Summary: “Son of God: From Pharaoh to Israel’s Kings to Jesus” by James K. Hoffmeier
Hoffmeier traces the concept of divine sonship from ancient Egypt through Israelite kingship to its eventual application to Jesus in the New Testament, arguing that the title “Son of God” has deep roots in Near Eastern royal ideology rather than in Hellenistic Greek religion.
Egyptian Divine Kingship
Egyptian pharaohs were called “son of Re” in virtually every royal inscription. This divine sonship was conferred at coronation — the pharaoh was understood to become the incarnation of Horus, son of Re, upon assuming the throne. The king’s five royal names embedded this theology, and epithets like “great god” and “image of a deity” reinforced his divine status.
Israelite Kingship
Israel was initially resistant to human kingship, since God alone was considered king. Yet once the monarchy was established, Egyptian influence on Israelite royal ideology is plausible given the close political ties between Solomon’s court and the 21st Dynasty pharaohs. Two key biblical passages — 2 Samuel 7:14 (“I will be his father, and he shall be my son”) and Psalm 2:7 (“You are my son; today I have begotten you”) — reflect an adoptionist concept of kingship whereby the Hebrew king becomes son of God at his coronation/anointing. Scholars debate whether this derives from Egyptian influence, Mesopotamian adoption formulas, or Semitic covenant/treaty language, with many seeing a blend of covenant and adoption concepts.
Application to Jesus
Hoffmeier argues that the New Testament’s “Son of God” Christology is best understood against this Hebrew royal background rather than Hellenistic religion. The baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22) echoes the royal anointing ceremony: the Spirit descends, and a voice from heaven quotes Psalm 2:7 — a coronation psalm. This parallels how the spirit of God came upon Hebrew kings at their anointing.
Conclusion
Hoffmeier concludes that the idea of Jesus as Son of God flows naturally from Israelite royal theology, which itself may have been shaped in part by Egyptian concepts. He further suggests that Egypt’s long familiarity with the king as “son of god” may explain why Christianity spread so rapidly and deeply there in the early centuries of the Common Era.
