HistoricalChristian.Faith

Justin Martyr on the Nephilim

Dates: c. 165 Summary: Justin Martyr reads the "sons of God" of Genesis 6 as angels whom God had set over humanity but who transgressed their charge. Captivated by love of women, they fathered offspring whom Justin identifies as the beings called demons. He further blames these fallen angels and their offspring for corrupting the human race through magic, false sacrifice, and every wickedness.

Claims & evidence

The angels were captivated by love of women and begat demons

But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations…and among men they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness.

— The Second Apology, Chapter V, source. Justin frames the angels as guardians appointed over humanity who fell through lust, with their demonic offspring driving the corruption that the pagan myths later misattributed to gods.

Notes

• Justin is an early and explicit witness to the angelic reading: the offspring are not merely human giants but the very beings later called demons — among the earliest props for the reading weighed on the are the unclean spirits the dead Nephilim? argument (assessment: contested).
• His account ties the Genesis 6 fall to the origin of pagan idolatry and to the "appointed" angelic guardianship of nations, a theme echoed by Irenaeus and Tertullian.