Name Old Testament Rare
Nephilim
Nephilim
נְפִלִים ne.phil
Nephilim (Hebrew: נְפִלִים, ne.phil) is a biblical name; its Hebrew etymology is not securely established. It appears in 2 verses across 2 books of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears in the same passages as Ammiel.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Nephilim
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 2 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 6:4 |
| Last appears | Numbers 13:33 |
| Cross-references | 50 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Gaddi co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Gaddi.
- Gaddiel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Gaddiel.
- Gemalli co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Gemalli.
- Hori co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Hori.
- Geuel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Geuel.
- Ammiel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ammiel.
- Igal co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Igal.
- Anak co-occurrence Appears with Anak in Numbers 13.
Origin & meaning
People descended from Nephil(?), first mentioned at Gen.6.4
giants, the Nephilim
The Nephilim were a race of giants mentioned in the context of the sons of God marrying human women before the flood and later encountered by the Israelite spies in Canaan.
The biblical story
The Nephilim are mysterious figures mentioned in two distinct contexts in the Old Testament. They are first introduced in Gen.6.4, just before the account of the great flood. The passage states that the Nephilim were on the earth when the "sons of God" married the "daughters of men" and had children by them. It also mentions that the Nephilim were mighty men of old, men of renown.
The exact identity of the "sons of God" and the nature of the Nephilim have been the subject of much debate among scholars. Some interpret the "sons of God" as fallen angels who married human women, while others believe they were powerful human rulers or descendants of Seth who intermarried with the descendants of Cain. The Nephilim are often understood as giants or heroic figures who were the offspring of these unions.
The second mention of the Nephilim occurs in Num.13.33, where the Israelite spies report seeing them in Canaan during their reconnaissance mission. The spies describe the Nephilim as descendants of Anak and compare their own size to that of grasshoppers in the sight of these giants.
Key verses
Nephilim appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
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.
Genesis 6:4 -
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
Show all 2 references
Genesis (1)
- Genesis 6:4
Numbers (1)
- Numbers 13:33