THE NEFILIM WERE IN THE EARTH. R. Jose says, following a tradition, that these were Uzza and Azael, whom, as already mentioned, God deprived of their supernal sanctity. How, it may be asked, can they exist in this world? R. Hiya answers, that they were of the class of spirits referred to in the words “And birds which fly on the earth” (Gen. 1, 20), and these, as we have said, appear to men in the form of human beings. If it is asked, how can they transform themselves? The answer is, as has been said, that they do in fact transform themselves into all kinds of shapes, because when they come down from heaven they become as concrete as air and take human shape.
These are Uzza and Azael, who rebelled in heaven, and were cast down by God, and became corporeal on the earth and remained on it, not being able to divest themselves of their earthly form. Subsequently they went astray after women, and up to this day they exist and teach men the arts of magic. They begat children whom they called Anakim (giants), while the Nefilim themselves were called “sons of God”, as has been elsewhere explained.
הַנְּפִילִים הָיוּ בָּאָרֶץ. תָּנֵי רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אִלֵּין עַזָּ"א וַעֲזָאֵ"ל. כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר דְּאַפִּיק (ד"א דאפיל) לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִקְדוּשָׁתָא דִּלְעֵילָא. וְאִי תֵימָא וְהֵיךְ יָכְלוּ לְאִתְקַיְימָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא אִלֵּין הֲווּ מֵאִנּוּן דִּכְתִיב וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ. וְהָא אִתְּמָר דְּאִלֵּין אִתְחֲזוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא כְּחֵזוּ דִּלְהוֹן. וְאִי תֵימָא הֵיךְ יָכְלִין לְאִתְהַפָּכָא. הָא אִתְּמָר דְּאִתְהַפְּכָן לְכַמָּה גְוָונִין וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָחְתֵי אַגְלִימוּ בַּאֲוִירָא דְעָלְמָא וְאִתְחַזּוּן כִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא.
THE NEFILIM WERE IN THE EARTH. R. Jose says, following a tradition, that these were Uzza and Azael, whom, as already mentioned, God deprived of their supernal sanctity. How, it may be asked, can they exist in this world? R. Hiya answers, that they were of the class of spirits referred to in the words “And birds which fly on the earth” (Gen. 1, 20), and these, as we have said, appear to men in the form of human beings. If it is asked, how can they transform themselves? The answer is, as has been said, that they do in fact transform themselves into all kinds of shapes, because when they come down from heaven they become as concrete as air and take human shape.
וְהָנֵי עַזָּ"א וַעֲזָאֵ"ל דְּמָרְדוּ לְעֵילָא וְאַפִּיל לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאַגְלִימוּ בְּאַרְעָא וְאִתְקָיְימוּ בֵּיהּ וְלָא יָכִילוּ לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא מִנֵּיהּ. וּלְבָתַר טָעוּ בָּתַר נְשֵׁי עָלְמָא. וְעַד כְּעָן יוֹמָא דָא אִנּוּן קָיְימֵי וְאוֹלְפֵי חָרְשִׁין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא וְאוֹלִידוּ בְּנִין וְקָרוּ לְהוּ עֲנָקִים גִּבָּרִין. וְאִנּוּן נְפִילִים אִקְרוּן בְּנֵי אֱלהִים. וְהָא אִתְּמָר.
These are Uzza and Azael, who rebelled in heaven, and were cast down by God, and became corporeal on the earth and remained on it, not being able to divest themselves of their earthly form. Subsequently they went astray after women, and up to this day they exist and teach men the arts of magic. They begat children whom they called Anakim (giants), while the Nefilim themselves were called “sons of God”, as has been elsewhere explained.