Genesis 6:4 reads differently depending on which translation you open. That's not a flaw in the Bible—it's a starting point for deeper study. Here's a method for working through Genesis 6:4, and every passage after:
1. Read the passage in more than one translation.
There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God 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.
(Genesis 6:4, NKJV)
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
(Genesis 6:4, NIV)
2. Note what changes—and what stays consistent.
One word changed. Giants in one, Nephilim in the other. Everything around it held: the same timeframe, the same sons of God, the same men of renown.
When two translations part ways on a single word, that word is where the difficulty lives.
3. Review the surrounding chapter and related passages.
The word appears again in Numbers 13:33, in the report the spies bring back from Canaan—rendered exactly the same way in each translation. Two passages, the same choice, made consistently.
4. Consult study notes or commentaries.
This is where trusted scholars can help you understand why translators made different choices. The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, available with Bible Gateway Plus, explains:
giant. The first mention of giants in the Bible is in Gen. 6:4 (KJV), where the NIV and other modern versions have “Nephilim,” a Hebrew word of uncertain etymology but possibly meaning “fallen ones” (see sons of god). Nephilim were found in Canaan when the spies went through the land (Num. 13:33). Beside these men of great stature, the spies felt like grasshoppers. The Hebrew word rendered “giant” by the KJV at Job 16:14 means simply “mighty man, warrior.” For other terms alluding to giants, see Anakites and Rephaites. See also Goliath.
The difference isn't a disagreement about the facts. It's a choice about whether to translate an uncertain Hebrew word or leave it standing.
5. Be honest about what the text leaves unresolved.
A Hebrew word of uncertain etymology. Careful study sometimes narrows a question without closing it. That's an honest result—and a better one than an answer the text never gave.
Bible Gateway Plus keeps translations and trusted commentary beside the passage, so you can investigate without losing your place.
Go deeper whenever Scripture raises a question.
Try it on Genesis 6:4
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