The meaning of "Sons of God"

The Mysterious Sons of Gods

Many of you probably know that the noun הָֽאֱלֹהִים (Elohim) is in a plural form, and it can be read not only as “God”, but also as “gods” or even “lords and rulers”. This is exactly how the Jewish commentaries choose to read this word in this verse. However, if we study the use of this expression בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים - b’nai ha Elohim in the Hebrew Bible, we see a completely different picture.

The divine council

Nobody questions the meaning of “the sons of God” here: these verses describe the Divine Council – the meeting in Heaven – therefore, the “sons of God” here are not humans, but rather angels, who are meeting with God. Notice that the words in Hebrew translated as “the sons of God” here, are the same as in Genesis 6:2: בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים  – b’nai ha Elohim.

Explore the Fascinating World of Biblical Hebrew

In Job 38, God references the "sons of God" shouting for joy during the creation of the universe, establishing their existence prior to Earth. This means that the phrase, "b’nai ha Elohim" or "b’nai Elohim," throughout the Old Testament is a reference to angels. Therefore, in Genesis 6, "the sons of God" refers to angels rather than humans. Gain a better understanding and delve deeper into the intricacies of the Hebrew Bible by enrolling in our live online Biblical Hebrew courses.