The title Son of ‘God’ used for Yeshua of Nazareth by his disciples does not mean what people usually say without knowledge of the Hebrew context. The title Son of ‘God’ in Jewish literature, whether represented in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, does not represent a foreign context where the gods procreate demigods. No, Son of ‘God’ in Jewish literature does not mean semi-‘God’, ‘God’ incarnate, ‘God’ made man, or other similar titles.
YISRA’EL, THE FIRST TO E CALLED ‘SON OF GOD’
In Jewish literature, ‘Son of God’ represents a Hebrew idea. The first to be called ‘Son of God’ in the Tanakh (Old Testament) is the people of Yisra’el in Exodus 4:
Exodus 4:22-23 [The Scriptures 2009 - TS - 2009]
22 “And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus said יהוה{the Eternal}, “Yisra’el is My son, My first-born,
23 so I say to you, let My son go to serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, see, I am killing your son, your first-born.”
(Words of the Eternal in blue)
Yisra’el is called ‘Son of God’, a people made up of human beings. ‘Son of God’ is an idiomatic expression, a Hebraism, that is usually used to describe a righteous person.
As Yeshua said:
Matthew 13:43 [Hebraic Roots Bible - HRB] Then the righteous will shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Words of Yeshua in purple)
The word ‘son’ (בן – ben) in the Semitic language is used to describe the Character or quality of a person, therefore those who seek peace will be called ‘sons of god’. The King of Yisra’el chosen by divine design is also called ‘son of god’ in the greatest degree. In fact, with more explicit language because ‘God’ is called his Father.
THE KING OF YISRA’EL IS CALLED ‘SON OF ‘GOD’
2 Samuel 7:12-14 [TS - 2009]
12 “When your days are filled and you rest with your fathers, I shall raise up your seed after you, who comes from your inward parts, and shall establish his reign.
13 “He does build a house for My Name, and I shall establish the throne of his reign forever.
14 “I am to be his Father, and he is My son. If he does perversely, I shall reprove him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
It is evident from this passage that a king who is a descendant of king Dawid (David), chosen by divine design, is called ‘son of God’. And ‘God’ in turn is called His Father.
This concept is confirmed in Psalm 2.
PSALM 2 ANOINTED = KING = SON OF 'GOD'
Psalm 2:2, 6, 7, 8 [HRB] 2 The kings of the earth have placed themselves; yea, the rulers have plotted together against YAHWEH and His Messiah{annointed}. . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Yea, I have set My king on My holy mount on Zion. 7 I will declare concerning the statute of YAHWEH: He said to Me, You are My Son. Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give the nations as Your inheritance; and as Your possession the ends of the earth.
The ‘son of God’ in the role of King is the heir to God’s property, the ends of the earth, the reign of Yisra’el. Clearly, the anointed, the Messiah is equivalent to the King of Yisra’el and this in turn is equivalent to ‘son of God’ in Hebrew terms of the Tanakh.
In Psalm 89, we see an exaltation of the Eternal by the Davidic dynasty:
Psalm 89:25-27 [TS - 2009]
25 “And I shall set his hand on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers.
26 “He calls out to Me, ‘You are my Father, My El, and the rock of my deliverance.’
27 “I also appoint him first-born, Highest of the sovereigns of the earth.
In this context, we clearly understand quotes like:
1 Chronicles 28:5 [HRB]
And of all my sons, for YAHWEH has given me many sons, He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of YAHWEH, over Israel.
Notice how the text continues using the terms ‘son’ and ‘Father’ in the context of reign:
1 Chronicles 28:6 [HRB]
And He said to me, Your son Solomon shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him as a son to Me, and I surely will be a Father to him.
Clearly, Solomon is the ‘son of God’ in the context of being the king of Yisra’el who sits on the throne of ‘God’ by divine design.
Also in 1 Chronicles 29 we see:
1 Chronicles 29:23 [HRB]
And Solomon sat on the throne of YAHWEH as king instead of his father David, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
It is in this context that Yeshua, as a descendant of Dawid, is called ‘Son of God’ and the Eternal is identified as his Father.
After Yohanan (John) the baptizer announced that Yeshua is the Messiah of Yisra’el, that is, the king chosen by divine design to rule Yisra’el, the text says:
Mark 1:11
11 And there was a voice out of the heavens, You are My Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased.
(Psalm 2:7; Genesis 22:2; Isaiah 42:1)
The Scriptures record that:
• Andrew, the first disciple, told his brother Simon: We have found the Messiah
• Philip found Nethan’el and said: We have found Him whom Mosheh wrote of in the Torah, and the prophets.
• Later Nethan’el meets Yeshua and after interacting with him, he tells him: “Rabbi, You are the Son of Elohim! You are the Sovereign of Yisra’el!” His statement means that Yeshua is the Davidic King of Yisra’el, chosen by divine design.
• Qayapha (Caiaphas, the High Priest) at one point tells Yeshua: I put You on oath by the living Elohim that You tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of Elohim. This means, ‘do you believe that you are the King of Yisra’el appointed by the Eternal, that will sit on the throne of ‘God’ over Yisra’el’?
Who will define for you the meaning of the phrase ‘Son of God’ in a messianic context?
a) A religion unknown to Yeshua and his first disciples. An imperial religion with anti-Jewish feelings?
b) Another post-Temple religion, today called Rabbinic Judaism, that was dedicated to marginalizing other Jewish expressions that did not coincide with its worldview?
The meaning of the phrase ‘Son of God’ used for Yeshua of Natzareth by his disciples, should be defined by the texts used as a source of authority by the authors who called Yeshua ‘Son of God’. These texts are found in the Tanakh. It is the Tanakh that should identify the meaning of the expression ‘Son of God’. It is the Tanakh that identifies the Davidic King chosen by divine design, the ‘Son of God’.
Source:
Avdiel ben Oved