"Son of man", "son of Adam", or "like a man", are phrases used in the Hebrew Bible, various apocalyptic works of the intertestamental period, and in the Greek New Testament. In the indefinite form ("son of Adam", "son of man", "like a man") used in the Hebrew Bible it is a form of address, or it contrasts human beings against God and the angels, or contrasts foreign nations (like Persia and Babylon), which are often represented as animals in apocalyptic writings (bear, goat, or ram), with Israel which is represented as human (a "son of man"), or it signifies an eschatological human figure.
In its indefinite form it is used in the Greek Old Testament, Biblical apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. The Greek New Testament uses the earlier indefinite form while introducing a novel definite form, "the son of man."
The Hebrew expression "son of man" (בן–אדם, ben-'adam) appears 107 times in the Hebrew Bible, the majority (93 times) in the Book of Ezekiel.[1] It is used in three main ways: as a form of address (Ezekiel); to contrast the lowly status of humanity against the permanence and exalted dignity of God and the angels (Numbers 23:19, Psalm 8:4); and as a future eschatological figure whose coming will signal the end of history and the time of God's judgment (Daniel 7:13-14).[2]
Daniel 7 tells of a vision given to Daniel in which four "beasts," representing pagan nations, oppress the people of Israel until judged by God. Daniel 7:13–14 describes how the "Ancient of Days" (God) gives dominion over the earth to "one like a son of man (כבר אנש [kibar 'anash])". The passage in Daniel 7:13 occurs in Biblical Aramaic.
Later in chapter 7 it is explained that "one like a man" certainly implies a "human being" and also stands for "the saints of the Most High" (7:18, 21–22) and "the people of the saints of the Most High" (7:27).[3] The "saints" and "people of the saints" in turn probably stand for the people of Israel – the author is expressing the hope that God will take dominion over the world away from the beast-like pagan "nations" and give it to human-like Israel.[3]
"One like a son of man" with a sword among the seven lampstands, in John's vision. From the Bamberg Apocalypse, 11th century.
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Although Daniel's 7:13 "like a son of man" has been interpreted as standing for the Messiah (e.g. in Rashi's Commentary on the Tanakh), this interpretation was probably introduced by later apocryphal and deuterocanonical works such as the Similitudes (or Parables) of Enoch and 4 Ezra.[3] Whether these messianic "Son of Man" references are genuinely Jewish or the result of Christian interpolation is disputed.[4] An example of a disputed section is that of The Similitudes (1 Enoch 37–71) which uses Daniel 7 to produce an unparalleled messianic Son of Man, pre-existent and hidden yet ultimately revealed, functioning as judge, vindicator of righteousness, and universal ruler.[5] The Enochic messianic figure is an individual representing a group, (the Righteous One who represents the righteous, the Elect One representing the elect), but in 4 Ezra 13 (also called 2 Esdras) he becomes an individual man.[6][7][8]
The New Testament features the indefinite "a son of man" in Hebrews 2:6 (citing Psalm 8:4), and "one like the son of man" in Revelation 1:13, 14:14 (referencing Daniel 7:13's "one like a son of man").[9] The gospels introduce a new definite form, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, literally 'the son of the man,' an awkward and ambiguous expression in Greek.[1] It functions as an emphatic equivalent of the first-person pronoun I/me/my, and in all four gospels it is used only by Jesus (except once in the Gospel of John, when the crowd asks what Jesus means by it).[10] German theologian Rudolf Bultmann sees the phrase not as one genuinely used by Jesus but as one inserted by the early Church,[11] but theologian C. F. D. Moule argues that the phrase, "so far from being a title evolved from current apocalyptic thought by the early Church and put by it onto the lips of Jesus, is among the most important symbols used by Jesus himself to describe his vocation and that of those whom he summoned to be with him."[12]
The term in the source languages
The exact words used for "son of man" vary, depending on the source language.
^The Expository Times 1900 - Volume 11 - Page 64 "Again, Schmiedel is quite prepared to admit the possibility that the Son of man passages in Enoch may be Christian interpolation, and so far as ability to deal with this part of the problem depends on a knowledge of Ethiopic (in which language ..."
^The Enoch-Metatron Tradition - Page 82 3161485440 Andrei A. Orlov - 2005 "The same interchangeability is observable in the titles "son of man" and "chosen one." Here ... 88 Some scholars believe that these chapters might represent later interpolation(s) and do not '83 G. Nickelsburg, "Son of Man." ABD 6.138."
^Lee, Yongbom (1 July 2012). The Son of Man as the Last Adam: The Early Church Tradition as a Source of Paul's Adam Christology. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 81. ISBN978-1-61097-522-3.
References
Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (1995). International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: vol. iv, Q-Z. Eerdmans. ISBN9780802837844.
Budd, Philip J. (2003). "Numbers". In Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN9780802837110.
Burkett, Delbert (2002). An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521007207.
Burkett, Delbert (2000). The Son of Man Debate: A History and Evaluation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9781139429801.
Higgins, A.J.B. (2002). Jesus and the Son of Man. James Clarke & Co. ISBN9780227172216.
Hurtado, Larry W. (2005). Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity. Eerdmans. ISBN9780802831675.
McGrath, Alister E. (2011). Christian Theology: An Introduction. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN9781444397703.
Slater, Thomas (1999). Christ and Community: A Socio-Historical Study of the Christology of Revelation. A&C Black. ISBN9781850759393.
External links
Jewish Encyclopedia: Son of Man
Is the Lord Jesus the Son of God?
Catholic Encyclopedia: Son of Man
January 20, 2023
this, article, about, general, religious, issues, christian, teachings, christianity, jewish, teachings, judaism, other, usage, disambiguation, adam, like, phrases, used, hebrew, bible, various, apocalyptic, works, intertestamental, period, greek, testament, i. This article is about general religious issues For Christian teachings see Son of man Christianity For Jewish teachings see Son of man Judaism For other usage see Son of man disambiguation Son of man son of Adam or like a man are phrases used in the Hebrew Bible various apocalyptic works of the intertestamental period and in the Greek New Testament In the indefinite form son of Adam son of man like a man used in the Hebrew Bible it is a form of address or it contrasts human beings against God and the angels or contrasts foreign nations like Persia and Babylon which are often represented as animals in apocalyptic writings bear goat or ram with Israel which is represented as human a son of man or it signifies an eschatological human figure In its indefinite form it is used in the Greek Old Testament Biblical apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha The Greek New Testament uses the earlier indefinite form while introducing a novel definite form the son of man Contents 1 History 1 1 Jewish Bible 1 2 Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha 1 3 New Testament 2 The term in the source languages 3 See also 4 Footnotes 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditJewish Bible Edit Main article Son of man Judaism The Hebrew expression son of man בן אדם ben adam appears 107 times in the Hebrew Bible the majority 93 times in the Book of Ezekiel 1 It is used in three main ways as a form of address Ezekiel to contrast the lowly status of humanity against the permanence and exalted dignity of God and the angels Numbers 23 19 Psalm 8 4 and as a future eschatological figure whose coming will signal the end of history and the time of God s judgment Daniel 7 13 14 2 Daniel 7 tells of a vision given to Daniel in which four beasts representing pagan nations oppress the people of Israel until judged by God Daniel 7 13 14 describes how the Ancient of Days God gives dominion over the earth to one like a son of man כבר אנש kibar anash The passage in Daniel 7 13 occurs in Biblical Aramaic Later in chapter 7 it is explained that one like a man certainly implies a human being and also stands for the saints of the Most High 7 18 21 22 and the people of the saints of the Most High 7 27 3 The saints and people of the saints in turn probably stand for the people of Israel the author is expressing the hope that God will take dominion over the world away from the beast like pagan nations and give it to human like Israel 3 One like a son of man with a sword among the seven lampstands in John s vision From the Bamberg Apocalypse 11th century Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Edit Although Daniel s 7 13 like a son of man has been interpreted as standing for the Messiah e g in Rashi s Commentary on the Tanakh this interpretation was probably introduced by later apocryphal and deuterocanonical works such as the Similitudes or Parables of Enoch and 4 Ezra 3 Whether these messianic Son of Man references are genuinely Jewish or the result of Christian interpolation is disputed 4 An example of a disputed section is that of The Similitudes 1 Enoch 37 71 which uses Daniel 7 to produce an unparalleled messianic Son of Man pre existent and hidden yet ultimately revealed functioning as judge vindicator of righteousness and universal ruler 5 The Enochic messianic figure is an individual representing a group the Righteous One who represents the righteous the Elect One representing the elect but in 4 Ezra 13 also called 2 Esdras he becomes an individual man 6 7 8 New Testament Edit Main article Son of man Christianity The New Testament features the indefinite a son of man in Hebrews 2 6 citing Psalm 8 4 and one like the son of man in Revelation 1 13 14 14 referencing Daniel 7 13 s one like a son of man 9 The gospels introduce a new definite form ὁ yἱὸs toῦ ἀn8rwpoy literally the son of the man an awkward and ambiguous expression in Greek 1 It functions as an emphatic equivalent of the first person pronoun I me my and in all four gospels it is used only by Jesus except once in the Gospel of John when the crowd asks what Jesus means by it 10 German theologian Rudolf Bultmann sees the phrase not as one genuinely used by Jesus but as one inserted by the early Church 11 but theologian C F D Moule argues that the phrase so far from being a title evolved from current apocalyptic thought by the early Church and put by it onto the lips of Jesus is among the most important symbols used by Jesus himself to describe his vocation and that of those whom he summoned to be with him 12 The term in the source languages EditThe exact words used for son of man vary depending on the source language Hebrew בן אדם romanized ben adam lit son of Adam 13 Old Aramaic בר אנש romanized bar 14 enash 15 lit son of man Old Aramaic כבר אנש romanized kibar anash lit like a son of man see Son of man Judaism Koine Greek ὡs yἱὸs ἀn8rwpoy romanized hōs 16 huios 17 anthrōpou 18 lit like a son of man per the Septuagint in Dan 7 13 LXX 19 Koine Greek ὁ yἱὸs toῦ ἀn8rwpoy romanized ho huios tou anthrōpou lit the son of the man per the New Testament see Son of man Christianity See also EditSon of man Christianity Son of man Judaism Footnotes Edit a b Bromiley 1995 p 574 McGrath 2011 p 270 a b c Burkett 2002 p 64 G Nickelsburg Son of Man in Anchor Bible Dictionary 6 138 Bromiley 1995 p 575 Slater 1999 p 71 The Expository Times 1900 Volume 11 Page 64 Again Schmiedel is quite prepared to admit the possibility that the Son of man passages in Enoch may be Christian interpolation and so far as ability to deal with this part of the problem depends on a knowledge of Ethiopic in which language The Enoch Metatron Tradition Page 82 3161485440 Andrei A Orlov 2005 The same interchangeability is observable in the titles son of man and chosen one Here 88 Some scholars believe that these chapters might represent later interpolation s and do not 83 G Nickelsburg Son of Man ABD 6 138 Hurtado 2005 p 293 fn 83 Hurtado 2005 p 290 292 293 Burkett 2000 p 121 124 Moule C F D 1977 The Origin of Christology Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 22 ISBN 0521212901 HALEY WILSON A SURVEY OF THE SON OF MAN pdf BYU s ScholarsArchive Brigham Young University Retrieved 7 May 2017 bar enash hos huios anthropou Lee Yongbom 1 July 2012 The Son of Man as the Last Adam The Early Church Tradition as a Source of Paul s Adam Christology Wipf and Stock Publishers p 81 ISBN 978 1 61097 522 3 References EditBromiley Geoffrey W 1995 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia vol iv Q Z Eerdmans ISBN 9780802837844 Budd Philip J 2003 Numbers In Dunn James D G Rogerson John William eds Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible Eerdmans ISBN 9780802837110 Burkett Delbert 2002 An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521007207 Burkett Delbert 2000 The Son of Man Debate A History and Evaluation Cambridge University Press ISBN 9781139429801 Collins John J 1984 Daniel With an Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature Eerdmans ISBN 9780802800206 Higgins A J B 2002 Jesus and the Son of Man James Clarke amp Co ISBN 9780227172216 Hurtado Larry W 2005 Lord Jesus Christ Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity Eerdmans ISBN 9780802831675 McGrath Alister E 2011 Christian Theology An Introduction John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 9781444397703 Slater Thomas 1999 Christ and Community A Socio Historical Study of the Christology of Revelation A amp C Black ISBN 9781850759393 External links EditJewish Encyclopedia Son of Man Is the Lord Jesus the Son of God Catholic Encyclopedia Son of Man Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Son of man amp oldid 1129653221, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
