Son of Man—An ancient Near Eastern idiom used around 193 times in the Bible (108 in the Old Testament and 85 in the New Testament). At its roots, the idiom is a poetic term for “human.” However, it is used in several different ways, including an expression, a name, a description, and a title for Jesus.
Ways “Son of Man” Is Used In The Bible
Idiom – The Hebrew word for man/ human is “adam” (אָדָם). Consequently, a more literal formulation of the term “son of man” (“ben-adam,” בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם) could be “son of adam” or “descendants of adam.” However, the idiom is almost always translated as “son of man” or “sons of men.” In the Old Testament, the term is typically used to express the difference between God and Humans.
Name – God calls both the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel “son of man.” It’s widely suggested the name was chosen to help them stay humble. (Ezekiel 4:16, Daniel 8:17)
Description—In the seventh chapter of Daniel, the prophet has a vision in which he sees a spiritual being, who he says is ” like a son of man.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
(See: “son of man” – History and Meaning for more information.)
Title – In the Gospels, Jesus takes on the name like a title. In the Christian tradition, it’s believed he dawned the idiom because it illustrates his human and divine natures. (A central theological concept known as the hypostatic union.) “Son of man” can be used in this paradoxical way because of its root meaning and connection to the figure in Daniel 7:13-14.
Church History
Early Christians believed, as we do today, that Jesus was the “son of man” Daniel saw in his vision (Daniel 7:13-14). Evidence for this can be seen in the book of Acts, John’s revelation, early creeds, and hymns (Acts 7:56, Revelation 1:13, Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Timothy 3:16).
Although Jesus constantly called himself “the son of man,” the term never became a major confession in the Church. Other titles, such as Lord, Christ, and God, were taken up instead. (John 20:28, Hebrews 13:8)
Articles About “Son of Man”
- “Son of Man” – History and Meaning (An analysis of the term’s historical Biblical uses, the debates surrounding it, and the way Jesus used it.)
- Jesus Calls Himself The “Son of Man” in 75 Verses