GREEK MYTHOLOGY has nothing on the Bible when it comes to stories of divine beings having sex with hot-looking human women. At least that’s how some say they read a weird Bible passage:
“Divine beings saw how beautiful these human women were, so they married the ones they chose” (Genesis 6:2).
The children of this marriage: “giants” (Genesis 6:4).
This sparks the Bible Question of the Week, which comes from Diane Hinkle, who wins a free book for her trouble. Here’s her question:
In Genesis 6 it states that the “sons of God” took the daughters of men as wives. Do you think these where the fallen angels that followed Satan?
Let’s start with what Bible newcomers might think about this.
Some might think “What the heck? What’s this doing in the Bible?”
The story sounds, to some, a little too much like the tale of Greek god Zeus coming down to earth to have sex with the human woman Alcmene, who gave birth to the larger-than-life Hercules.
In the 2014 movie “Noah,” beings of light fell from the sky and splatted into the ground. Dirt and rocks stuck to them like lumps of Gorilla Glue. When the beings stood up, they were giant stone creatures. Rock angels with an attitude.
What to do with the story
Christians take the story in different directions. Let’s start with the one that gets me in trouble for merely reporting it.
- The story is fiction. This story and much of the Creation story is an inspired myth, dreamed up to teach the idea that it was God who created everything—and it was not one of the other gods in one of the other creation stories getting passed around in ancient times. There are Christians who say they buy into this explanation. And there are other Christians who say anyone who buys this has bought a parking space in hell.
- The “sons of God,” as some Bibles translate it, were humans. The Bible sometimes uses the “sons of God” phrase to describe people—especially kings, princes, and other leaders. As one Jewish song writer put it: “You are gods, children of the Most High—all of you!” (Psalm 82:6).
- They were angels. Job used the Hebrew term “sons of God” to describe “angels” (Job 1:6). On the other hand, Jesus said real angels don’t say “I do” (Matthew 22:30).
- They weren’t gods; they were godly men. They were descendants of Seth, not his nasty killer brother Cain. Jews came from Seth. God called the Jews “my firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22).
Those are the main choices I know about. The “fallen angel” option, not so much. That topic might work as another Bible Question of the Week.
Personally, all I know with any certainty is that whatever an angel-of-a-husband was, I’m probably not descended from any of them.
Hang on, let me check with my wife.
…I have found than an eye roll can mean “Why would you bother asking about something that is so obviously true?”
On the other hand, it can mean, “Why would you bother asking?”
Either way, she’s probably referring to the fact that our two kids are both of normal size.
Which, of course, could mean that either I’m not an angel or she’s not good looking.
I should stop now, if not sooner.
lol