Bible
Nephilim in the Bible
Last updated: May 31, 2026
Written by Blake Boege
The Nephilim are enigmatic figures mentioned briefly in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in the Genesis creation prologue and the Book of Numbers. The text in Genesis describes them as the offspring resulting from unions between the 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men' before the Great Flood, identifying them as ancient heroes of renown. In Numbers, Hebrew spies use the term to describe the giant inhabitants of Canaan. Scholars, theologians, and general readers search for this topic to debate the translation of the term, examine ancient Near Eastern giant mythologies, and explore theological implications regarding the moral state of the pre-flood world.
The Nephilim are mentioned in Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33, in connection with mighty men before the flood and with fearsome inhabitants of Canaan. The KJV translates the word 'giants.' Christians have read the passage in several ways; the Bible itself does not pick a winner.
Quick Answer
The Nephilim are mysterious figures mentioned in Genesis 6 and Numbers 13, traditionally described as giants or the offspring of the 'sons of God' and the 'daughters of humans' in pre-flood times.
Direct answer
The Nephilim are mentioned in Genesis 6:4 and again in Numbers 13:33. The KJV translates the Hebrew nephilim as "giants." They are described as mighty men, men of renown, in the pre-flood era, and as fearsome inhabitants of Canaan in the spy report.
Christians have read Genesis 6 in three main ways: as fallen angels and their offspring, as the Sethite line and the Cainite line, or as ancient kings and their warriors. The Bible itself does not pick one; serious Christians have held each view.
Examples
Genesis 6:4 (KJV)
'There were giants in the earth in those days...'
Numbers 13:33 (KJV)
'we saw the giants...the sons of Anak'
Three main interpretations
Fallen angels · Sethite line · Ancient kings
Not in the New Testament by name
(some connect 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6)
How it works
The page surveys the two biblical passages that name the Nephilim and the three main Christian interpretations of Genesis 6. References are KJV.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.Genesis 6:4, KJV
Genesis 6:1-4
Before the flood, the passage reads: 'There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown' (Genesis 6:4). The verses link the Nephilim with the 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men.' The passage immediately precedes the announcement of the flood (Genesis 6:5-7), and the connection is part of the picture of pre-flood corruption.
Numbers 13:32-33
Centuries later, when Moses sends spies into Canaan, ten of the twelve come back with a fearful report: 'And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight' (Numbers 13:33). The Hebrew uses the same word nephilim. The report is partly true and partly exaggerated to discourage Israel. Two spies, Joshua and Caleb, reject the panic and trust God.
Three main views
Christians have read Genesis 6 in several ways. (1) The fallen angel view, drawing on 1 Enoch and on church fathers such as Justin Martyr and Tertullian, treats the 'sons of God' as angelic beings whose offspring with human women were the Nephilim. (2) The Sethite view, prominent after Augustine, identifies the 'sons of God' as the godly line of Seth and the 'daughters of men' as the line of Cain; the Nephilim are mighty but ordinary humans. (3) The royalty or tyrant view treats 'sons of God' as ancient kings or rulers; the Nephilim are a class of powerful warriors. Serious Christians have held each of these. The biblical text itself does not adjudicate among them.
How to read the Numbers 13 report
The spy report in Numbers 13 deliberately calls the Anakim 'nephilim' to amplify Israel's fear. The narrative makes clear that the panic was a failure of faith. Caleb declares: 'Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it' (Numbers 13:30). The Bible treats the Nephilim of the spy report as a real threat magnified by unbelief, not as supernatural beings who undid God's plan.
What the Bible does not say
The Bible does not say the Nephilim survived the flood as a continuing race; the 'and also after that' phrase in Genesis 6:4 is brief and ambiguous. The Bible does not give the Nephilim a developed mythology. The Bible does not adjudicate the modern debates that have grown up around them. Most of what is said in popular culture about the Nephilim goes beyond Genesis 6 and Numbers 13.
Related Bible pages
- Enoch in the Bible for the figure whose pre-flood story sits near Genesis 6.
- Leviathan in the Bible for another contested creature in the biblical imagination.
- Firmament in the Bible
- All Bible pages and tools.
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Frequently asked questions
The Hebrew word nephilim appears twice in the Bible. In Genesis 6:4 it describes mighty men on the earth before the flood, who are connected in the same passage with the 'sons of God' who took wives from the 'daughters of men.' In Numbers 13:33, the spies sent by Moses report seeing 'the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants,' a phrase the KJV translates 'giants' from the same nephilim root. The text says they were 'mighty men which were of old, men of renown' (Genesis 6:4).
The KJV translates the word as 'giants,' following the Greek Septuagint's gigantes. Many modern translations transliterate it as 'Nephilim.' The Numbers 13 spy report adds height as a feature: the spies say they 'were in our own sight as grasshoppers' next to them. Whether 'giants' means literal giants of extraordinary height or simply powerful, fearsome men is debated. The text does not specify a measurement.
Three broad views have been held within historic Christianity. First, the 'fallen angel' view (often based on 1 Enoch and some patristic writers): the 'sons of God' in Genesis 6 are fallen angelic beings, and the Nephilim are the offspring of their union with human women. Second, the 'Sethite' view (especially after Augustine): the 'sons of God' are descendants of righteous Seth and the 'daughters of men' are descendants of Cain; the Nephilim are simply violent, powerful men. Third, the 'royalty' view: the 'sons of God' are ancient kings or tyrants. The Bible does not name a winner; all three have been held by serious Christians.
Not by name. Some readers connect 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 (about angels who 'kept not their first estate') to the fallen angel reading of Genesis 6, but these passages do not mention the Nephilim themselves. The New Testament does not return to the topic directly.
The Bible does not say. Genesis 6:4 says they were on the earth 'in those days; and also after that,' which is brief and ambiguous. Numbers 13:33 places people of similar reputation in Canaan at the time of Moses. After the conquest, the biblical record does not continue the line. Speculation about modern Nephilim goes well beyond the text. Most Christian readers treat them as a feature of the pre-flood and early post-flood world.
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