The N’filim

The N’filim were on the earth. N’filim literally means ‘fallen angels’. Onkelos in his targum on Genesis (33) translates this word ‘mighty men’. Rashi likewise states in his commentary on Genesis that they are called N’filim because they fell, thus causing the entire world to fall, whereas the Hebrew is often translated ‘giants’. There have been many ideas about their identity; the consensus is that they possessed incredible physical strength, had generally evil intentions, and corrupted the world greatly.