HOME ARTICLES BIBLES LINKS the HERETIC

The Uniqueness of the Phrase Son of Man

~ scriptures are from the Hebraic Roots Bible, and HBR Bible Notes in italics.

The phrase "Son of Man" carries unique significance in the Bible, particularly in its connection to Yahshua. While it can simply refer to a human being, in the New Testament, it is primarily used by Yahshua to refer to himself, drawing upon Old Testament prophecies about a divine, yet human, figure who will usher in YAHWEH's kingdom. This makes the phrase a unique and multifaceted title for Yahshua, highlighting both his humanity and his divine authority. 

Unique Usage by Yahshua
The Gospels record Messiah using the phrase "Son of Man" 82 times to refer to himself, a usage not found elsewhere in the New Testament in the same way.

Beyond a Simple Designation
While "son of man" can simply mean "human being," Messiah's use of the phrase transcends this simple meaning, particularly when He speaks of his future glory, authority, and role in judgment.

n essence, the phrase "Son of Man" as used by Yahshua is unique because it encompasses both his human identity and his divine authority as the promised Messiah, drawing on Old Testament prophecies and highlighting his role in YAHWEH's plan for humanity's redemption. 

Contrast with "Son of YAHWEH"
While Jesus is also referred to as the "Son of YAHWEH," "Son of Man" is his preferred self-designation. 
This distinction may emphasize his identification with humanity, his mission to represent and redeem humanity, and his role as a bridge between YAHWEH and humankind. 

The Uniqueness of the Phrase Son of Man
~ from an article by Samuel Whitefield.
To grasp how unique the phrase Son of Man is, we need to also consider it in light of the original languages of the Bible.
There is much that has been said about this, but we can summarize a few main points for our purposes.

Nearly the entire Old Testament was written in Hebrew.
One exception is Daniel 2:4 – Daniel 7:28. The verses were written in Aramaic.

Dan 2:4 And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic†:........

~ Daniel 2:4 Aramaic, which is a dialect of Hebrew, was the common language of the east at this time. Starting here until the end of chapter 7, it is used. From chapters 8-12, Hebrew is used as in chapter 1 and 2:1-3.

The entire New Testament was written in Greek.
Additionally, there are other phrases in the Bible which can be translated son of man in English, but Daniel 7:13 contains the only time in the Bible son of man was written in Aramaic (בראנש, bar enasha). Every other instance of son of man in the Old Testament was written in Hebrew (בןאדם, ben adam).

While Hebrew and Aramaic are related languages, the words are different, which means son of man in Daniel 7:13 is completely unique.
No other verse contains bar enasha. This is even true in the book of Daniel.

In an English translation, we find Son of Man in Daniel 7:13 and Daniel 8:17.
However, because Daniel 7 was written in Aramaic and Daniel 8 was written in Hebrew, it is not the same.

Dan 7:13 I was looking in the night visions. And behold! One like the SonH1247 of ManH606 came with the clouds of the heavens.
And He came to the Ancient of Days. And they brought Him near before Him.

~ H1247
בּר (Aramaic)
bar
BDB Definition:
1) son
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: corresponding to H1121

~ H606
אנשׁ / אנשׁ (Aramaic)
'ĕnâsh
BDB Definition:
1) man, human being
2) mankind (collective)
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: corresponding to H582

Dan 8:17 And he came beside my place. And when he came, I feared and fell on my face.
But he said to me, O sonH1121 of manH120, understand, for the vision is for the time of the end.

~ H1121
בּן
bên
BDB Definition:
1) son, grandson, child, member of a group
1a) son, male child
1b) grandson
1c) children (plural - male and female)
1d) youth, young men (plural)
1e) young (of animals)
1f) sons (as characterisation, i.e. sons of injustice [for unrighteous men] or sons of God [for angels])
1g) people (of a nation) (plural)
1h) of lifeless things, i.e. sparks, stars, arrows (figuratively)
1i) a member of a guild, order, class
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H1129

H120
אדם
'âdâm
BDB Definition:
1) man, mankind
1a) man, human being
1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
1c) Adam, first man
1d) city in Jordan valley
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H119

Daniel 7 contains bar enasha and Daniel 8 ben adam.
The difference in meaning is even obvious when you read the chapters in English.
In Daniel 7, the Son of Man is presented as a divine figure in the heavens,
and in Daniel 8, son of man is used to address Daniel. They are obviously not the same person.

This may seem to be a small detail, but it is very significant. Messiah was multi-lingual, but most of His public teaching was probably done in Aramaic.
Therefore, when He referred to Himself as the Son of Man, He spoke the Aramaic (bar enasha) found only in Daniel 7 rather than the Hebrew (ben adam) found in a few other passages. Again, there is only one bar enasha in the Old Testament, so it is clearly linked to Daniel.

Return to top

HOME ARTICLES BIBLES LINKS the HERETIC