υἱός, υἱοῦ, ὁ, from Homer down, the Sept. for áÅÌï and Chaldean áÇÌø, a son (male offspring);

1. properly,

a. rarely of the young of animals: Mat 21:5 (Psa 28:1 (); Sir 38:25); generally of the offspring of men, and in the restricted sense, male issue (one begotten by a father and born of a mother): Mat 10:37; Luk 1:13; ( L T Tr WH); Act 7:29; Gal 4:22, etc.; ὁ υἱός τίνος, Mat 7:9; Mar 9:17; Luk 3:2; Joh 1:42(), and very often, as in Greek writings, υἱός is often to be supplied by the reader (Winer’s Grammar, § 30, 3, p. 593 (551)): as τόν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου, Mat 4:21; Mar 1:19. plural υἱοί τίνος, Mat 20:20; Luk 5:10; Joh 4:12; Act 2:17; Heb 11:21, etc. with the addition of an adjective, as πρωτότοκος, Mat 1:25 (R G); Luk 2:7; μονογενής, Luk 7:12. οἱ υἱοί, genuine sons, are distinguished from οἱ νόθοι in Heb 12:8. equivalent to τέκνον with ἄρσην added, a man child (Buttmann, 80 (70)), Rev 12:5; of one (actually or to be) regarded as a son, although properly not one, Joh 19:26; Act 7:21; Heb 11:24; in kindly address, Heb 12:5 from Pro 3:11 (see τέκνον, a.β.).

b. in a wider sense (like θυγάτηρ, τέκνον), a descendant, one of the posterity of anyone: τίνος, Mat 1:20; ὁ υἱός Δαυίδ, of the Messiah, Mat 22:42; Mat 22:45; Mar 12:35; Mar 12:37; Luk 20:41; Luk 20:44; of Jesus the Messiah, Mat 9:27; Mat 12:23; Mat 15:22; Mat 20:30; Mat 21:9; Mat 21:15; Mar 10:47; Luk 18:38 f plural υἱοί τίνος, Mat 23:31; Heb 7:5; υἱοί Ἰσραήλ, Israelites (the children of Israel), Mat 27:9; Act 9:15; Act 10:36; 2Co 3:7; 2Co 3:13; Heb 11:21; Rev 2:14; Rev 7:4; Rev 21:12 (see Ἰσραήλ); υἱοί Ἀβραάμ, sons of Abraham, is tropically applied to those who by their faith in Christ are akin to Abraham, Gal 3:7.

2. tropically and according to the Hebrew mode of speech (Winer’s Grammar, 33 (32)), υἱός with the genitive of a person is used of one who depends on another or is his follower: οἱ υἱοί of teachers, equivalent to pupils (see τέκνον, b. β. (cf. Irenaeus haer. 4, 41, 2 qui enim ab aliquo edoctus est, verbo filius docentis dicitur, et ille eius pater)), Mat 12:27; Luk 11:19; τοῦ πονηροῦ, who in thought and action are prompted by the evil one and obey him, Mat 13:38; υἱός διαβόλου, Act 13:10; with the genitive of a thing, one who is connected with or belongs to a thing by any kind of close relationship (Winers Grammar, § 34, 3 N. 2; Buttmann, § 132, 10): υἱοί τοῦ νυμφῶνος (see νυμφών), Mat 9:15; Mar 2:19; Luk 5:34 (τῆς ἄκρας, the garrison of the citadel, 1Ma 4:2; in Ossian ’a son of the hill’ i. e. ’a hunter’, ’a son of the sea’ i. e. ’a sailor’; cf. Jen. Lit. Zeit. for 1836 No. 58, p. 462f); τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, those whose character belongs to this age (is ’worldly’), Luk 16:8; Luk 20:34; τῆς ἀπειθείας, i. e. ἀπειθεῖς, Eph 2:2; Eph 5:6; Col 3:6 (here T Tr WH omit; L brackets the clause) (ἀνομίας, Psalm 88:23 (); τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, 1Ma 2:47); βροντῆς, who resemble thunder, thundering (see Βοανεργές), Mar 3:17; τοῦ φωτός, instructed in evangelical truth and devotedly obedient to it, Luk 16:8; Joh 12:36; with καί τῆς ἡμέρας added, 1Th 5:5; τῆς ἀναστάσεως, sharers in the resurrection, Luk 20:36; παρακλήσεως, Act 4:36; one to whom anything belongs: as υἱοί τῶν προφητῶν καί τῆς διαθήκης, those to whom the prophetic and covenant promises belong, Act 3:25; for whom a thing is destined, as υἱοί τῆς βασιλείας, Mat 8:12; Mat 13:38; τῆς ἀπωλείας, Joh 17:12; 2Th 2:3; one who is worthy of a thing, as γηννης, Mat 23:15; εἰρήνης, Luk 10:6 (θανάτου, 1Sa 20:31; 2Sa 12:5; äÇëÌåú áÄÌï, the Sept. ἄξιος πληγῶν, Deu 25:2). (Synonym: see τέκνον.)

STRONGS NT 5207a: υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπουυἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, the Sept. for àÈãÈí áÆÌï, Chaldean àÂðÈùÑ áÇÌø, son of man; it is:

1. properly, a periphrasis for ’man’ especially common in the poetic books of the O. T., and usually carrying with it a suggestion of weakness and mortality: Num 23:19; Job 16:21; Job 25:6; Psa 8:5; Isa 51:12; Sir 17:30 (25), etc.; often in Ezekiel, where God addresses the prophet by this name, as Eze 2:1; Eze 2:3; Eze 3:1 (Eze 2:10), etc.; plural äÈàÈãÈí áÀÌðÅé (because àÈãÈí lacks the plural), υἱοί τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Gen 11:5; 1Sa 26:19; Psa 10:4 (); Pro 8:31, etc. So in the N. T.: Mar 3:28; Eph 3:5, (Wis 9:6); singular ὅμοιος υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου (like unto a son of man), of Christ in the apocalyptic vision, Rev 1:13 (here υἱόν T WH text); (υἱόν T WH) (after Dan 7:13).

2. In Daniel 7:13f, cf. 18, 22, 27, the appellation son of man (ΰΑπΘωΡ áÇÌø) symbolically denotes the fifth kingdom, universal and Messianic; and by this term its humanity is indicated in contrast with the barbarity and ferocity of the four preceding kingdoms (the Babylonian, the Median, the Persian, the Macedonian) typified under the form of beasts (verse 2ff). But in the Book of Enoch (written toward the close of the 2nd century before Christ (but cf. B. D. (especially American edition); Lipsius in Dict. of Chris. Biog. under the word; Dillmann in Herzog (2nd edition, vol. 12, p. 350f); Schodde, Book of Enoch, p. 20ff)) the name ’son of man’ is employed to designate the person of the Messiah: 46, 2f; 48, 2; 62, 7, 9, 14; 63, 11; 69, 26f; 70, 1; 71, 17. (The chapters in which the name occurs are the work, if not of the first author of the book (as Ewald and Dillmann think (but see B. D. American edition, p. 740{b}; and Herzog as above, p. 351)), at least of a Jewish writer (cf. Schrer, Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 32 V. 2, p. 626), certainly not (as Hilgenfeld, Volkmar, Keim, and others imagine) of a Christian interpolator.) In the language of the Jews in Joh 12:34 the titles Χριστός and υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου are used as synonyms.

3. The title ὁ υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, the Son of Man, is used by Jesus of himself (speaking in the third person) in Mat 8:20; Mat 9:6; Mat 10:23; Mat 11:19; Mat 12:8; Mat 12:32; Mat 12:40; Mat 13:37; Mat 13:41; Mat 16:13; Mat 16:27; Mat 17:9; Mat 17:12; Mat 17:22; Mat 18:11 Rec.; (twice); Rec., ; ; Mar 2:10; Mar 2:28; Mar 8:31; Mar 8:38; Mar 9:9; Mar 9:12; Mar 9:31; Mar 10:33; Mar 10:45; Mar 13:26; Mar 14:21; Mar 14:41; Mar 14:62; Luk 5:24; Luk 6:5; Luk 6:22; Luk 7:34; Luk 9:22; Luk 9:26; Luk 9:44; Luk 9:56 Rec., ; ; Joh 1:51 (); (once without the article, Joh 5:27), doubtless in order that (by recalling Dan 7:13 f — not, as some suppose, Psa 8:5) he might thus intimate his Messiahship (as is plain from such passages as ψεσθε τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ... ἐρχόμενον ἐπί τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, Mat 26:64; Mar 14:62, cf. Dan 7:13; τόν υἱόν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ, Mat 16:28; ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπί θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, Mat 19:28); and also (as appears to be the case at least from Mar 2:28, where ὁ υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου stands in emphatic antithesis to the repeated ὁ ἄνθρωπος preceding), that he might designate himself as the head of the human race, the man κατ’ ἐξοχήν, the one who both furnished the pattern of the perfect man and acted on behalf of all mankind. Christ seems to have preferred this to the other Messianic titles, because by its lowliness it was least suited to foster the expectation of an earthly Messiah in royal splendor. There are no traces of the application of the name to Jesus in the apostolic age except in the speech of Stephen, Act 7:56, and that of James, the brother of Jesus, in a fragment from Hegesippus given in Eus. h. e. 2, 23 (25), 13, each being a reminiscence of the words of Jesus in Mat 26:64 (to which may be added, from the apostolic fathers, Ignatius ad Ephes. 20, 2 [ET] ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τῷ κατά σάρκα ἐκ γενοῦ Δαυίδ, τῷ υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου καί υἱῷ Θεοῦ). This disuse was owing no doubt to the fact that the term did not seem to be quite congruous with the divine nature and celestial majesty of Christ; hence, in the Epistle of Barnabas 12, 10 [ET] we read, Ἰησοῦς οὐχ υἱός ἀνθρώπου (i. e. like Joshua)), ἀλλ’ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ (cf. Harnack’s note on the passage). On this title, see especially Holtzmann in Hilgenfeld’s Zeitschr. für wissenschaftl. Theol., 1865, p. 212ff; Keim, ii, p. 63ff. ((English translation, vol. iii., p. 79ff); Immer, Theol. d. N. T., p. 105ff; Westcott’s Commentary on John, p. 33f; and other references in Meyer on Mat 8:20; B. D. American edition, under the word ).

STRONGS NT 5207b: υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦυἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ son of God;

1. in a physical sense, in various applications: originating by direct creation, not begotten by man — as the first man Adam, Luk 3:38; Jesus, begotten of the Holy Ghost without the intervention of a human father, Luk 1:35; in a heathen sense, as uttered by the Roman centurion of Jesus, a ’demigod’ or ’hero’, Mat 27:54; Mar 15:39.

2. in a metaphysical sense, in various applications: plural, of men, who although the issue of human parents yet could not come into being without the volition of God, the primary author of all things, Heb 2:10, cf. vss. 11, 13; of men as partaking of immortal life after the resurrection, and thus becoming more closely related to God, Luk 20:36; of angels, as beings superior to men, and more closely akin to God, Deu 32:43; for àÁìÉäÄéí áÀÌðÅé in the Sept. of Gen 6:2; Gen 6:4; Psa 28:1 (); Psa 88:7 () (a phrase which in Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7 is translated ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ); in the highest sense Jesus Christ is called ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ as of a nature superhuman and closest to God: Rom 1:4; Rom 8:3; Gal 4:4; and especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Heb 1:2(1),; . (Cf. B. D. under the word , and references in American edition)

3. in a theocratic sense: of kings and magistrates, as vicegerents of God the supreme ruler, 2Sa 7:14; Psa 2:7; υἱοί ὑψιτου, Psa 81:6 (); πρωτότοκος (namely, τοῦ Θεοῦ), of the king of Israel, Psalm 88:28 (). In accordance with Psa 2:7 and 2Sa 7:14, the Jews called the Messiah ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ pre-eminently, as the supreme representative of God, and equipped for his Office with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, i. e. endued with divine power beyond any of the sons of men, Enoch 105, 2. In the N. T. it is used of Jesus — in the utterances of the devil, Mat 4:3; Mat 4:6; Luk 4:3; Luk 4:9; in passages where Jesus is addressed by this title by others, Mat 8:29; Mat 14:33; Mat 27:40; Mat 27:43; Mar 3:11; Mar 5:7; Luk 4:41; Luk 8:28; Luk 22:70; Joh 19:7; Act 8:37 Rec.; ; υἱός τοῦ ὑψίστου, Luk 1:32; in the language of Jesus concerning himself, Mat 28:19; Joh 9:35; Joh 10:36, cf. Mat 21:37; Mar 12:6; besides, in Rev 2:18; ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ (ὁ) βασιλεύς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, Joh 1:49 (50); ὁ Χριστός ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, Mat 26:63; Joh 11:27; Ἰησοῦς Χριστός υἱός τοῦ (L Tr WH margin omit τοῦ) Θεοῦ Mar 1:1 (here T WH text omit (see WH’s Appendix, p. 23)); ὁ Χριστός ὁ υἱός τοῦ εὐλογητοῦ, Mar 14:61; with the added ethical idea of one who enjoys intimate contact with God: ὁ Χριστός ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶντος, Mat 16:16, and Rec. in Joh 6:69. in the solemn utterances of God concerning Jesus: ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, Mat 3:17; Mat 17:5; Mar 1:11; Mar 9:7; Luk 3:22; Luk 9:35 (R G L text); 2Pe 1:17, cf. Mat 2:15.

4. in an ethical sense with very, various reference; those whom God esteems as sons, whom he loves, protects and benefits above others: so of the Jews, Deu 14:1; Wis 12:19 ff Wis 18:4; υἱοί καί θυγατέρες τοῦ Θεοῦ, Isa 43:6; Wis 9:7; πρωτότοκος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Exo 4:22; in the N. T. of Christians, Rom 9:26; Rev 21:7; those whose character God, as a loving father, shapes by chastisement, Heb 12:5-8; those who revere God as their father, the pious worshippers of God, Wis 2:13 (here παῖς κυρίου),18; those who in character and life resemble God (Sir 9:10 υἱοί ὑπιστου; (cf. Epictetus dissert. 1, 9, 6)): Mat 5:9; Mat 5:45; υἱοί ὑψίστου, Luk 6:35; υἱοί καί θυγατέρες, spoken of Christians, 2Co 6:18; those who are governed by the Spirit of God, Rom 8:14 (ὅσοι πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοι υἱοί εἰσί τοῦ Θεοῦ), repose the same calm and joyful trust in God which children do in their parents, Rom 8:14 ff; Gal 3:26; Gal 4:6 f, and hereafter in the blessedness and glory of the life eternal will openly wear this dignity of sons of God, Rom 8:19 (ἀποκάλυψις τόν υἱῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ), cf. 1Jn 3:2 (see τέκνον, b. γ (and references)), preeminently of "Jesus, as enjoying the supreme love of God, united to him in affectionate intimacy, privy to his saving counsels, obedient to the Father’s will in all his acts": Mat 11:27; Luk 10:22; Joh 3:35; Joh 5:19 f. In many passages of the writings of John and of Paul, this ethical sense so blends with the metaphysical and the theocratic, that it is often very difficult to decide which of these elements is predominant in a particular case: Joh 1:34; Joh 3:17; Joh 5:21-23; Joh 5:25; Joh 6:40; Joh 8:35; Joh 11:4; Joh 14:13; Joh 17:1; 1Jn 1:3; 1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 2:22-24; 1Jn 3:8; 1Jn 3:23; 1Jn 4:10; 1Jn 4:14; 1Jn 5:5; 1Jn 5:9-13; 1Jn 5:20; 2Jn 1:3; 2Jn 1:9; Rom 1:3; Rom 1:9; Rom 5:10; Rom 8:3; Rom 8:29; Rom 8:32; 1Co 1:9; 1Co 15:28; 2Co 1:19; Gal 1:16; Gal 2:20; Eph 4:13; 1Th 1:10; ὁ υἱός τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ (i. e. God’s), Col 1:13; ὁ Χριστός ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ Joh 20:31; ὁ μονογενής υἱός, Joh 1:18 (here Tr WH μονογενής Θεός, L marginal reading ὁ μονογονης Θεοῦ (see μονογενής and references)); Joh 3:18; ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μονογονης, Joh 3:16; 1Jn 4:9 (see μονογενής). It can hardly be doubted that a reverent regard for the transcendent difference which separates Christ from all those who by his grace are exalted to the dignity of sons of God led John always to call Christians τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ, not as Paul does υἱοί and τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ indiscriminately; the like reverence moved Luther to translate the plural υἱοί τοῦ Θεοῦ everywhere by Kinder Gottes; (cf., however, τέκνον, b. γ. and references). This appellation is not found in 2 Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, the Pastoral Epistles, nor in 1 Peter or in the Epistle of James.