"The Tanakh knows nothing of a divine Son"
The claim, stated fairly
Any idea of God having a Son or sharing his throne is foreign to the Hebrew Bible.
The Tanakh itself has God speaking in the plural, the LORD raining fire "from the LORD", an angel who carries God's name, and a son of man given an everlasting kingdom.
"Let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1:26). "The LORD caused to rain upon Sodom... from the LORD out of heaven" (Genesis 19:24). God sends an angel and says "My name is in him" (Exodus 23:21). "What is His name, and what is His son's name, if thou knowest?" (Proverbs 30:4).
Daniel sees thrones set up and one like a son of man given everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:9, 13-14). The Talmud records Rabbi Akiva explaining the thrones as "one for Him and one for David" (Chagigah 14a; Sanhedrin 38b).
The text
26וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
26And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’
WEB/WMB: God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
24וַֽיהוָ֗ה הִמְטִ֧יר עַל־סְדֹ֛ם וְעַל־עֲמֹרָ֖ה גָּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
24Then the LORD caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
WEB/WMB: Then the LORD rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of the sky.
Genesis 19:24 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
20הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י שֹׁלֵ֤חַ מַלְאָךְ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ֖ בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ וְלַהֲבִ֣יאֲךָ֔ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃ 21הִשָּׁ֧מֶר מִפָּנָ֛יו וּשְׁמַ֥ע בְּקֹל֖וֹ אַל־תַּמֵּ֣ר בּ֑וֹ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשָּׂא֙ לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י שְׁמִ֖י בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃
20Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21Take heed of him, and hearken unto his voice; be not rebellious against him; for he will not pardon your transgression; for My name is in him.
WEB/WMB: “Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
Exodus 23:20-21 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
4מִ֤י עָלָֽה־שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ר֨וּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו מִ֤י צָֽרַר־מַ֨יִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ מַה־שְּׁמ֥וֹ וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּ֝נ֗וֹ כִּ֣י תֵדָֽע׃
4Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?
WEB/WMB: Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
Proverbs 30:4 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
13חָזֵ֤ה הֲוֵית֙ בְּחֶזְוֵ֣י לֵֽילְיָ֔א וַאֲרוּ֙ עִם־עֲנָנֵ֣י שְׁמַיָּ֔א כְּבַ֥ר אֱנָ֖שׁ אָתֵ֣ה הֲוָ֑ה וְעַד־עַתִּ֤יק יֽוֹמַיָּא֙ מְטָ֔ה וּקְדָמ֖וֹהִי הַקְרְבֽוּהִי׃ 14וְלֵ֨הּ יְהִ֤יב שָׁלְטָן֙ וִיקָ֣ר וּמַלְכ֔וּ וְכֹ֣ל עַֽמְמַיָּ֗א אֻמַיָּ֛א וְלִשָּׁנַיָּ֖א לֵ֣הּ יִפְלְח֑וּן שָׁלְטָנֵ֞הּ שָׁלְטָ֤ן עָלַם֙ דִּֽי־לָ֣א יֶעְדֵּ֔ה וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּ דִּי־לָ֥א תִתְחַבַּֽל׃
13I saw in the night visions, And, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven One like unto a son of man, And he came even to the Ancient of days, And he was brought near before Him. 14And there was given him dominion, And glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and languages Should serve him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
WEB/WMB: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13-14 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
In the New Covenant
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 (WMB)
61But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?” 62Yeshua said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”
Mark 14:61-62 (WMB)
Where scholars disagree
Jewish interpreters read the plural as a royal plural or God addressing his court, and Exodus 23 as an angel acting with authority. These readings are possible; together the passages show the Tanakh leaves room for what the New Covenant says.
Sources
- Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 14a; Sanhedrin 38b
- Rashi on Genesis 1:26
- Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex. English: JPS 1917; World Messianic Bible (public domain).