Alien Life Forms?
01/10/2004 12:17 a.m.
*Warning: This content may be considered blasphemous by some, and contains my own personal opinions and observations.

I was reading the Contemporary English Version of the Bible, the book of Genesis, when I came across this passage:
Genesis 6:1-4
1-2More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings came down and married the ones they wanted. 3Then the LORD said, "I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years." The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later.


I immediately got my King James Version and read the same passage:
1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4 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.

I went online and checked a few more translations…

21st Century King James Version:
1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them,
2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose.
3 And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."
4 There were giants on the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men who were of old, men of renown.


Amplified Bible:
1WHEN MEN began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,
2The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose.
3Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man, for he also is flesh; but his days shall yet be 120 years.
4There were giants on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.


New American Standard Bible:
1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,
2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
3 Then the LORD said, " My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
4 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.

OK. Being brought up in a pretty conservative, fundamental church environment (I am very liberal in comparison to the teachings I was raised with) you can see where this might catch my attention.

This brief study was interesting to me. Personally, I have never had a problem with the idea of other life forms in the universe. Why are we constantly trying to place limits on God and add more significance and importance to ourselves, by suggesting that humans are the only sentient beings He created?

The CEV actually says that “supernatural” beings married with humans and had children.

The other versions all make a distinction between “men”, “sons of God” and “daughters of men”… there has to be a reason for the distinction. This is also the chapter that reveals God’s curse upon the earth, and Noah’s Ark… so I don’t see how “sons of God” could be referring to those who follow after God, when the entire earth was “filled with wickedness” in God’s eyes.

Both the CEV and the NASB refer to Nephilim. I do believe I have heard/read of Nephilim, as being a form or type of angel. Many people believe that angels can be manifested in a human form, so… did angels marry with humans. Who were these angels? Where they the angels that were cast out of Heaven with Lucifer? That would explain the increasing “wickedness” upon the earth, to the point that God destroyed the earth with a flood

Now I know that some people who may have read this are probably totally freaked out! Some may have serious concerns about a) my sanity and/or b) my salvation. That is their prerogative, I just found it very interesting… wonder what others think about it…

I am currently Questioning