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“Son of Man” was a common expression in the Old Testament for “man” or “mankind”, rendered either ben-enosh [“son of man”] or ben-adam[“son of Adam”]. It was the phrase with which God addressed the prophet Ezekiel over 90 times:
The voice said to me: Son of man, stand up! I wish to speak to you ( Ez 2:1).
Often the phrase had a depreciating quality, highlighting human weakness in comparison to God’s strength; from Psalm 8:
When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place—What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? (vss. 4-5).
From the prophet Isaiah:
I, it is I who comfort you. Can you then fear mortals who die, human beings [“sons of men”] who are just grass (51:12).
It is curious then that “Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite title, occurring about 80 times in the gospels. It even appears in His discourses on the second coming:
…you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62).
The one instance it occurs outside the gospels is in the Book of Acts and demonstrates that over time it had become commonly identified with Jesus. About to be martyred, St. Stephen peers into heaven:
When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Manstanding at the right hand of God” (7:54-56).
Some biblical scholars have suggested that Jesus chose the phrase as a title to draw attention to Daniel’s prophetic vision of four kings:
Continued below.
Why Did Jesus Choose the Title ‘Son of Man’?
The voice said to me: Son of man, stand up! I wish to speak to you ( Ez 2:1).
Often the phrase had a depreciating quality, highlighting human weakness in comparison to God’s strength; from Psalm 8:
When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place—What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? (vss. 4-5).
From the prophet Isaiah:
I, it is I who comfort you. Can you then fear mortals who die, human beings [“sons of men”] who are just grass (51:12).
It is curious then that “Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite title, occurring about 80 times in the gospels. It even appears in His discourses on the second coming:
…you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62).
The one instance it occurs outside the gospels is in the Book of Acts and demonstrates that over time it had become commonly identified with Jesus. About to be martyred, St. Stephen peers into heaven:
When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Manstanding at the right hand of God” (7:54-56).
Some biblical scholars have suggested that Jesus chose the phrase as a title to draw attention to Daniel’s prophetic vision of four kings:
Continued below.
Why Did Jesus Choose the Title ‘Son of Man’?
