Hebrews 1:5 εἰς υἱόν ???

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Rob Matlack
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Hebrews 1:5 εἰς υἱόν ???

Post by Rob Matlack »

Hebrews 1:5 . . . καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν
Is there any significance in the author using εἰς υἱόν as opposed to the predicate nominative υἱός (yes I know he is quoting Psa. 2:7 so the same question applies there)? A quick search of the LXX & GNT seems to show the construction with the predicate nominative perhaps slightly more common.

Some places with the εἰς + the accusative construction could be argued to indicate a status or change of status. This could fit nicely with the meaning of the preposition as indicating 1. extension involving a goal or 4. marker of goals involving affective/abstract/suitability aspects (BDAG). For example:
Ruth 4:15 καὶ ἔσται σοι εἰς ἐπιστρέφοντα ψυχὴν
Hebrews 8:10 καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν (depending on how one understands it Israel was God's people, but in the day spoken of in 8:10 their status would change).
In Hebrews 1:5 the status gained would be the name inherited in 1:4.

Some places with the predicate nominative seem to focus more on being than status:
Genesis 17:8 ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς θεός (speaking of the reality of the promise, not a status gained).

But then a verse like Revelation 21:7 confuses things: ὁ νικῶν κληρονομήσει ταῦτα καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ θεὸς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι υἱός.
Rob Matlack
"It is not our task to secure the triumph of truth, but merely to fight on its behalf."--Blaise Pascal
Dmitriy Reznik
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Re: Hebrews 1:5 εἰς υἱόν ???

Post by Dmitriy Reznik »

It seems like this is a Hebraism. In Hebrew, "to be" + preposition "Le" means "to become", e.g. to become a wife, a people, son, father etc.
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