2 Dec
What does the “son of God” mean in the Tanakh?
To begin with, Judaism never subscribed to the belief that God sires children of any sort. The biblical idea of “sonship,” or being a “child of God,” is only meant to depict a relational reality that makes Israel or humankind beloved and special to God.
Jewish tradition refers to God as “Avinu, Malkanu” meaning “our Father, our King,” because the metaphor describes the close relationship between Israel and God that is akin to how a father loves his son. As parents, we love our children because they are our children. A child may get in trouble from time to time, or may fall short of our ideal expectations; nevertheless we still love our children because they are a part of ourselves. In the same manner, God’s love for His people functions much the same way. This is precisely the point the prophets make, and Jesus himself stressed this concept in his wonderful parable concerning “The Prodigal Son.”[1] As the Father of humankind, God awaits our spiritual renewal and return unto Him.
From the Pentateuch itself, Israel is occasionally referred to as, “Israel, my son” or “Israel, my firstborn.” [2] In the other books of the Tanakh, sonship is mentioned with respect to God’s fatherhood of Israel [3].
Elsewhere in the Tanakh, sonship can be used with reference to King David and the kings of Israel [4] and sometimes angels are called “sons of God” (cf. Gen6:2; Job 1:6; Dan 3:25—but even this translation is dubious at best). But nowhere in the Tanakh is there a single reference to the thought that the Messiah is a “son of God.” Arguably, even if such an expression did exist, its meaning would be no different than any other scriptural reference suggesting the notion of closeness and belovedness. It is worth reiterating: Nowhere does the Tanakh even remotely suggest that Israel is God’s literal child; clearly sonship is only meant metaphorically. Continue Reading
