In praise of "sons of men," humanity!
Psalms as "sons of men" or "children of men" in various translations.
Themes are about humanity's place in creation, relationship with God because we share many things that reflect the one God.
NOTE they don’t eulogize humans in the sense of praising them independently but rather in relation to God’s grace, creation, and care.
The focus is often on humanity’s dependence on God or their honored yet humble status in the divine order.
READ some examples from Psalms 8; 33; 107; 144
In the OT: ben adam
Appears 107 times in the Hebrew Bible, the majority (93 times) in the Book of Ezekiel.
Elsewhere used for humanity in general. Numbers 23.19 (NAU)
"God is not a man, that He should lie; nor a son of man, that He should repent.”
The title never refers to an angel, let alone God Himself. If anything, the opposite is shown.
Psalm 8:3-5 (NIV):
- "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor."
Context: This psalm reflects on the dignity and worth of humanity, marveling at how God has elevated the "sons of men" despite their smallness compared to the vastness of creation.
Themes: praises God’s majesty (v. 1) while marveling at humanity’s exalted status as "crowned with glory and honor" (v. 5), directly linking the two.
In the NT: huios tou anthropos
Jesus’ favorite self-designation, “82 times in the Gospels; see also Acts 7.56; Rev 1.13; 14.14”, (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p 1383). Or around 80 times in only 120 or so Gospel pages (using the NASB)!
From the most cited OT verse by NT, Daniel 7:13. For example, John 5:27a reads: “And he [God] gave him [son of man] authority…” And Dan 7:14a: “And authority was given to him [son of man]…” Then John 5:27b tells us why: “Because he is son of man [i.e., a human being].” And Dan 7:13 has already identified the subject as the same exalted, glorified human being.
In fact, the humanity of Jesus is so important that later Paul warns “if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed” (2Cor 11:4) or “a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you” (Gal 1:8), they run the risk of putting themselves under a curse!
Read: Hebrews 2:5-14 Humanity text applied to a single human person, the ultimate fulfillment of humanity’s intended glory. While humanity fell short due to sin, Jesus, as the perfect human, embodies the "son of man" who is crowned with glory and honor through His resurrection and ascension.
Other echoes: Ephesians 1:22 "And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church";
Matt 28:18: After His resurrection, Jesus declares, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Read: 1Cor 15:20-28 Paul alludes to Psalm 8:6, stating, “For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’” And echoes the idea of dominion from Psalm 8, applying it to Christ’s authority.
Psalm 33:13-15 (NIV):
"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."
Context: This passage highlights God’s omniscience and care over humanity, portraying the "sons of men" as subjects of divine observation and creation.
NOTE Creation by the word of God, cp. John 1:1-3.
Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV):
- "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."
- *Context*: This psalm praises God’s goodness toward humanity, celebrating His provision for the "sons of men."
Psalm 144:3-4 (NIV):
- "Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow."
- *Context*: Here, the psalmist ponders the fleeting nature of human life, yet acknowledges God’s attention to the "sons of men," emphasizing both humility and divine regard.
ADDENDUM: Davidic king as:
The unique procreated human son of God, Ps 2.7; cp. LXX 109:3;
Called god, Ps 45.6;
Called savior, 1Sam 9:16;
Called the shepherd of Israel, Ps 78:70-72; like God Himself, 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd";
Elsewhere worshiped along with God because he is allowed to sit on His throne, 1Chron 29:20-23; cp. redeemed Israel worshiped and prayed to by the nations, Isa 45:14.
The anointed, consecrated holy one of God, 1Sam 26.9;
Like the angel of the LORD when it comes to judging and all-knowing, 2Sam 14.17-20
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