“Partakers of Christ”: Davidic Traditions and the Relationship between the Son and the Sons in Hebrews

It has been recently suggested that Jesus’ title in Hebrews as “Son” should be understood as a Davidic title (Heb. 1:5). If this is the case, the relationship between the Davidic king and the nation in the context of the covenantal relation between God and Israel could help us better understand the relationship between the “Son” and the “sons” in Hebrews in the context of the new covenant. This paper explores the theological relationship that exists between the “Son” and the “sons” in the Letter to the Hebrews from the perspective of the Davidic traditions in the Hebrew Bible. It suggests that the function that the Davidic king played as embodiment and representative of the nation in the covenantal relationship between God and Israel explains better the roles of Jesus as priest, forerunner, and sacrificial substitute of believers—the “sons”—in Hebrews.