Demon Sex? (Genesis 6)

I know the title is provocative and probably offensive to some of you. But, it’s in reference to the events in Genesis 6. Were the fallen angels (demons) having sex with humans? It’s a serious question to be explored.

Genesis 6 opens with the human race growing and expanding. Still fulfilling God’s mandate to multiply and fill the earth (Gen 1:28). The Sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of men looked and took wives. Genesis 6:1-2 (NASB) reads

Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

So, what’s going on here? Does the phrase Sons of God refer to fallen angels? Was it possible for fallen angels to marry humans? Were demons marrying the daughters of men just to have sex with them? Would God allow such a thing to happen to His beloved creation? Does a fallen angel having sex with humans fit in to the rest of the Bible? Is there another way to interpret this?

When you dive into the culture of this time you discover a gruesome and sickening practice. The Gilgamesh Epic describes kings as having a right to have sex with any bride being married. The husband would have no control over such tyranny. Apparently kings did this as a form of oppression and control. Pretty disgusting isn’t it? This reveals a little of what was taking place in the culture during Genesis. If you apply this horrific practice to Genesis you would see that the Sons of God, which would be kings, were picking and choosing women, brides to be, from across the land to sleep with. This would be detestable to God and surely bring a response like what is given in verse 3 (NASB) of Genesis,

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

So, fallen angels weren’t going around having sex with the daughters of men. Surely God would have mentioned them in verse 3 if they were. It was the kings of the land. Who knows how out of control this practice may have grown? Things must have really deteriorated for God to send forth a flood. One commentary I’ve been reading pointed out a rather interesting flow of thought through these beginning chapters of Genesis:

Genesis 3: The fall of mankind
Genesis 4: The fall of the family
Genesis 6: The fall of society

What are your thoughts?