Jude Series: Jude 6-Jude 6 in Relation to the Sons of God in Genesis 6:2 and 4

Jude 5 Now, I am prompted to desire to cause each and every one of you to be reminded (even though each of you are possessing a thorough knowledge about each of these examples) that Jesus, sometime after having delivered the people out from the land that is Egypt, destroyed those who would not believe. 6 Correspondingly, He is keeping by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day of those who entered into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but in fact abandoned their own place of habitation. (Lecturer’s translation)

Now, Jude 6 is properly interpreted by comparing its contents with the contents of Genesis 6:1-8, 2 Peter 2:4-5 as well as 1 Peter 1:18-20.

This is indicated by the fact that each of these three passages discuss the actions of fallen angels in relation to the judgment of the world-wide flood during the days of Noah.

The period from the fall of Adam to the flood of Noah is called by theologians, “the antediluvian” period.

Secondly, there is a connection between Jude 6 and Genesis 6:1-8 as well as connection between Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4-5.

This is indicated by the fact that the condemnation of the angels described in Jude 6 is fitting in light the actions of “the sons of God” and the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1-8.

Thirdly, like 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6 describes these angels as presently chained under the control of total supernatural darkness and kept incarcerated until the day that their sentence of experiencing eternal condemnation is executed at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:10-15).

Therefore, Genesis 6:1-8, 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6 are all speaking about a rebellion of some of Satan’s fallen angels during the antediluvian period.

Altogether, these four passages give us the identity of these angels and when in history they rebelled against the Lord and their present place of incarceration as well as the execution of their sentence of eternal condemnation at the Great White Throne Judgment.

Now, as we noted there is a connection between Jude 6 and Genesis 6:1-8 because the condemnation of the angels described in the former is fitting in light the actions of “the sons of God” and the Nephilim in the latter.

Therefore, like Genesis 6:1-8, Jude 6 describes the rebellious actions of these fallen angels.

In fact, Jude 6 interprets the contents of Genesis 6:2, which asserts that “the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” (NET)

Jude 6 describes that these actions of “the sons of God” as that of “entering into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but rather in fact they abandoned their own place of habitation” (Lecturer’s translation)

Genesis 6 and in particular Genesis 6:1-8 records that the sons of God carefully chose and took wives for themselves during the antediluvian period.

As we will note, “the sons of God” were angels and in particular fallen angels who were led by Satan.

This act on the part of these angels constituted their rebellion against God because according to Jude 6 they left their sphere of activity ordained by God for the angels and left their place of habitation or dimension ordained by God for the angels.

Genesis 6:1 When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 6:2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. 6:3 So the Lord said, “My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years.” 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men. 6:5 But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. 6:6 The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. 6:7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.” 6:8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord. (NET)

The phrase “the sons of God” has been interpreted as referring to the Sethite line (believers), and the “daughters of men” as referring to the Cainite line (unbelievers).

Thus, some theologians interpret this passage as being the separation between believers and unbelievers.

This is not the case and neither the descendants of Seth, nor the believers of Genesis, had ever been referred to as “the sons of God,” in any kind of spiritual sense, except for Adam, himself.

Now, if the phrase “the sons of God” referred to human beings who were believers, we should expect it to then be applied to Noah and his sons and their wives, who were all believers and survived the flood.

However, this is not the case.

In the New Testament, the phrase “the sons of God” is a technical term for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and, as a result, are members of the royal family of God (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 3:26-28); however, in the Old Testament, the phrase always refers to angels (Gen. 6:2).

The phrase “the sons of God” in Hebrew is bənê-hāʾĕlōhîm (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙) can refer to both elect and non-elect angels (Gen. 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7).

In the book of Job, this expression refers to all the angels without reference to their relationship to God.

However, in Genesis 6:2 it is used exclusively of the fallen angels of Satan and specifically to those of his angels who had sex with women to prevent the incarnation of the Son of God.

I believe that this expression bənê-hāʾĕlōhîm(בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙), “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 is a reference to some of the fallen angels and not all the fallen angels for several reasons.

First, the expression is always used of angels in Job which as we noted is the only other place this expression is found in the Old Testament.

Secondly, bənê-hāʾĕlōhîm (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙), “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 and 4 are clearly distinct from the rest of the human race suggesting that they are not human which is consistent with the use of this expression in Job.

Thirdly, Genesis 6:3-7 makes clear that as a result of bənê-hāʾĕlōhîm (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙), “the sons of God” taking women for their wives God declared that He would judge the earth.

Furthermore, the progeny of this sexual union between the sons of God and the daughters of the human race was the Nephilim according to Genesis 6:4.

Also, Genesis 6:5-7 describes the proliferation and saturation of evil during the antediluvian period.

The implication is that the presence of the Nephilim was principal reason for the proliferation of evil behavior in society during this period.

In other words, this act of the sons of God taking wives for themselves and then having offspring with them, i.e., the Nephilim is the reason why God had to judge the human race with the great flood during the days of Noah since the Nephilim were the primary cause of the proliferation of evil during the antediluvian period.

Therefore, we see that bənê-hāʾĕlōhîm (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙), “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 were, in fact, angels.

In fact, even the Septuagint (LXX)—the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible—renders this expression as “the angels of God.”

Interestingly, as we noted in our introduction to the epistle of Jude, 1 Enoch mentions this account in Genesis 6.

We noted that 1 Enoch is a “pseudepigraphic” work (1 Enoch 6:1-8; 106:13-17).