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.
This verse appears just before the story of Noah and the great flood, in one of the most mysterious passages in the entire Bible. The Nephilim were ancient figures whose Hebrew name likely means 'fallen ones' — some ancient traditions described them as giants or warriors of enormous power. The phrase 'sons of God' has been debated by scholars for centuries and may refer to divine or angelic beings, or possibly to powerful human rulers of the ancient world. Whatever their identity, their union with human women produced offspring who became legendary — 'the heroes of old.' This verse appears to be part of a larger portrait of how thoroughly the ancient world had gone wrong: the boundaries between human and divine realms had collapsed, producing not flourishing but the violence and corruption that precede the flood.
God, you see straight through reputation to what's real. Protect me from chasing greatness that looks impressive but quietly drifts away from you. In a world that celebrates renown, help me want faithfulness more. Keep me close to what actually matters to you. Amen.
The Bible doesn't always explain itself, and this is one of those verses that just sits there. No footnote. No resolution. No angel arrives to clarify who the 'sons of God' actually were or what the Nephilim really looked like. What we do have is a brief, strange window into a world that has badly unraveled — where power has been abused, where the legendary and the terrible have become the same thing, and where the men everyone would have told stories about are apparently part of the problem. 'Heroes of old, men of renown' sounds like a compliment. Read two verses later: God looks at this world and grieves. That gap is worth sitting in. Renown is not the same as righteousness. These were the famous ones, the powerful ones — the kind of people ancient cultures would have composed myths about. And the whole arc of Genesis 6 is a world hurtling toward judgment not because it lacked impressive figures, but because it had lost something quieter and harder to see. You don't have to untangle the theological puzzle of this verse to feel its weight: the most celebrated people in the room aren't always the ones closest to God. Faithfulness tends to be quieter than fame, and far rarer.
What details in this verse stand out to you most, and what questions does it raise? How do you feel about encountering a Bible passage that leaves more unsettled than it resolves?
The 'heroes of old, men of renown' appear in a story about moral collapse and coming judgment. What does that tension suggest to you about the relationship between being impressive and being faithful?
The Bible regularly includes things it doesn't fully explain. How do you personally handle parts of Scripture that are genuinely mysterious or confusing — does it shake your faith, deepen your curiosity, or something else entirely?
Have you ever confused being successful, productive, or well-regarded with actually being faithful to what God is calling you to? What helped you see the difference?
What is something you are currently working toward that might look like 'renown' from the outside — and is it worth sitting with whether it truly aligns with what God values?
These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
2 Samuel 21:22
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
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:4
Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
Deuteronomy 14:1
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
Genesis 10:9
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:6
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Genesis 6:13
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
Deuteronomy 3:11
There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame).
AMP
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
ESV
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore [children] to them. Those were the mighty men who [were] of old, men of renown.
NASB
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
NIV
There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
NKJV
In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.
NLT
This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.
MSG