Genesis 6:1–2 states:
“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”
The phrase “sons of God” refers to fallen angels who left their proper dwelling to corrupt humanity. This interpretation is supported by other passages in Scripture. Job 1:6 uses the same term for heavenly beings:
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.”
Then over in Jude 1:6 it tells us of angels who sinned:
“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
Similarly, 2 Peter 2:4 confirms their judgment:
“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…”
These fallen angels took human wives, and their unnatural union produced the Nephilim (Genesis 6:4). This act was a direct assault on God’s created order and resulted in widespread corruption and violence on the earth. The rebellion of these angels contributed to the extreme wickedness described in Genesis 6:5:
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
This corruption provoked God’s judgment through the flood. Yet in the midst of this darkness, Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8), showing that even when evil abounds, God’s plan of redemption moves forward.