We read in Genesis “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)
The word “giants” is translated from the Hebrew word nephilim, from naphal, “he fell.” (Clarke’s Commentary). This word does not necessarily mean a person of great stature or size. In the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament made in the pre-Christian era, the Greek word γιγαντες (gigantes) was used to translate nephilim. The word γιγαντες literally means “earth-born” (Clarke’s Commentary), and also does not necessarily indicate a person of great stature or size. However, some scholars have pointed out that Aramaic, which is closely related to Hebrew, has a word that in its plural form would be nephilin, equivalent to Hebrew nephilim, and meaning “giants” (cf “Battle over the Nephilim,” Tim Chaffey, answersingenesis.org, January 1, 2012).
