SON
In ancient times married couples strongly desired a male offspring. (Gen. 4:1, 25; 29:32-35) As the psalmist expressed it: “Sons are an inheritance from Jehovah; . . . Happy is the able-bodied man that has filled his quiver with them.” (Ps. 127:3-5) With sons the line of descent was made certain, the name of the forefathers was preserved among posterity, and the hereditary possession of land remained in the family. (Num. 27:8) Israelite women desired to have sons, perhaps entertaining hope that one of their sons might prove to be the “seed” through whom blessings from God would come to mankind, as promised to Abraham. (Gen. 22:18; 1 Sam. 1:5-11) In due time the angel Gabriel announced to Mary, a virgin girl of the tribe of Judah, that she was a “highly favored one,” adding: “You will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you are to call his name Jesus. This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father.”—Luke 1:28, 31, 32.
The Law prescribed that a son was to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. (Lev. 12:3; Luke 1:59; 2:21) After giving birth to a son the mother remained “unclean” for seven days and, additionally, “for thirty-three days more she will stay in the blood of purification.” This meant that she could not come into the holy place nor touch anything holy during this forty-day period. The period was twice as long in the case of the birth of a daughter. (Lev. 12:2-8; Luke 2:22-24) A firstborn son belonged to Jehovah and had to be redeemed with a redemption price.—Num. 18:15, 16.
PARENTAL AUTHORITY
The training and teaching of sons was primarily the responsibility of fathers, though the mother shared in this, particularly when the children were quite young. (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:6-8; 1 Sam. 1:23; Prov. 1:8; Eph. 6:4) As long as a son was in his father’s house, he was subject to the father. Under the Law, sons who grew up to be drunkards and gluttons and who were stubborn and rebellious toward their parents were to be turned over to the judges to be put to death. (Deut. 21:18-21) The parents often arranged for their sons’ marriage. (Gen. 24:2-4; 28:1, 2; Judg. 14:2) On the death of the father the family property was inherited by the sons, the firstborn receiving a double share and assuming headship of the household.—Deut. 21:17; See CHILD, CHILDREN; EDUCATION; INHERITANCE.
BROAD USE OF WORD
The Hebrew word ben and the Greek word hui·osʹ, both meaning “son,” are often used in a sense broader than merely to designate one’s immediate male offspring. “Son” may mean adopted son or son of a foster father (Ex. 2:10; John 1:45), a descendant (grandson, great-grandson, and so forth) (Ex. 1:7; 2 Chron. 35:14; Jer. 35:16; Matt. 12:23), son-in-law.—Compare 1 Chronicles 3:17 and Luke 3:27 (Shealtiel was evidently the son of Jeconiah and the son-in-law of Neri); Luke 3:23, “Joseph, the son of Heli,” evidently, the son-in-law (in this phrase hui·osʹ, “son”, does not appear in the Greek text, but is understood).
USE IN IDENTIFYING
Men were often identified or distinguished by their father’s name or that of a more distant forefather, as, (David) “the son of Jesse.” (1 Sam. 22:7, 9) The Hebrew and Aramaic words ben and bar, “son,” were frequently attached as prefixes to the father’s name, giving the son a surname, as Bar-Jesus (“son of Jesus”). (Acts 13:6) Some versions leave the prefix untranslated; others translate it in most cases; some give the translation in the margin. Or the prefix may be attached to the name because of the circumstances surrounding the birth of the child, as Benammi, meaning “son of my people,” that is, son of my relatives and not the son of foreigners; or Benoni, meaning “son of my sorrow,” Benjamin being so named by his dying mother Rachel.—Gen. 19:38; 35:18.
DESCRIPTIVE USE
Additionally, the word “sons” frequently serves a descriptive purpose, as: Orientals (literally, “sons of the East” [1 Ki. 4:30; Job 1:3, NW, 1957 ed., ftn.]); “anointed ones” (literally, “sons of the oil” [Zech. 4:14, NW, 1960 ed,, ftn.]); members (“sons”) of occupational classes, as, “sons of the prophets” (1 Ki. 20:35) or, “a member [“son”] of the ointment mixers” (Neh. 3:8); returned exiles (“sons of the Exile”) (Ezra 10:7, 16, NW, 1955 ed., ftns.); good-for-nothing men scoundrels (“sons of Belial”). (Judg. 19:22; 20:13, NW, 1953 ed., ftns.) Those who pursue a certain course of conduct, or who manifest a certain characteristic, are designated by such expressions as “sons of the Most High,” “sons of light and sons of day,” “sons of the kingdom,” “sons of the wicked one,” “son of the Devil,” “sons of disobedience.” (Luke 6:35; 1 Thess. 5:5; Matt. 13:38; Acts 13:10; Eph. 2:2) So, too, with the judgment or outcome that corresponds with the characteristic, as, “a subject for Gehenna” (literally, “a son of Gehenna”); “the son of destruction.” (Matt. 23:15; John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3) Isaiah, who prophesied God’s chastisement of Israel called the nation “my threshed ones and the son of my threshing floor.”—Isa. 21:10.
SONS OF GOD
Angels, created by God, are sons of God. (Job 1:6; 38:7) Adam as a creation of God was a son of God. (Luke 3:38) Those judges and rulers in Israel against whom God’s word came were called “sons of the Most High,” doubtless because they held office in Israel as representing the divine rule, though they had transgressed. (Ps. 82:6) Those whom God selects to be joint heirs with his Son Jesus Christ are called “God’s sons.”—Rom. 8:14-17.