Genesis 6:2 Daily Devotional & Meaning – The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men
- Benjamin Michael Mcgreevy
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
Daily Verses Everyday! Day 30
“That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”
What does the phrase “sons of God” mean in this verse? To understand it, we need to look carefully at how the term is used elsewhere in Scripture. In Job 1:6 and 2:1, we see “sons of God” referring explicitly to angelic beings presenting themselves before the Lord. Job 38:7 also describes the “sons of God” shouting for joy at the creation of the world, which many scholars understand as heavenly beings rejoicing in God’s creative work.
These passages indicate that the term often carries a supernatural meaning, referring to angels or spiritual beings in the heavenly realm, distinct from human descendants. This interpretation is further supported by events in Genesis 19, where the men of Sodom sought to have sexual relations with angels who were visiting Lot. Here, many people interpret the “sons of God” as angels who took human wives, as we saw in Genesis 19 with the men of Sodom attempting to have relations with divine visitors. However, some argue against this interpretation by pointing to Matthew 22:30, where Jesus says, “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” This verse is often cited to suggest that angels do not engage in marital or sexual relations, which would seem to contradict the idea that the sons of God in Genesis 6 were angels marrying human women. Yet, this apparent tension invites us to consider the original purpose of marriage as described in Genesis 2.
God created marriage to complete the partnership Adam lacked, establishing a covenantal relationship that mirrors His design for human community and relational harmony. Marriage is intended as a uniting of human beings in a way that complements their humanity, something angels—being spiritual and non-corporeal by nature—do not require for their completion. Therefore, if the sons of God were indeed angels, their taking human wives would represent a violation of God’s intended order. It would distort the purpose of marriage as a human institution designed for companionship, procreation, and covenantal unity, imposing a spiritual-human hybridization. The angels, or “sons of God,” were drawn to human beauty and exercised their will in ways that defied God’s order. This verse, then, illustrates a deep and troubling moral breakdown. Humanity was already multiplying, as noted in the previous verse, and now, the heavenly beings themselves were corrupting the natural order by taking human wives. This was not merely a social or cultural lapse; it was a cosmic violation of the proper boundaries between creation and Creator. The intermingling of the divine and the human here can be seen as a foreshadowing of the greater corruption that would provoke God’s judgment in the Flood narrative.
It’s also important to note that the angel tasked with guarding the Tree of Life would have still been present during this time. This reminds us that God’s divine order and protection were present and that these actions of the “sons of God” occurred in direct defiance of God’s commands and safeguards. The angel guarding the Tree of Life represents God’s ongoing oversight and His intention for humanity to live in alignment with His will. Yet, the sons of God chose to act against that order, highlighting both the audacity of their rebellion and the seriousness of humanity’s moral decline. This shows that sin is never a neutral act; it is always a challenge to God’s established boundaries and purposes. The multiplication of humanity, combined with the intrusion of these heavenly beings into human affairs, sets the stage for the unprecedented corruption described in the following verses. It is a vivid example of how sin can escalate when divine boundaries are ignored, creating a society—and in this case, a cosmos—ripe for judgment.
If you would like to explore Genesis in a sustained, verse-by-verse way with space to reflect, journal, and trace how these foundational truths unfold through Scripture the Verse by Verse book expands these reflections into a unified reading experience. The book gathers these meditations into a structured journey through Genesis, designed to help readers linger in the text and engage God’s Word more deeply over time.
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