Matthew 22 42

Matthew 22:42 kjv

Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

Matthew 22:42 nkjv

saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David."

Matthew 22:42 niv

"What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.

Matthew 22:42 esv

saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David."

Matthew 22:42 nlt

"What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "He is the son of David."

Matthew 22 verses

Matthew 22 42 Meaning

Matthew 22:42 records Jesus' pivotal question to the gathered Pharisees concerning their understanding of the Messiah. He asks for their opinion on "the Christ" (the Anointed One, or Messiah) and specifically, "Whose Son is He?" Their prompt and expected response, "The Son of David," reflects the widely accepted Jewish belief that the Messiah would be a lineal descendant of King David. This seemingly straightforward answer sets the stage for Jesus' deeper challenge (in subsequent verses) to expose the limitations of their earthly, political Messianic expectations, hinting at the Messiah's dual nature as both David's human heir and David's divine Lord.

Matthew 22 42 Context

Matthew chapter 22 recounts Jesus' final major public confrontations with various Jewish religious factions in Jerusalem during the week leading up to His crucifixion. Prior to verse 42, Jesus has deftly handled challenges from the Herodians about paying taxes to Caesar (22:15-22), the Sadducees about resurrection (22:23-33), and the Pharisees about the greatest commandment (22:34-40). Having silenced all His opponents and asserted His authority and wisdom, Jesus takes the initiative in 22:41 to turn the tables and pose a question to the Pharisees. This verse (22:42) initiates Jesus' culminating inquiry, designed not to trap them, but to reveal the limitations and superficiality of their understanding of the Messiah, setting the stage for His profound revelation regarding the Messiah's dual nature in the verses that follow (22:43-45).

Matthew 22 42 Word analysis

• "saying" (λέγων - legōn): This is a present participle, indicating an active and ongoing initiation by Jesus. It highlights that He wasn't responding defensively but was deliberately setting the terms of engagement and challenging their preconceived notions.

• "What think ye" / "What do you think" (τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ - ti hymin dokei): Literally "what seems to you." This Greek idiom requests their established opinion or theological conclusion, rather than merely a simple answer. Jesus seeks to engage their deepest understanding concerning the Messiah, thereby revealing the boundaries of their theological framework.

• "of Christ" / "about the Christ" (περὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ - peri tou Christou): The Greek word Christos (Χριστός) translates the Hebrew Mashiach (מָשִׁיחַ), meaning "Anointed One." The definite article (tou) before "Christ" signifies that Jesus is referring to "the" awaited, definitive Anointed One, the long-prophesied Messiah. He challenges their foundational belief in this specific figure.

• "whose son is he?" (τίνος υἱός ἐστιν - tinos huios estin): This is a direct, pivotal question about the Messiah's lineage and identity. It zeroes in on the most common understanding of the Messiah's origin, aiming to use this acknowledged truth as a springboard for a deeper revelation.

• "They say unto him" / "They said to him" (Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ - Legousin autō): This highlights the immediacy, certainty, and unanimous agreement of the Pharisees' response, underscoring their confident belief in the traditional Messianic lineage.

• "The Son of David" (Τοῦ Δαυίδ - Tou Dauid): This is the well-established Messianic title rooted in God's covenant with King David (2 Sam 7) and prophecies like Isaiah 9:6-7. It correctly identifies the Messiah as a human descendant of David who would occupy his throne. It represents the orthodox and universal Jewish expectation of a human king-Messiah, and serves as the entry point for Jesus to then unfold the deeper, divine aspect of the Messiah's identity.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?": Jesus shifts the conversation from His being questioned to His questioning His interrogators. This masterful move underscores His authority. By coupling "the Christ" with "whose son," Jesus focuses directly on their understanding of Messianic identity, particularly its genealogical aspect. This initial inquiry acknowledges their correct belief in a human lineage but simultaneously prepares to reveal the incompleteness and inadequacy of that belief if it lacks the recognition of divine nature.
  • "They said to him, 'The Son of David.'": The Pharisees' immediate and confident answer is accurate within Jewish messianic theology; the Messiah is the Son of David. However, their prompt reply, without further nuance, indicates a perhaps superficial or incomplete understanding of the Messiah that fails to integrate His divine characteristics, focusing solely on the expected earthly king from David's line. This conventional answer serves as a backdrop against which Jesus will unveil a profound paradox in the subsequent verses (Matt 22:43-45) by quoting Psalm 110:1.

Matthew 22 42 Bonus section

This moment marks the strategic culmination of Jesus' public ministry of teaching and debating with the Jewish religious authorities in Matthew's Gospel. The specific formulation of the question and the Pharisees' predictable response set up a crucial theological pivot point: if the Messiah is merely David's descendant, how can David himself call Him "Lord" in the Spirit (as referenced in Ps 110:1, Matt 22:43-45)? This profound paradox underscores the duality of the Messiah's nature: fully human (Son of David) and fully divine (David's Lord). The Pharisees' inability to reconcile these truths exposed their theological blindness and superficiality in anticipating only an earthly liberator, thus providing further justification for Jesus' ultimate condemnation of their leadership and ushering in His final teachings before His passion. It illustrates that correct historical fact (Davidic lineage) is insufficient without a comprehensive understanding of Christ's supernatural identity. After this interaction, Matthew 22:46 explicitly states, "And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions," signifying Jesus' conclusive victory in these public confrontations.

Matthew 22 42 Commentary

Matthew 22:42 encapsulates Jesus' brilliant tactic of shifting from being a recipient of challenges to being the instigator of a theological inquiry, particularly concerning the Messiah. By asking the Pharisees, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?", Jesus doesn't seek new information; He seeks to expose the limits of their current knowledge and spark a deeper revelation. Their answer, "The Son of David," while entirely correct concerning the Messiah's lineage as promised in Old Testament prophecies (e.g., 2 Sam 7), represents the common but often restricted Jewish expectation of a human king who would free Israel from Roman rule. Jesus implicitly acknowledges the truth of this human descent but is about to reveal that the Messiah is far more than just a man from David's line. This verse functions as the essential preamble to Jesus' profound statement on the Messiah's pre-eminence and divine nature as revealed in the subsequent verses through the interpretation of Psalm 110:1, where David himself calls the Messiah "Lord." Jesus aims to move them from a merely physical or nationalistic expectation to an understanding of a Christ who is both human (Son of David) and divine (Lord of David).