Graphic novel cover showing a Watcher "The Watchers" is a name given to the Nephilim (a Hebrew word many translate as “giants”) mentioned in four verses in Genesis (6:1-4). The quick answer to the question of who the Watchers were is . . . no one knows for sure. Here’s the story!
The Bible says, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”
Who were the sons of God? Those who study the Bible have three suggestions: (1) godly descendants of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve; (2) angels; (3) kings and rulers (for instance, later Egyptian kings were called the son of Re, the sun god).
Who were the daughters of man? For the first suggestion, the daughters of man are considered to be ungodly descendants of Seth’s brother, Cain. For the second and third suggestions, the daughters of man are said to be sexually attractive women.
The Bible then says, “The Nephilim (giants) were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” Some say these giants were not just big in size, but also savage and violent attackers who pillaged the earth . . . not the kind of person you would want to invite home to meet your mother.
However, an ancient Jewish book said to be written by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, may give us a clue. The Book of Enoch, which has not been generally accepted as Scripture, says 200 angels in heaven saw the beautiful daughters of men, lusted after them, and took them as wives and they gave birth to giants. These angels taught humans how to work in metal and make swords and knives. They taught humans about enchantments and how to read the signs of the sun and the moon. “And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways.” These fallen angels, called Watchers, were then bound until the Judgment Day.
Biblical scholars don’t have much to say about who the Watchers are, what they looked like, or what happened to them. Although the term “Watchers” in the Book of Enoch refers only to fallen angels, Daniel 4 refers three times to “a watcher, a holy one” – in verses 13, 17, and 23. Jude 6 seems to refer to the story in the Book of Enoch and the fate of the angels who “left their proper dwelling.”
But the Watchers play an important role in the movie Noah. They are portrayed as angels relegated to living on earth in the form of 11-foot tall rock creatures with six arms and a light that makes their eyes and mouth glow. They seem to be straight out of a graphic novel (they ARE out of Darren Aronofsky’s graphic novel Noah) or The Lord of the Rings. In the movie, they help Noah build the ark and battle the people who try to stop Noah.
The Bible says, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”
Who were the sons of God? Those who study the Bible have three suggestions: (1) godly descendants of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve; (2) angels; (3) kings and rulers (for instance, later Egyptian kings were called the son of Re, the sun god).
Who were the daughters of man? For the first suggestion, the daughters of man are considered to be ungodly descendants of Seth’s brother, Cain. For the second and third suggestions, the daughters of man are said to be sexually attractive women.
The Bible then says, “The Nephilim (giants) were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” Some say these giants were not just big in size, but also savage and violent attackers who pillaged the earth . . . not the kind of person you would want to invite home to meet your mother.
However, an ancient Jewish book said to be written by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, may give us a clue. The Book of Enoch, which has not been generally accepted as Scripture, says 200 angels in heaven saw the beautiful daughters of men, lusted after them, and took them as wives and they gave birth to giants. These angels taught humans how to work in metal and make swords and knives. They taught humans about enchantments and how to read the signs of the sun and the moon. “And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways.” These fallen angels, called Watchers, were then bound until the Judgment Day.
Biblical scholars don’t have much to say about who the Watchers are, what they looked like, or what happened to them. Although the term “Watchers” in the Book of Enoch refers only to fallen angels, Daniel 4 refers three times to “a watcher, a holy one” – in verses 13, 17, and 23. Jude 6 seems to refer to the story in the Book of Enoch and the fate of the angels who “left their proper dwelling.”
But the Watchers play an important role in the movie Noah. They are portrayed as angels relegated to living on earth in the form of 11-foot tall rock creatures with six arms and a light that makes their eyes and mouth glow. They seem to be straight out of a graphic novel (they ARE out of Darren Aronofsky’s graphic novel Noah) or The Lord of the Rings. In the movie, they help Noah build the ark and battle the people who try to stop Noah.
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