The Nephilim (/ˈnɛfɪˌlɪm/; Hebrew: נְפִילִים, romanized: Nəfīlīm) are enigmatic figures mentioned in several passages of the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish and Christian literature. They are traditionally associated with extraordinary size, strength, or status, though the biblical texts provide only brief and ambiguous descriptions. The earliest reference appears in Genesis 6:1–4, where the Nephilim are linked to the “mighty men of old” and to the controversial episode involving the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men”. Their identity, origin, and role in early biblical history have been the subject of extensive debate among scholars, theologians, and interpreters.

The meaning of the term Nephilim is uncertain. Many translations render the word as “giants,” influenced by the Septuagint’s use of the Greek term gigantes, though this may reflect later interpretive traditions rather than the original Hebrew sense. Some scholars derive the term from the Hebrew root n-p-l (“to fall”), leading to interpretations such as “fallen ones” or “those who cause others to fall,” while others propose meanings related to violence, domination, or social oppression. Because the biblical text does not define the term explicitly, later Jewish and Christian writings played a major role in shaping the modern understanding of the Nephilim.

The Nephilim appear again in Numbers 13:33, where ten of the Twelve Spies report encountering formidable inhabitants in Canaan described as descendants of the Nephilim. This passage has contributed to the longstanding association of the Nephilim with great physical stature, though some scholars argue that the spies’ report may reflect exaggeration, fear, or rhetorical emphasis rather than literal description.

Interpretations of the Nephilim vary widely across religious and academic traditions. One influential view, preserved in Second-Temple literature such as 1 Enoch and Jubilees, identifies the Nephilim as the offspring of rebellious angels (the Watchers) and human women, portraying them as destructive giants whose corruption contributed to the moral decline preceding the flood. Another major interpretation, found in some early Jewish and Christian commentaries, understands the Nephilim as powerful human rulers or warriors, possibly arising from intermarriage between the righteous line of Seth and the unrighteous line of Cain. A third approach views the Nephilim as legendary or symbolic figures reflecting ancient Near Eastern traditions about semi-divine heroes or primordial beings.

Outside the canonical Hebrew Bible, related terms or concepts appear in several deuterocanonical books—including Judith 16:6, Sirach 16:7, Baruch 3:26–28, and Wisdom 14:6—and possibly in Ezekiel 32, where scholars debate whether the term refers directly to the Nephilim or to a related class of fallen warriors. These texts contributed to the development of later Jewish and Christian traditions about ancient giants, divine-human unions, and the pre-flood world.

In modern scholarship, the Nephilim are studied within the broader context of ancient Near Eastern mythology, comparative linguistics, and the history of biblical interpretation. Parallels have been drawn between the Nephilim and regional traditions involving giant clans, heroic demigods, or semi-divine figures, though the extent of these connections remains debated. The Nephilim have also become prominent in contemporary popular culture, appearing in novels, films, video games, and speculative theories, where they are often reimagined as hybrid beings, ancient superhuman races, or remnants of a lost primordial world.

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon (1908) gives the meaning of Nephilim as "giants", and warns that proposed etymologies of the word are "all very precarious". Many suggested interpretations are based on the assumption that the word is a derivative of Hebrew verbal root n-p-l (נ־פ־ל) "fall". Girdlestone (1871, p. 91) argued the word comes from the hif'il causative stem, possibly indicating that the name 'Nephilim' is to be understood as 'those that cause others to fall down'. Ronald Hendel states that it is a passive form: 'Ones who have fallen', grammatically analogous to paqid 'one who is appointed' (i.e., a deputy or overseer), asir 'one who is bound' (i.e., a prisoner). It is also argued that the "fallen" refer to those who "fell in battle", similar to the gibborim.

The majority of ancient biblical translations – including the Septuagint, Theodotion, Latin Vulgate, Samaritan Targum, Targum Onkelos, and Targum Neofiti – interpret the word to mean "giants". Symmachus translates it as "the violent ones" and Aquila's translation has been interpreted to mean either "the fallen ones" or "the ones falling [upon their enemies]."