Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[Wannabefree]

Has anyone here done any research on the Rephaim or Nephillim? If so, any theories on origin, or how they resurfaced post flood era? Just curious, I'm studying them, have been breifly and there are a TON of theories floating around out there I have my own theories.

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

Has anyone here done any research on the Rephaim or Nephillim? If so, any theories on origin, or how they resurfaced post flood era? Just curious, I'm studying them, have been breifly and there are a TON of theories floating around out there I have my own theories.

Yes I have that research, if you will allow, here are some excerpts from "Insight on the Scriptures": Genesis 6:1-6

"NEPHILIM(Neph′ilim) [Fellers; Those Who Cause [Others] to Fall Down].
This is a transliteration of the Hebrew word nephilim′, plural in its three occurrences in the Bible. (Ge 6:4; Nu 13:33 [twice]) It evidently stems from the causative form of the Hebrew verb naphal′ (fall) as found, for example, in 2 Kings 3:19; 19:7.........
Identity. Bible commentators, considering verse 4, have offered several suggestions as to the identity of these Nephilim. Some have thought that the derivation of the name indicates that the Nephilim had fallen from heaven, that is, that they were fallen angels who mated with women to produce mighty ones . . . the men of fame. Other scholars, focusing their attention particularly on the statement and also after that (vs 4), have said the Nephilim were not the fallen angels or the mighty ones, since the Nephilim proved to be in the earth in those days before the sons of God had relations with women. These latter scholars hold the opinion that the Nephilim were simply wicked men like Cainrobbers, bullies, and tyrants who roamed the earth until they were destroyed by the Flood. Still another group, taking into consideration the context of verse 4, conclude that the Nephilim were not themselves angels, but were the hybrid offspring resulting from materialized angels having intercourse with the daughters of men."

My comment:These hybid offspring were the main reason that God brought the flood because of the violence in the world at that time, because these Giants were feared and admired, the idols/rock stars of the ancient world, the women wanted to have relations with the "Sons of God" to give birth to the hybrid children, and they (the wicked angels) chose whomever they wanted. The flood destroyed the Nephilim but the wicked angels that fathered them shed their material bodies and went back to the spirit world. They are no longer allowed to do this, the Bible says that they are in prison, 1Pe 3:19,20; 2Pe 2:4; Jude 6. This may sound pretty far fetched, but if it's in the Bible, I consider it to be true, John 17:17.

Here is the explaination of further reference to the nephilim (after they were destroyed in the Flood), in the Book of Exodus:

"A Report Intended to Terrorize. The ten spies who brought back to the Israelites in the wilderness a false report on the land of Canaan declared: All the people whom we saw in the midst of it are men of extraordinary size. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who are from the Nephilim; so that we became in our own eyes like grasshoppers, and the same way we became in their eyes. No doubt there were some large men in Canaan, as other scriptures show, but never except in this bad report, which was carefully couched in language designed to strike terror and cause panic among the Israelites, are they called Nephilim.Nu 13:31-33; 14:36, 37."

I will post the info about the Rephaim in another reply they are not the same thing as the Nephilim as you will see.

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

Has anyone here done any research on the Rephaim or Nephillim? If so, any theories on origin, or how they resurfaced post flood era? Just curious, I'm studying them, have been breifly and there are a TON of theories floating around out there I have my own theories.

Here is what I found for the Rephaim in the "Insight on the Scriptures":

REPHAIM
(Reph′a‧im).
A tall people or tribe. There is uncertainty as to the meaning and origin of the name. Likely, they were called Rephaim because of being descendants of a man named Raphah. At 2 Samuel 21:16 ha‧Ra‧phah′ (literally, the Raphah) seems to employ the fathers name to stand for the entire giant race.

At some early period the Rephaim evidently dwelt E of the Dead Sea. The Moabites, who dispossessed them, referred to the Rephaim as Emim (Frightful Things). The Ammonites called them Zamzummim (possibly from a root meaning have in mind; scheme). (De 2:10, 11, 19, 20) When King Chedorlaomer of Elam came W to fight five rebellious kings near the Dead Sea (taking Lot captive), he defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim. (Ge 14:1, 5) This locates the Rephaim at that time in Bashan, E of the Jordan. Shortly thereafter God said that he would give Abrahams descendants the Promised Land, which included territory where the Rephaim lived.Ge 15:18-20.
More than 400 years later, just before Israel entered Canaan, the land of the Rephaim was still identified with Bashan. There the Israelites defeated Og the king of Bashan (De 3:3, 11, 13; Jos 12:4; 13:12), who alone remained of what was left of the Rephaim. It is uncertain whether this means that he was the last king of the Rephaim or that he was the last of the Rephaim in that section, for Rephaim were shortly found W of the Jordan.

In the Promised Land the Israelites had problems with the Rephaim, for some of them persisted in the forests of the mountainous region of Ephraim. The sons of Joseph were afraid to drive them away. (Jos 17:14-18) When David was fighting the Philistines, he and his servants struck down four men born to the Rephaim in Gath. One of them was described as a man of extraordinary size whose fingers and toes were in sixes, twenty-four. The description of their armor indicates that they were all men of great stature. One of these was Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite. (1Ch 20:4-8) This Goliath, whom David killed, was in height six cubits and a span (2.9 m; 9.5 ft). (1Sa 17:4-7) The account at 2 Samuel 21:16-22 reads Goliath, instead of the brother of Goliath, as at 1 Chronicles 20:5, which may indicate that there were two Goliaths.See GOLIATH.

The Hebrew repha‧ʼim′ is used in another sense in the Bible. Sometimes it clearly applies, not to a specific people, but to those who are dead. Linking the word to a root meaning drop down, relax, some scholars conclude that it means sunken, powerless ones. In texts where it has this sense, the New World Translation renders it those impotent in death, and many other translations use renderings such as dead things, deceased, and dead.Job 26:5; Ps 88:10; Pr 2:18; 9:18; 21:16; Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19.

As you can see there really were giants on the earth, but its not that hard to believe, because now we don't call them Rephaim, we say NBA!

 

[Wannabefree]

NBA Yeah that's what I was thinking too

Interesting stuff, and I have found a load of theories on them both. I know they're different.

ETA: I am trying to seperate in my mind which tribes go where...ya know the Zamzumim, Emim, Anakim etc. There really isn't a really well defined history of them. I know the Jewish texts have a lot more to say about them than our bible. I just thought it very interesting. I have a suspicion about some folks in the bible other than Goliath and Og being of that lineage too. Back to researching

 

[Rebbetzin]

I can give you my husband's theory on the passage in Geneis

Genesis 6:3-5

3 And the L_rd said, My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of G_d 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.

5 Then the L_rd 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.

First, 120 years is the time mankind had left before the Holy One brought judgement on their wickeness by bringing the flood. Noah preached the coming flood for 120 years.

The Anakim/Giants, are still with us today, a form of genetic disorder that causes great height, but these fellows many times have a shorter lifespan. seldom live as long as a "normal" person. Goliath was such a man. Anak, to this day is the Hebrew word for Giant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantism

Now for the other fellows, Nephilim/Rephaim. these mortal men considered themselves to be "lords" and were the mighty men of renown in the ancient days. Leaders of clans, men of great weath. They were mortal men, not some hybrid between a spiritual being and human. That sort of union is not possible. The Messiah made that clear, when speaking of marrige in the Heavenly Realm.


Matthew 22:29-30

29 Jesus answered and said to them, You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of G_d. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of G_d in heaven.

Did any of you see the Movie "Brave Heart"? It gives a great illustration of what these fellows were doing in the practice of "First Rites", where the "lord" was able to have relations with a bride before her husband on their wedding night?
An evil practice in the eyes of the Holy One!


If we are to believe the Messiah is telling the truth on such matters, the concept of a spirit being having physical relations with a mortal being is just not possible. Which would make the idea of there being any offspring from such a union merely a fable.

 

[Denim Deb]

Thanks, Rebbetzin. You gave a much better explanation than I could have.

 

[BarredBuff]

Im liking the posts! VERY interesting!!

 

[Wannabefree]

Yeah I had issue with the angel/human sex thing. That makes MUCH more sense than what I have been reading on the internet :/ Bunch of crazy theories. That was more what I was thinking but have had a brain fog with overload of info and couldn't find that clarity I was looking for Thanks Rebbetzin!!

There are some sites that say these giants were 450 feet tall....NOOO idea where some folks get this stuff. It has been a GREAT reminder to seek the truth, and meditate on the word, and if it can't be backed biblically, it's a lie.

 

[Denim Deb]

Disney?

 

[Wannabefree]

Disney?

Possibly.