Reference: Son of God
Easton
The plural, "sons of God," is used (Ge 6:2,4) to denote the pious descendants of Seth. In Job 1:6; 38:7 this name is applied to the angels. Hosea uses the phrase (Job 1:10) to designate the gracious relation in which men stand to God.
In the New Testament this phrase frequently denotes the relation into which we are brought to God by adoption (Ro 8:14,19; 2Co 6:18; Ga 4:5-6; Php 2:15; 1Jo 3:1-2). It occurs thirty-seven times in the New Testament as the distinctive title of our Saviour. He does not bear this title in consequence of his miraculous birth, nor of his incarnation, his resurrection, and exaltation to the Father's right hand. This is a title of nature and not of office. The sonship of Christ denotes his equality with the Father. To call Christ the Son of God is to assert his true and proper divinity. The second Person of the Trinity, because of his eternal relation to the first Person, is the Son of God. He is the Son of God as to his divine nature, while as to his human nature he is the Son of David (Ro 1:3-4. Comp. Ga 4:4; Joh 1:1-14; 5:18-25; 10:30-38, which prove that Christ was the Son of God before his incarnation, and that his claim to this title is a claim of equality with God).
When used with reference to creatures, whether men or angels, this word is always in the plural. In the singular it is always used of the second Person of the Trinity, with the single exception of Lu 3:38, where it is used of Adam.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
that the sons of God saw the daughters of men! that they were, fair, - so they took to themselves wives of whomsoever they chose,
The giants, were in the each in these days, and also, after that, when the sons of God began to go in unto the daughters of men, and sons were born to them, the same, were the heroes that were from age-past times the men of renown.
So then Joshua rose early in the morning, and they brake up from The Acacias and came as far as the Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, - and they lodged there before they passed over. And it came to pass, after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp,
Now there came a certain day, when the sons of God entered in to present themselves unto Yahweh, - so the accuser also entered, in their midst.
Hast not, thou thyself, made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? The work of his hands, thou hast blessed, and, his substance, hath broken forth in the land.
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Originally, was, the Word, and, the Word, was, with God; and, the Word, was, God. The same, was originally, with God. read more. All things, through him, came into existence, and, without him, came into existence, not even one thing: that which hath come into existence, in him, was, life, and, the life, was, the light of men. - And, the light, in the darkness, shineth; and, the darkness, thereof, laid not hold. There arose a man, sent from God, whose name was, John: The same, came, for a witness, That he might bear witness, concerning the light, that, all, might believe, through him. He, was not the light, - but, that he might bear witness concerning the light, It, was - The real light that enlighteneth every man - Coming into the world. In the world, he was, and, the world, through him, came into existence, and, the world, knew him not. Into his own possessions, he came, and, his own people, received him not home. But, as many as did receive him, he gave, unto them, authority, children of God, to become, - unto them who were believing on his name: Who - not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but - of God, were born. And, the Word, became, flesh, and pitched his tent among us, and we gazed upon his glory, - a glory, as an Only-begotten from his Father. Full of favour and truth.
On this account, therefore, the rather, were the Jews seeking to slay him, - because, not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but was calling God, his own Father, making, himself, equal, with, God. Jesus, therefore, answered, and went on to say unto them - Verily, verily, I say unto you: The Son cannot be doing, of himself, a single thing, - save anything he may see, the Father, doing; for, whatsoever, he, may be doing, these things, the Son also, in like manner, doeth. read more. For, the Father, dearly loveth the Son, and, all things, pointeth out to him, which, himself, is doing; and, greater works than these, will he point out to him, that, ye, may marvel. For, just as the Father waketh up the dead, and quickeneth them, in like manner, the Son also, whom he pleaseth, doth quicken. For neither doth, the Father, judge anyone, - but, all the judging, hath given unto the Son: That, all, may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father: he that doth not honour the Son, doth not, in fact, honour the Father who sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you: He that heareth, my word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath life age-abiding, and, into judgment, cometh not, but hath passed over, out of death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you: There cometh an hour, and now is, when, the dead, shall hearken unto the voice of the Son of God, and, they who have hearkened, shall live.
I and the Father, are, one. The Jews again lifted up stones, that they might stone him. read more. Jesus answered them - Many works, have I showed you, noble ones, from my Father: For which of those works are ye stoning me? The Jews answered him - Concerning a noble work, are we not stoning thee; but concerning profane speech, - and because, thou, being, a man, art making thyself, God. Jesus answered them - Is it not written in your law: I, said, Ye are, gods? If, those, he called gods, unto whom, the word of God, came - and the Scripture cannot be broken - Of him whom, the Father, hallowed and sent forth into the world, are, ye, saying - Thou speakest profanely, because I said, Son of God, I am? If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe in me; But, if I am doing them, even though, in me, ye believe not, in the works, believe, - that ye may get to know and go on to know, that the Father is, in me, and, I, am, in the Father.
Concerning his Son, - who came to be of the seed of David, according to flesh, Who was distinguished as the Son of God - by power, according to a Holy Spirit, through means of a resurrection of the dead, - Jesus Christ our Lord;
For, as many as by God's Spirit are being led, the same, are God's sons, -
For, the eager outlook of creation, ardently awaiteth the revealing of the sons of God, -
But, when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, who came to be of a woman, who came to be under law, - That, them who were under law, he might redeem, that, the sonship, we might duly receive; - read more. And, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, exclaiming, Abba! Oh Father!
In order that ye may become faultless and inviolate, children of God, blameless amidst a crooked and perverted generation, amongst whom ye appear as luminaries in the world,
Fausets
Applied in the plural to the godly Seth's descendants (not angels, who "neither marry nor are given in marriage," Lu 20:35-36), "the salt of the earth" heretofore, amidst its growing corruption by the Cainites.(See SETH.) When it lost its savour ("for that he also (even the godly seed) is become flesh" or fleshly) by contracting marriages with the beautiful but ungodly, God's Spirit ceased to strive with man, and judgment fell (Ge 6:2-4). In Job 1:6; 2:4, angels. In Ps 82:6 "gods ... sons of the Highest," i.e. His representatives, exercising, as judges and rulers, His delegated authority. A fortiori, the term applies in a higher sense to "Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world" (Joh 10:36). Israel the type was Son of God (Ex 4:22-23; Ho 11:1). Faith obeying from the motive of love constitutes men "sons of God" (Jer 3:4; Ho 1:10). Unbelief and disobedience exclude from sonship those who are sons only as to spiritual privileges (De 32:5; Hebrew).
It (the perverse and crooked generation) hath corrupted itself before Him (Isa 1:4), they are not His children but their blemish, i.e. "they cannot be called God's children but the disgrace of God's children" (Ro 9:8; Ga 3:26). The doctrine of regeneration or newborn sonship to God by the Spirit is fully developed in the New Testament (Joh 1:12-13; 3:3,5; 1Jo 3:1-3; Ro 8:15; Ga 4:5-6). The Son of God, Antitype to Israel, is co-equal, co-eternal, co-essential (consubstantial) with the Father; by eternal generation (Col 1:15), "begotten far before every creature" (Greek), therefore not a creature. So Pr 8:22 (Hebrew), "Jehovah begat (qananiy related to Greek gennaoo) Me in the beginning of His way (rather omit "in"; the Son Himself was "the Beginning of His way", "the Beginning of the creation of God", Re 3:14) from everlasting ... or ever the earth was ... I was by Him as One brought up with Him. I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him" (Pr 8:22-31; Joh 1:1-3).
The Son was the Archetype from everlasting of that creation which was in due time to be created by Him. His distinct Personality appears in His being "by God ... brought up with God," not a mere attribute; "nursed at His side"; "the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father"; to be "honoured as the Father" (Joh 1:18; 5:20). Raised infinitely above angels; "for to which of them saith God, Thou art My Son, this day (there is no yesterday or tomorrow with God, His "today" is eternity from and to everlasting) have I begotten Thee?" and "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever" (Hebrew 1; Ps 2:7; 45:6-7). His divine Sonship from everlasting was openly manifested by the Father's raising Him from the dead (Ac 13:33; Ro 1:4; Re 1:5). Nebuchadnezzar called Him "the Son of God," unconsciously expressing a truth the significance of which he imperfectly comprehended (Da 3:25).
The Jews might have known Messiah's Godhead from Ps 45:6-7, and Isa 9:6, "a Son ... the mighty God, the Everlasting Father"; (Isa 7:4) Immanuel "God with us"; (Mic 5:2) "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." The Scripture-asserted unity of God was their difficulty (De 6:4), and also the palpable woman-sprung humanity of Jesus. Their supposing John the Baptist to be Messiah (Lu 3:15) shows they did not expect Messiah or Christ to be more than man (Mt 22:42-45). To Jesus' question, "what think ye of Christ, whose Son is He?" the Pharisees answered not the Son of God, but "the Son of David," and could not solve the difficulty," how then doth David in the Spirit call Him Lord?" in Psalm 110, "Jehovah said unto my Lord" ('Adonay), etc., i.e. the Lord of David, not in his merely personal capacity, but as Israel's Representative, literal and spiritual. Jesus quotes it "Lord," not "my Lord," because Jehovah addresses Him as Israel's and the church's Lord, not merely David's.
Had the Pharisees believed in Messiah's Godhead they could have answered: As man Messiah was David's son, as God He was David's and the church's Lord. The Sanhedrin unanimously (Mr 14:64) condemned Him to death, not for His claim to Messiahship but to Godhead (Joh 19:7; Lu 22:70-71, "art Thou the Son of God?" etc., Lu 23:1; Mt 26:63-66). So contrary to man's thoughts was this truth that, Jesus says, not flesh and blood, but the Father revealed it to Peter (Mt 16:17). The Jews thrice took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy
(1) in unequivocally claiming God to be peculiarly "His own Father" (idion patera): Joh 5:18. Again,
(2) in claiming divine pre-existence, "before Abraham was created ("began to be", genesthai), I am" (eimi): Joh 8:58-59. And
(3) in saying, "I and the Father are one" (hen, one "essence", not person): Joh 10:30-31,33.
The apostles preached His divine Lordship as well as Messiahship (Ac 2:36). His acknowledged purity of character forbids the possibility of His claiming this, as He certainly did and as the Jews understood Him, if the claim were untrue; He never would have left them under the delusion that He claimed it if delusion it were. But the Jews from De 13:1-11 (some thought Jesus specially meant, "if the son of thy mother entice thee," for He had a human mother, He said, but not a human father) inferred that His miracles, which they could not deny, did not substantiate His claim, and that their duty was to kill with holy zeal One who sought to draw them to worship as divine another beside God. They knew not that He claimed not to be distinct God, but One with the Father, One God; they shut their eyes to De 18:15, etc., and so incurred the there foretold penalty of rejecting Him. His miracles they attributed to Satan's help (Mt 12:24,27; Mr 3:22; Lu 11:15; Joh 7:20; 8:48; Mt 10:25).
Men may commit awful sins in fanatical zeal for God, with the Scriptures in their hands, while following unenlightened conscience; conscience needs to be illuminated by the Spirit, and guided by prayerful search of Scripture. The Jews ought to have searched the Scriptures and then they would have known. Ignorance does not excuse, however it may palliate, blind zeal; they might have known if they would. Yet Jesus interceded for their ignorance (Lu 23:34; Ac 3:17; 13:27). Deniers of Jesus' Godhead on the plea of God's unity copy the Jews, who crucified Him because of His claim to be God. The Ebionites, Cerinthians, and other heretics who denied His Godhead, arose from the ranks of Judaism.
The arguments of the ancient Christian apologists, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, etc., against the Jews, afford admirable arguments against modern Socinians; the Jews sinned against the dimmer light of the Old Testament, Socinians against the broad light of both Old and New Testament The combination in One, the Son of God and the Son of man, was such as no human mind could have devised. The Jews could not ascend to the idea of Christ's divine Sonship, nor descend to the depth of Christ's sufferings as the Son of man; so they invented the figment of two Messiahs to reconcile the seemingly opposite prophecies, those of His transcendent glory and those of His exceeding sufferings. The gospel at once opposes the Jews' false monotheism by declaring Christ to be the coequal Son of God, and the pagan polytheism by declaring the unity of God.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
that the sons of God saw the daughters of men! that they were, fair, - so they took to themselves wives of whomsoever they chose, And Yahweh said - My spirit shall not rule in man to times age - abiding, for that, he also, is flesh, - Yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. read more. The giants, were in the each in these days, and also, after that, when the sons of God began to go in unto the daughters of men, and sons were born to them, the same, were the heroes that were from age-past times the men of renown.
Then shalt thou say unto Pharaoh, Thus, saith Yahweh - My son - my firstborn, is Israel; Therefore I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me, But if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I, am going to slay, thy son, thy firstborn.
Hear, O Israel: Yahweh, is our God, - Yahweh alone.
When there shall arise in thy midst - a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, - and he shall give unto thee a sign or a wonder; and the sign or the wonder shall come in, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, - Let us go after other gods, which ye know not and let us serve them read more. thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams, - for Yahweh your God, is putting you to the proof, to know whether ye do love Yahweh your God, with all your heart and with all your soul. After Yahweh your God, shall ye walk And him, shall ye revere, - And his commandments, shall ye observe. And unto his voice, shall ye hearken, And him, shall ye serve And unto him, shall ye cleave. And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death because he hath spoken revolt against Yahweh your God, - who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, to seduce thee out of the way wherein Yahweh shy God hath commanded thee to walk, - so shalt thou consume the wicked thing out of thy midst. When thy brother - son of thine own mother or thine own son or thine own daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend who is as thine own soul, shall entice thee secretly, saying, - Let us go and serve other gods, whom thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; of the gods of the peoples who are round about you, who are near unto thee, or who are far off from thee, - from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth, thou shalt not consent unto him, neither shalt thou hearken unto him, - neither shall thine eye look with pity upon him, neither shalt thou spare - neither shalt thou conceal him; but thou shalt slay, him, thine own hand, shall be on him first, to put him to death, - and the hand of all the people afterwards. And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die, - for he hath sought to seduce thee from Yahweh thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants. And, all Israel, shall hear and fear, - and shall not again do according to this wickedness in thy midst.
A prophet out of thy midst of thy brethren like unto me, will Yahweh thy God, raise up unto thee - unto him, shall ye hearken:
They have broken faith with him to be no sons of his - their fault, - A generation twisted and crooked.
So then Joshua rose early in the morning, and they brake up from The Acacias and came as far as the Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, - and they lodged there before they passed over. And it came to pass, after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp, read more. and commanded the people saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and, the priests the Levites, bearing it, ye also, shall break up out of your place, and come after it.
Now there came a certain day, when the sons of God entered in to present themselves unto Yahweh, - so the accuser also entered, in their midst.
Then the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Skin for skin, and so, all that a man hath, will he give for his life.
Let me tell of a decree, - Yahweh, hath said unto me, My son, thou art, I, to-day, have begotten thee:
Thy throne, O God, is to times age-abiding and beyond, A sceptre of equity, is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Thy throne, O God, is to times age-abiding and beyond, A sceptre of equity, is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated lawlessness, - For this cause, hath God, thine own God, anointed thee, With the oil of gladness, beyond thy partners.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated lawlessness, - For this cause, hath God, thine own God, anointed thee, With the oil of gladness, beyond thy partners.
I, said, Gods, ye are, Yea, sons of the Highest, are ye all;
Yahweh, had constituted me the beginning of his way, before his works, at the commencement of that time;
Yahweh, had constituted me the beginning of his way, before his works, at the commencement of that time; At the outset of the ages, had I been established, in advance of the antiquities of the earth; read more. When there was no resounding deep, I had been brought forth, when there were no fountains, abounding with water; Ere yet the mountains had been settled, before the hills, had I been brought forth; Or ever he had made the land and the wastes, or the top of the dry parts of the world: When he prepared the heavens, there, was I! When he decreed a vault upon the face of the resounding deep; When he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the resounding deep, waxed strong; When he fixed for the sea its bound, that, the waters, should not go beyond his bidding, when he decreed the foundations of the earth: - Then became I beside him, a firm and sure worker, then became I filled with delight, day by day, exulting before him on every occasion; Exulting in the fruitful land of his earth, Yea, my fulness of delight, was with the sons of men.
Alas! a nation - committing sin, a people - burdened with iniquity, a seed - practising wickedness, sons - acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, - Are estranged and gone back.
and say unto him - Take heed and keep thyself calm - do not fear, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two fag-ends of smoking firebrands, - in spite of the glow of the anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.
For, A Child, hath been born to us, A Son, hath been given to us, And the dominion is upon his shoulder, - And his Name hath been called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty GOD, Father of Futurity, Prince of Prosperity.
Hast thou not from this time, cried unto me, My father! the friend of my youth, art, thou?
He answered and said, Lo! I, see four men, unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and, injury, there is not in them, and, the appearance of the fourth, is like to a son of the gods!
Yet shall the number of the sons of Israel become like the sand of the sea, which can neither he measured, nor numbered, - and it shall come to pass, in the place where it used to be said to them, No people of mine, are ye, it shall be said to them, Sons of a Living God!
When Israel was, a child, then I loved him, - and, out of Egypt, called I my son.
Thou, therefore, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though, little, to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee, shall Mine come forth, to be ruler in Israel, - whose comings forth, have been from of old, from the days of age-past time.
Sufficient for the disciple, that he become, as his teacher, and, the servant, as, his lord. If, the master of the house, Beelzebul, they called, how much more, the men of his house!
But, the Pharisees, hearing it, said, This one, doth not cast out the demons, save in Beelzebul ruler of the demons.
And, if, I, in Beelzebul, am casting out the demons, In whom are, your sons, casting them out? Wherefore, they, shall be, judges of you.
And Jesus, answering, said to him - Happy, art thou, Simon Bar-yona, - because, flesh and blood, revealed it not unto thee, but my Father who is in the heavens.
How, to you, doth it seem, concerning the Christ? Whose son, is he? They say unto him - David's. He saith unto them - How then doth, David, in spirit, call him, Lord, saying - read more. The Lord, hath said unto, my Lord, - Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool? If then, David, calleth him, Lord, How, is he, his son?
But, Jesus, was silent. And, the High-priest, said unto him: I put thee on oath, by the Living God, that, to us, thou say - Whether, thou, art the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him: Thou, hast said; Moreover, I say unto you - Hereafter, ye will see the Son of Man, sitting on the right hand of power, and coming upon the clouds of heaven. read more. Then, the High-priest rent asunder his garments, saying - He hath spoken profanely! What further need have we, of witnesses? Lo! now, ye have heard the profanity! How, to you, doth it seem? And, they, answering, said: Guilty of death, he is.
And, the Scribes who from Jerusalem had come down, were saying - He hath, Beelzebul; and - In the ruler of the demons, casteth he out the demons.
Heard ye the profanity? What, to you, doth it appear? And they, all, condemned him to be, worthy, of, death.
Now, as the people were in expectation, and all were deliberating in their hearts, concerning John, - whether by any means, he, might be, the Christ,
but, some from among them, said - In Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, is he casting out the demons;
But, they who have been accounted worthy, that age, to obtain, and the resurrection that is from among the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; For they cannot, even die any more, - for, equal unto messengers, are they, and are, sons of God, Of the resurrection, being, sons.
And they all said - Thou, then, art the Son of God? And, he, unto them said - Ye, say it , - because, I, am. And, they, said - What, further, need have we, of witness? We ourselves, have heard it from his mouth.
And, when they were parting his garments, they cast lots.
Originally, was, the Word, and, the Word, was, with God; and, the Word, was, God. The same, was originally, with God. read more. All things, through him, came into existence, and, without him, came into existence, not even one thing: that which hath come into existence,
But, as many as did receive him, he gave, unto them, authority, children of God, to become, - unto them who were believing on his name: Who - not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but - of God, were born.
No one, hath seen, God, at any time: An Only Begotten God, The One existing within the bosom of the Father, He, hath interpreted him .
Jesus answered, and said unto him - Verily, verily, I say unto thee: Except one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered - Verily, verily, I say unto thee: Except one be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
On this account, therefore, the rather, were the Jews seeking to slay him, - because, not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but was calling God, his own Father, making, himself, equal, with, God.
For, the Father, dearly loveth the Son, and, all things, pointeth out to him, which, himself, is doing; and, greater works than these, will he point out to him, that, ye, may marvel.
The multitude answered - A demon, thou hast: Who, is seeking, to slay, thee?
The Jews answered, and said unto him - Do, we, not, well, say: Thou, art, a Samaritan, and hast a demon?
Jesus said unto them - Verily, verily, I say unto you: Before, Abraham, came into existence, I, am. They took up stones, therefore, that they might cast at him; but, Jesus, was hidden, and went forth out of the temple.
I and the Father, are, one. The Jews again lifted up stones, that they might stone him.
The Jews answered him - Concerning a noble work, are we not stoning thee; but concerning profane speech, - and because, thou, being, a man, art making thyself, God.
Of him whom, the Father, hallowed and sent forth into the world, are, ye, saying - Thou speakest profanely, because I said, Son of God, I am?
The Jews answered him - We, have, a law, and, according to the law, he ought to die, because, Son of God, himself, he made.
Assuredly, then, let all the house of Israel know: that, both Lord and Christ, hath God made him, even the same Jesus whom, ye, crucified!
And now brethren, I know that by way of ignorance ye acted, - just as even your rulers.
For, they who were dwelling in Jerusalem, and their rulers, not recognising him, have, by judging him, fulfilled, the very voices of the prophets which every sabbath are being read;
That God hath fulfilled, the same, for our children, by raising up Jesus: as also, in the second psalm, it is written - My son, art, thou: I, this day, have begotten thee.
Who was distinguished as the Son of God - by power, according to a Holy Spirit, through means of a resurrection of the dead, - Jesus Christ our Lord;
For ye have not received a spirit of servitude, leading back into fear, but ye have received a spirit of sonship, whereby we are exclaiming - Abba! Oh Father!
That is - not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a seed.
For ye, all, are, sons of God, through the faith in Christ Jesus;
That, them who were under law, he might redeem, that, the sonship, we might duly receive; - And, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, exclaiming, Abba! Oh Father!
Who, is an image of the unseen God, Firstborn of all creation, -
and from - Jesus Christ, - The Faithful Witness, The Firstborn of the Dead, and The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us out of our sins with his blood, -
And, unto the messenger of the assembly, in Laodicea, write: - These things, saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God: