Grafted Biblical Concept · Concept

Nephilim

נְפִילִים · Nephilim · H5303

The Nephilim are mysterious figures mentioned in Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33.

2 Scripture references1 lexical sources4 supporting resources

Primary Study

Grafted Bible Dictionary

Definition

The Nephilim are mysterious figures mentioned in Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33.
Their identity remains debated.
Genesis 6
The Nephilim appear in connection with:
• sons of God
• daughters of men
• mighty men
• men of renown
See:
• Genesis 6:1–4

Major Interpretations

Common interpretations include:
• offspring of angelic beings and human women
• powerful human rulers or warriors
• descendants associated with Sethite and Cainite lines
• tyrannical dynastic figures
The supernatural interpretation has significant ancient Jewish support, while other interpretations became prominent in later Christian tradition.
Numbers 13
The spies report seeing Nephilim and describe themselves as grasshoppers by comparison.
Because the report comes from fearful spies whose account contains exaggeration, interpreters debate how literally every aspect should be taken.

Second Temple Tradition

Texts such as 1 Enoch develop an elaborate supernatural interpretation of Genesis 6.
These writings are historically valuable for understanding ancient Jewish interpretation but are not equivalent to the biblical text itself.

Hebrew and Greek Word Study

Hebrew Word Study

נְפִילִים

Nephilim · H5303

Original Word: נְפִילִים
Transliteration: Nephilim
Strong’s: H5303
Pronunciation: nef-eel'
Meaning: giant.

Hebrew Word Family

PrimaryנְפִילִיםNephilim · H5303

Related Formנְפִילnᵉphîyl · H5303

Unified Lexical Definition

properly, a feller, i.e. a bully or tyrant

Lexical Sources

STRONG'SStrong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

properly, a feller, i.e. a bully or tyrant

View original lexicon entry

{
    "strongs": "H5303",
    "language": "hebrew",
    "lemma": "נְפִיל",
    "transliteration": "nᵉphîyl",
    "pronunciation": "nef-eel'",
    "part_of_speech": "",
    "glosses": [
        "giant."
    ],
    "definitions": [
        "properly, a feller, i.e. a bully or tyrant"
    ],
    "administrator_commentary": "",
    "source": {
        "dataset": "Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon",
        "provider": "Open Scriptures",
        "url": "https://github.com/openscriptures/strongs",
        "license": "CC BY-SA"
    },
    "version": 1,
    "updated_at": "2026-08-05T10:41:40-05:00",
    "strong": "H5303"
}

Hebrew Bible Usage

3 occurrences

View All Hebrew Occurrences

Biblical Usage

Concordance and Scripture Usage

2Exact Lemma14Conceptual Relationship

Torah · 2

Genesis 6:4Exact Lemma Numbers 13:33Exact Lemma

Reference Works

Bible Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Names

Unified Dictionary Summary

The Nephilim are mysterious figures mentioned in Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

(Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33, R.V.), giants, the Hebrew word left untranslated by the Revisers, the name of one of the Canaanitish tribes. The Revisers have, however, translated the Hebrew gibborim, in Gen. 6:4, "mighty men."

Sources: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Context

Historical and Jewish Context

Second Temple context

Demon

A demon is a hostile spiritual being associated in the New Testament with oppression, possession, deception, and opposition to God's Kingdom.

Angel

An angel is fundamentally a messenger. The Hebrew and Greek terms can refer to either human or heavenly messengers depending on context.

Second Temple Judaism

Second Temple Judaism refers broadly to Jewish religious, cultural, political, and interpretive life during the period of the Second Temple.

The Truth About the Nephilim in Genesis

Genesis 6 introduces the mysterious 'sons of God,' but who were they? This passage has sparked questions for generations. Were they divine beings or humans? Join us as we examine the B…

Giants

(1.) Heb. nephilim, meaning "violent" or "causing to fall" (Gen. 6:4). These were the violent tyrants of those days, those who fell upon others. The word may also be derived from a root signifying "wonder," and hence "monsters" or "prodigies." In Num. 13:33 this name is given to a Canaanitish tribe, a race of large stature, "the sons of Anak." The Revised Version, in these passages, simply transliterates the original, and reads "Nephilim." (2.) Heb. rephaim, a race of giants (Deut. 3:11) who lived on the east of Jordan, from whom Og was descended. They were probably the original inhabitants of the land before the immigration of the Canaanites. They were conquered by Chedorlaomer (Gen. 14:5), and their territories were promised as a possession to Abraham (15:20). The Anakim, Zuzim, and Emim were branches of this stock. In Job 26:5 (R.V., "they that are deceased;" marg., "the shades," the "Rephaim") and Isa. 14:9 this Hebrew word is rendered (A.V.) "dead." It means here "the shades," the departed spirits in Sheol. In Sam. 21:16, 18, 20, 33, "the giant" is (A.V.) the rendering of the singular form ha raphah, which may possibly be the name of the father of the four giants referred to here, or of the founder of the Rephaim. The Vulgate here reads "Arapha," whence Milton (in Samson Agonistes) has borrowed the name "Harapha." (See also 1 Chron. 20:5, 6, 8; Deut. 2:11, 20; 3:13; Josh. 15:8, etc., where the word is similarly rendered "giant.") It is rendered "dead" in (A.V.) Ps. 88:10; Prov. 2:18; 9:18; 21:16: in all these places the Revised Version marg. has "the shades." (See also Isa. 26:14.) (3.) Heb. Anakim (Deut. 2:10, 11, 21; Josh. 11:21, 22; 14:12, 15; called "sons of Anak," Num. 13:33; "children of Anak," 13:22; Josh. 15:14), a nomad race of giants descended from Arba (Josh. 14:15), the father of Anak, that dwelt in the south of Palestine near Hebron (Gen. 23:2; Josh. 15:13). They were a Cushite tribe of the same race as the Philistines and the Egyptian shepherd kings. David on several occasions encountered them (2 Sam. 21:15-22). From this race sprung Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4). (4.) Heb. emin, a warlike tribe of the ancient Canaanites. They were "great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims" (Gen. 14:5; Deut. 2:10, 11). (5.) Heb. Zamzummim (q.v.), Deut. 2:20 so called by the Amorites. (6.) Heb. gibbor (Job 16:14), a mighty one, i.e., a champion or hero. In its plural form (gibborim) it is rendered "mighty men" (2 Sam. 23:8-39; 1 Kings 1:8; 1 Chr. 11:9-47; 29:24.) The band of six hundred whom David gathered around him when he was a fugitive were so designated. They were divided into three divisions of two hundred each, and thirty divisions of twenty each. The captians of the thirty divisions were called "the thirty," the captains of the two hundred "the three," and the captain over the whole was called "chief among the captains" (2 Sam. 23:8). The sons born of the marriages mentioned in Gen. 6:4 are also called by this Hebrew name.