# בן האלהים



## Ander

What is the difference (if there is any) between בן אלהים and בן האלהים ? Both are to be found in the Bible or in translations of the New Testament into Hebrew.


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## xxronellexx

The ה acts as the word 'the' 
So בן אלהים means amongst/between g-d
and בן האלהים means amongst/between *the* (one and only) g-d


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## Tamar

I agree that ה is "the", but I bet Ander is talking about "son of god" (between = בין, son = בן). 

בן אלוהים would be "*a* son of god", בן האלוהים would be "*the* son of god".


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## amikama

I agree with Tamar


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## Ander

Yes it is "son of God" in Hebrew that I'm talking about, not "the son of God" or "a son of God", and of course not "between God".

The Gospel of Mark 1:1 says in English:

 "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

In a French translation it is "Jesus Christ Fils de Dieu (Son of God)"

This is translated in my two Hebrew versions as:

תחלת בשורת ישוע המשיח בן אלהימ

תחלת הבשורה לישוע המשיח בן האלהימ

I guess the first one translates "son of God" and the other "the son of God". Why shouldn't it be  הבן האלהימ btw?

The original Greek says literally "son of the God" or "son of God" depending on the manuscripts. So I think the Hebrew translations are each based on a different Greek version.


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## Nunty

I'm at the office now, but I think I have a Hebrew translation with linguistic apparatus at home. I'll check in a few hours. Which two translations are you using?


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## berndf

Ander said:


> Why shouldn't it be הבן האלהי*ם* btw?


 
In compound noun expressions like בן אלהים the first constituent is already considered definite and cannot receive a definite article, i.e. a ה prefix. Only the last part can receive a definite article. When I leaned this I found it very confusing because it does not allow you do differentiate between "a son of the god" and "the son of a god". I would be grateful if someone could explain me why this is not a problem.


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## Ander

Nun-Translator said:


> I'm at the office now, but I think I have a Hebrew translation with linguistic apparatus at home. I'll check in a few hours. Which two translations are you using?



The problem is solved for me. I'm a bit ashamed as I should have known the difference between ben Elohim and ben ha-Elohim from the beginning.

Tamar gave me the answer and I checked with "Hebrew grammar" in Wikipedia. The first one is "son of God" and the second "the son of God".

The two translations are "The New Testament in Hebrew and French" from the Trinitarian Bible Society in London, and "'Sifrey ha-Brit ha-'Hadashah" from the United Bible Societies, Yanetz Ltd Jerusalem.


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## Ander

I have another question about the translation of "son of God".

Someone who seems to be proficient in Hebrew keeps translating "son of God" by בנו של אלוקים without giving any explanations when asked for it. 

I understand it as meaning "his son (is) of God". Why that strange translation when ben Elohim or ben ha-Elohim is so simple?

I know of course why it is אלוקים and not אלהים


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## vivnara

בנו של אלוקים also means "son of God". It's a more refined way of saying it. I don't know what the exact rule is in Hebrew, but a double genetive in this case is permissible, and doesn't translate as "his son of God", just as בתה  של מרים would be Miriam's daughter, or בבימויו של מייק לי means directed by Mike Leigh


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## Ander

vivnara said:


> בנו של אלוקים also means "son of God". It's a more refined way of saying it. I don't know what the exact rule is in Hebrew, but a double genetive in this case is permissible, and doesn't translate as "his son of God", just as בתה  של מרים would be Miriam's daughter, or בבימויו של מייק לי means directed by Mike Leigh



Thanks a lot Vivnara. I was really puzzled by that form and also puzzled by the fact that no one gave me an explanation up to now.

In dialectal German, in Alsatian for example, the double genitive exists. We have a musician band in Alsace called "em Remes sini Band" which translates as "of Remes his band". 

So I'll make some research about that Hebrew form.


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