The Footnote Continues (Gen 6:4)

Adam’s Aftermath

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⁴ [ … because the sons of the gods would come to the daughters of the humans, who would bear them children. …] אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם

Last week, I remind you, I pointed out that saying there were Nephilim on earth “later, too” was the beginning of a long footnote. Now, after we’ve learned a little more about who the Nephilim were, we resume that discussion. As sometimes happens, I’m offering a different translation of the very first word than you will probably find in your own English Bibles.

Most English versions translate אשר asher as “when,” which it most certainly can mean, instead of “because,” which I’ve used. Indeed, I would say אשר does mean “when” here. To me, however, that when focuses on the wrong aspect of the verse. To understand that, we must look at the two verbs in this phrase, which most English versions mistranslate. Getting the tense of those two verbs correct is what helped me understand what’s happening in this verse.

Yes — by the way — the verb that I’ve literally translated as “come to” must mean (as NJPS translates) “cohabit with.” We’ll discuss that too before the end of the post.