Did angels marry humans in Genesis 6:4?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

No, angels did not marry humans in Genesis 6:4. The Coptic Orthodox Church, following the teachings of the Holy Fathers and the Alexandrian school of exegesis, firmly rejects the idea that angels had physical relations with human beings.

Here is the straightforward theological explanation for why this is the case:

1. The Nature of Angels

Angels are spiritual, incorporeal beings. They do not possess a physical body, flesh, or reproductive organs. Our Lord Jesus Christ explicitly taught that angels "neither marry nor are given in marriage" (Matthew 22:30). Because their nature is entirely different from human nature, the physical act of marriage and procreation is fundamentally impossible for them.

2. Identifying the "Sons of God"

In the context of Genesis, the term "Sons of God" refers to the descendants of Seth. This was the godly lineage that maintained the worship of God. While they were expected to remain holy and separate, they were drawn by the physical beauty of the "daughters of men," who were the descendants of Cain.

The "marriage" mentioned in Genesis 6:4 is the union between these two groups of humans:

• The Sons of God: The righteous line of Seth.
• The Daughters of Men: The wicked and worldly line of Cain.

3. The Result of the Union

The "giants" or "mighty men" born of these unions were not half-angelic hybrids. They were human beings who were physically large and powerful, but spiritually fallen. Because the righteous line had intermingled with the wicked, the resulting generations were "men of renown" for their violence, pride, and tyranny. This corruption of the godly line is what eventually led to the Great Flood.

4. Rejection of Mythological Interpretations

While some Jewish apocryphal texts (like the Book of Enoch) and later heretical groups suggested that angels fell from heaven to marry women, the Church Fathers—including St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. John Chrysostom—refuted this as a fable. To suggest that spirits could produce physical offspring is a departure from the truth of the Holy Scriptures and the Orthodox faith.

The story serves as a sober warning against the spiritual dangers of unequal yoking and the abandonment of a life of holiness for the sake of worldly desires.