful and oversized beings.

It makes sense that the LXX translators, working in Greek city of Alexandria, likely chose gigantes (giants) to make the text relatable to Greek-speaking Jews and Greeks, bridging Hebrew concepts with Greek cultural framework. This choice may reflect an interpretive tradition rather than a strict philological rendering, prioritizing the Nephilim’s legendary status over a precise (or other possible) etymologies.

Additionally, the translators were probably also influenced by other Jewish traditions that understood and emphasized Nephilim as giants. Most notably the 1 Book of Enoch describes Nephilim as giant offspring of the Watchers, suggesting an early interpretive Jewish tradition that the Septuagint (LXX) borrowed from. The 1 Book of Enoch, particularly the section known as the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36), contains passages that describe the Nephilim as giants, emphasizing their enormous size and destructive nature.

There we read:

“And they were in all two hundred [Watchers]; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon… And they took unto themselves wives… and they bare great giants.” (1 Enoch 6:6–7)

“And they [the human women] became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells (1,372 meters).” (1 Enoch 7:2)

“And behold! The daughters of men have borne giants, and the whole earth has been filled with blood and unrighteousness.” (1 Enoch 9:9)

The LXX’s translation of Nephilim as giants likely reflects a combination of contextual clues (their mighty and fearsome nature), cultural adaptation (aligning with Greek mythology), and possibly an interpretive tradition such as the Books of Enoch.

In a separate study, I will also ask whether Moses’ Nephilim were related to the Mesopotamian traditions about the seven Apkallus—mythical giants who were two-thirds divine, possessed extraordinary power and knowledge, and ultimately angered their gods.

The Nephilim’s Legacy: Myth, History, and Theology

The Nephilim are some of the Bible’s most mysterious figures, linking ancient stories and traditions. In Genesis 6:4, they come from the “sons of God” marrying the “daughters of men,” and in Numbers 13:33, they’re connected to the fearsome Anakim. Described as powerful beings, Moses mentions them carefully, suggesting their unclear origins. Later texts, like the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint’s “giants” translation, make them sound even more legendary. Seen as either fallen beings or heroic giants, they show a mix of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek influences, especially in the Septuagint. Tied to figures like Goliath, they play a big role in biblical stories and even Jewish-Christian ideas. Their story, rooted in scripture and tradition, still captivates, reminding us of the ancient world’s awe for the extraordinary.