Genesis 6:4

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הַנְּפִלִ֞ים הָי֣וּ בָאָרֶץ֮ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־בְּנ֣וֹת הֽ͏ָאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הֵ֧מָּה הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעוֹלָ֖ם אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם׃

Transliteration

The nĕp̄ilîm hāyû in ʾāreṣ in yāmîm those and also ʾaḥărê-kēn which yābōʾû bĕnê hā-ʾĕlōhîm unto bĕnôt hā-ʾādām and yālĕdû to them hēmmâ the gibbōrîm which from ʿôlām ʾanšê the šēm

Grammar Details

• *nĕp̄ilîm*: noun masculine plural with definite article - giants/fallen ones
• *hāyû*: qal perfect 3cp - were
• *ʾāreṣ*: noun feminine singular with prefix preposition - in the earth/land
• *yāmîm*: noun masculine plural with definite article and prefix preposition - in the days
• *ʾaḥărê-kēn*: preposition + adverb - after that
• *yābōʾû*: qal imperfect 3mp - they came/went
• *bĕnê*: noun masculine plural construct - sons of
• *hā-ʾĕlōhîm*: noun masculine plural with definite article - God/gods/divine beings
• *bĕnôt*: noun feminine plural construct - daughters of
• *hā-ʾādām*: noun masculine singular with definite article - man/mankind/humanity
• *yālĕdû*: qal perfect 3cp - they bore
• *hēmmâ*: 3mp personal pronoun - they
• *gibbōrîm*: noun masculine plural with definite article - mighty men/heroes/warriors
• *ʿôlām*: noun masculine singular with prefix preposition - from ancient time/old
• *ʾanšê*: noun masculine plural construct - men of
• *šēm*: noun masculine singular with definite article - name/renown/fame

Word Meanings

• *nĕp̄ilîm*: giants/fallen ones/mighty ones
• *gibbōrîm*: mighty men/heroes/warriors
• *ʾanšê* *ha-šēm*: men of renown/men of name/famous men

Referenced Verses

• Num 13:33 : 33 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.
• Deut 2:20-21 : 20 (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; 21 A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
• Deut 3:11 : 11 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.
• 2 Sam 21:15-22 : 15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. 18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. 19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. 21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him. 22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
• 1 Sam 17:4 : 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.