Genesis 6:2 describes a moment when “the sons of God” looked at human women, found them attractive, and took whichever ones they wanted as wives. Interpreters have long debated who these “sons of God” were, and the answer shapes how the whole passage reads. The verse is narrated by Moses, the traditional author of Genesis, and it describes the events that lead into the story of the flood.
God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives.
Genesis 6:2 (WEB)
What Genesis 6:2 Means
The phrase “sons of God” is the key to the verse. In the Old Testament this expression can refer to heavenly beings in God’s council (see Job 1:6), and it can also refer to faithful human beings. The surrounding chapter does not settle the question with a definition, so careful readers hold the interpretation loosely and let the wider Bible guide them. What the verse does clearly say is that someone of a higher or different standing took women without regard for the relationships God had established.
The verb “took” and the phrase “any that they wanted” carry the weight of the sentence. The narrative points to self-directed desire overriding the good order of marriage and family. The verse does not promise anything to the reader. It is a description of a moment in history that sets up the judgment to come, and it shows how far human life had drifted from God’s design.
The Context of Genesis 6:2
Genesis is the first book of the Torah, traditionally attributed to Moses, and it was written to a people who needed to understand where they came from and why God dealt with the world as he did. Chapters 1 through 5 trace creation, the fall, and the genealogies from Adam onward. Genesis 6:1 begins with humanity multiplying, and that growth is the setting for the events of verse 2.
Verses 3 through 5 are the reason verse 2 matters. God declares that his Spirit will not strive with humanity forever and sets a limit of one hundred twenty years. Verse 4 mentions the Nephilim and the mighty men of old, and verse 5 states that human wickedness had grown great and that the thoughts of people were continually evil. Read in that light, verse 2 is not a stand-alone curiosity. It is one piece of a picture of a world spiraling into corruption, and it explains the grief and judgment that follow.
Key Phrases in Genesis 6:2
Genesis 6:5
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.
(WEB)
This verse, found in the same passage, explains the spiritual condition behind the events of verse 2. It shows that the corruption described earlier was rooted in the thoughts of the heart, which gives the reader a deeper way to understand the desire and taking described in verse 2.
Matthew 5:28
But I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
(WEB)
Jesus teaches that lust begins in the inward look, linking the act of taking to the desire that comes before it. This passage helps you see how the pattern in Genesis 6:2 applies to the heart and not only to outward behavior.
A Short Prayer From Genesis 6:2
Lord, you made human beauty and you made desire, and you call us to order both under your goodness. When my wants run ahead of my trust in you, show me where I am looking to take instead of receive. Guard my eyes and my heart, and teach me to honor the people around me as your image-bearers. Forgive me for the times I have chosen what pleases me over what is right. Give me patience, clarity and self-control, and help me walk in your ways every day. Amen.
