Sons Of God; What does this mean? Who are they?

Many commentators give different meanings to what and who this title is applied. I come across these statements when questioning my own beliefs, and where I get my understandings based on history, languages, teachings, and different so-called educated peoples opinions. As far as opinions go, I like what Dirty Harry said about them. I’ll use the more technical term; “Opinions are like ‘rectums’, everybody has one”!

Some of the sources are: Adam Clarke, James Burton Coffman, John S. C. Abbott, Jacob Abbott, Albert Barnes, John Darby, John Gill, Matthew Henry, and others. I have been taught, and learned, to question everything as far as opinions go. I always ask myself; Self, does that make sense? Does it fit? Is it contradictory? If so, why? Find the reasons. Maybe it isn’t contradictory. It may be due to misunderstanding and lack of knowledge. More information is likely needed.

In my search, it appears the term “Sons of God” is found 10 times in the Bible; 5 times in the Hebrew. (Gen 6:2, 6:4; Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7); and 5 times in the Greek. (Mt 5:9, Lu 20:36, Rom 8:14, 8:19; Gal 3:26)

Here is Gen 6:2 (LITV) “The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were good. And they took wives for themselves from all those whom they chose.”

Comment by Adam Clarke: “As there is a distinction made here between men and those called the sons of God, it is generally supposed that the immediate posterity of Cain and that of Seth are intended. The first were mere men, such as fallen nature may produce, degenerate sons of a degenerate father, governed by the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life. The others were sons of God, not angels, as some have dreamed, but such as were, according to our Lord's doctrine, born again, born from above, John 3:3, 5, 6 and made children of God by the influence of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:6. The former were apostates from the true religion, the latter were those among whom it was preserved and cultivated.”

Comment by James Burton Coffman: “The problem that immediately confronts us here regards the identity of the ‘sons of God.’ All efforts to identify these with angels or other supernatural creatures should be rejected.

THE ‘SONS OF GOD’ WERE NOT ANGELS
The reasons why this passage cannot be applied either to angels or to other supernatural creatures are as follows:
No angels have been mentioned in the Bible up to this point, and the supposition that they make their first appearance in Scripture under the title ‘sons of God’ is untenable. The term ‘sons of God’ is nowhere in the Bible, either in the O.T. or in the N.T., applied to angels. The passages usually cited where this expression is allegedly a reference to angels have no reference at all to angels, the word angels not even appearing in such references as Job 1:6; Daniel 3:25; and Psalms 89:6.”

Really?! “And a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them.” (Job 1:6 LITV) Umm, who is Satan? Is he just another rebellious human? Look up Satan in every other scripture in the Bible. What does it say about him?
“And it happened that a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them to present himself before Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where have you come? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it.” (Job 2:1-2 LITV)

Comment by James Burton Coffman: “This appearance of the sons of God and Satan is to be understood metaphorically-there could be nothing real in it-but it is intended to instruct us in the doctrine of the existence of good and evil spirits; that Satan pursues man with implacable enmity, and that he can do no man hurt, either in his person or property, but by the especial permission of God; and that God gives him permission only when he purposes to overrule it for the greater manifestation of his own glory, and the greater good of his tempted followers.”

REALLY!!?? This guy is a joke!

Comment by John Gill on Job 1:6; “This is generally understood of the angels, as in (Job 38:7) who may be thought to be so called, because of their creation by the father of spirits, and their likeness to God in holiness, knowledge, and wisdom, and being affectionate and obedient to him; as also on account of the grace of election, and confirmation in Christ bestowed upon them, as well as because, in their embassies and messages to men, they represent God, and so may be called gods, and children of the Most High, for a like reason the civil magistrates are, (Psalms 82:6) to which may be added, their constituting with the saints the family of God in heaven and earth: these, as they stand before God, and at his right hand and left, as the host of heaven, in which posture Micaiah saw them in vision, (1 Kings 22:19) , so they may be said to go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth into the several parts of all the world, to do the will and work of God assigned them, (Zechariah 6:5-8) and then, having done their work, return again, and present themselves before the Lord, to give an account of what they have done, and to receive fresh orders from him, being ready to do his pleasure in everything he shall command them, which is what is here supposed; though some think these were only the company or band of angels which were set as a guard about Job, his person, family, and substance, who now appeared before the Lord, to give an account of him, his affairs, and circumstances, as required of them:

and Satan came also among them;

which word signifies an "adversary", as in (1 Kings 11:14) but does not design here a man adversary, as there, or one that envied Job's prosperity, as Saadiah Gaon thinks, but an evil spirit, the old serpent, the devil, as in (Revelation 12:9) who is an implacable and bitter enemy to men, especially to Christ and his people; and so has this name from his hatred of them, and opposition to them: Origen, etc.

And Jehovah said to Satan, From where have you come?
This question is put, not as ignorant of the place from whence he came; for the omniscient God knows all persons and things, men and angels, and these good and bad, where they are, from whence they come, and what they do, see (Genesis 3:9) (4:9) but it is put either as being angry with him, and resenting his coming among the sons of God, and chiding him for it, as having no proper business there, like the question in (Matthew 22:12) , or rather in order to lead on to another, and to bring out from him what he intended to have expressed by him, of what he had seen and taken notice of in the place from whence he came, and particularly concerning Job: how God and spirits converse together we are not able to say; but no doubt there is a way in which God talks with spirits, even with evil ones, as well as good ones, and in which they speak to him; and so this does not at all affect the reality of this narrative:
http://classic.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=job&chapter=001&verse=007

 

Are we reaching that time again where Jehovah says: “Look! They are one people with one language, and this is what they have started to do. Now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be impossible for them.” (Gen 11:6 NWT)

In the 10-21/22-2017 issue of the Wall Street Journal, there was an article by Joe Queenan, about the new Google “Earbuds” when paired with a new handset, will automatically translate 40 languages into English. The “40” caught my attention. Why not some other number? The most interesting point was, “But an even more exciting innovation—one that our formidable artificial intelligence experts are doubtless developing—would be an earbud that takes sentences spoken in our own language and translates the actual meaning of the words.”

The English language has many words whose meanings can be filled, or hidden, with irony, sarcasm, inflection, and innuendo. There are two real sounds that are universal. Laughter and crying. The facial features of happy (smile) and sad (frown) go along with those sounds. “Words do not always mean what you think they mean.” That is the problem with written translation and hermeneutics. The reader has to figure out the feelings and meanings behind the words. And, sometimes the wrong meaning and feeling is given to biblical scripture.

Let’s say that I have a Ph.D. in the subjects of history, philosophy, science, and religion. Many people would consider me as a very knowledgable-intelligent person. Actually, it only means that I have taken the study of those subjects as required by some recognized institute of “higher learning”. I met their requirements by tests and written thesis. In other words, I reiterated their accepted information. I now have a certificate to frame and display on my office wall. Oh Yes, I forgot that it will also depend on which recognized school I attended, to how much validity is given to that certificate. Ph.D. = Doctor of Philosophy. To me, it means Piled Higher and Deeper.

As a Ph.D./D.D. (Doctor of Divinity), I could write my opinion of a particular scripture and some people would automatically believe it as truth. Here is an example: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” (Gen 6:1-2 KJV)

This is NOT what I believe!! The following is an example of wrong thinking!!!

In my studies for my Divinity Degree, I have found the King James Version of the Hebrew and Greek (the Old and New Testaments) are the most accurate translation into English. The translation of Genesis 6:1-2 indicates a difference between “men” and “sons of God”. Men, indicates mankind in general, and basically the progeny of Cain. These men were ruthless, and deformed in stature. That is where the Hebrew term nephiyl (pronounced nef-eel’) comes from the root word naphal (naw-fal’) meaning to fall. They have fallen away from God. The “sons of God” were descendants of Seth, who kept the belief in God. Unfortunately these sons were duped into believing that the daughters of the sons of men were beautiful. The used makeup paint and thin clothing to showoff their figures.

The daughters of men were also quite well endowed, and their DNA carried the gene that made their children large in stature. This is why they were called giants. They were also killers of the sons of God. That is why it is recorded: “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.’”(Genesis 6:6-7 KJV)

Fortunately for us, God found Noah, a true Son of God. (Gen 6:8) God then gave Noah, 120 years to grow the trees to build the boat, and gather all the animals, to survive the flood to come.

Ha Ha Ha Ha!! And if you believe that, I have a bridge in New York to sell cheap. I also have some ocean front property in Arizona, with beautiful views that you can see all the way to Hawaii.

 

Well....., I find that I have another bible historian that thinks the same way that I do. He backs up the fact that the “Sons of God” are actually “Fallen Angels”, not demons, but those who are like Satan. They were created perfect, but became, nephilim. This Hebrew word nephiyl ( nef-eel’ ) which comes from the primitive root naphal ( naw-fal’ ), meaning: to fall, lie, be cast down, to fall away.

The true problem with this wording is that the Hebrew root word, naphal, was translated with the Greek word used in the Septuagint as “gigantes”. “The derivation from gegenes ‘earth-born’ is considered untenable.” (http://www.etymonline.com/word/giant )

That reasoning is used to refute the fact that spirit entities, angels, were those mentioned at Gen 6:4 as Sons of God (ben ha 'elohiym). It is tenable, and actually lends credence to the fact that they left their original positions and their offspring were ‘earth-born’. As Jude writes; “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,” ( Jude 6 NASB ) Those nephiyl were destroyed in the flood.