Matthew 22:45 kjv
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
Matthew 22:45 nkjv
If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"
Matthew 22:45 niv
If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"
Matthew 22:45 esv
If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
Matthew 22:45 nlt
Since David called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?"
Matthew 22 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 110:1 | The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand..." | Original prophecy Jesus cites. |
| Mk 12:35-37 | And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, 'The Lord said to my Lord...' So David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" | Parallel account in Mark. |
| Lk 20:41-44 | Then he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord...' David thus calls him Lord, and how is he his son?" | Parallel account in Luke. |
| Acts 2:34-36 | For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord... Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.'" | Peter applies Ps 110:1 to Jesus. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "...I will raise up your offspring after you... and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." | Davidic Covenant, promises an eternal king. |
| Lk 1:31-33 | "...you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." | Gabriel's prophecy: Jesus is David's Son & Lord. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. | Jesus is Davidic heir & Son of God. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. | Exaltation of Christ as Lord. |
| Jn 8:58 | Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." | Jesus' pre-existence and divine nature. |
| Heb 1:3 | He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. | Jesus' divine nature. |
| Rev 22:16 | "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." | Jesus as both David's root (source) & descendant. |
| Mt 1:1 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Jesus' human lineage through David. |
| Is 9:6 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. | Prophecy of Messiah's divine titles. |
| 1 Cor 8:6 | yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. | Jesus' role in creation, identifying Him as Lord. |
| Col 2:9 | For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. | Christ's full deity. |
| Ps 2:7 | He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." | Prophecy of Messiah as Son of God. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days... And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion..." | Messiah's divine, eternal dominion. |
| Mk 14:61-62 | Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." | Jesus affirms His dual identity, fulfilling Ps 110:1. |
| 1 Pet 3:22 | who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. | Jesus' exalted position, fulfilling Ps 110:1. |
| Rev 5:5 | And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." | Jesus is both descendant and source of David. |
| Mt 28:18 | And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." | Jesus' supreme, universal authority. |
Matthew 22 verses
Matthew 22 45 Meaning
Matthew 22:45 is a rhetorical question posed by Jesus to the Pharisees, following their failed attempts to entrap Him with difficult questions. By asking "If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?", Jesus highlights the paradox and the deeper mystery of the Messiah's identity. He challenges the prevailing Jewish understanding, which focused primarily on the Messiah as a human descendant of David (the Son of David). Jesus points to Psalm 110:1, where David himself calls the Messiah "Lord" (Kyrios), suggesting a status far greater than a mere lineal descendant. This implies the Messiah's pre-existence and divine nature, alongside His human lineage. The verse therefore signifies Jesus' true identity as both the Son of David (human) and the Lord of David (divine), emphasizing His sovereign authority and co-equality with God.
Matthew 22 45 Context
Matthew 22 is part of a series of confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem during the week leading up to His crucifixion. After Jesus taught parables like the wedding feast (Mt 22:1-14), the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Him with a question about paying taxes to Caesar (Mt 22:15-22). The Sadducees then attempted to stump Him with a question about the resurrection and marriage (Mt 22:23-33). Finally, a Pharisee, a lawyer, questioned Jesus about the greatest commandment (Mt 22:34-40). Having masterfully answered each of their challenges, Jesus turns the tables. In Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus poses His own question to the Pharisees regarding the Messiah. This verse (22:45) is the core of Jesus' question, intended to reveal the inadequacy of their purely human, earthly understanding of the Messiah and point to His divine nature and ultimate authority as both the Son and Lord of David. The historical context reflects a Jewish populace eagerly awaiting a Davidic king who would liberate them from Roman rule, often overlooking prophecies hinting at the Messiah's divine characteristics.
Matthew 22 45 Word analysis
- If (Εἰ - Ei): Introduces a conditional statement, a logical premise based on Psalm 110:1. It sets up a logical argument, not a genuine doubt, leading to an inescapable conclusion.
- then (οὖν - oun): Connects the premise to its logical consequence. "Therefore," "consequently."
- David (Δαυὶδ - Dauid): Refers to King David, the revered patriarch and prophet. His testimony holds immense authority in Jewish thought.
- calls (καλεῖ - kalei): Implies acknowledging, naming, or attributing a title. This is not a casual remark but a solemn address by a subordinate to a superior.
- Him (αὐτὸν - auton): Refers to the Messiah, whose identity is the subject of the discussion. Jesus is prompting the Pharisees to identify "Him" in the Psalm.
- Lord (Κύριον - Kyrion): This is Kyrios in Greek, the Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Hebrew Adonai, often used as a substitute for Yahweh (YHWH). When David, a king, calls another "Lord," it signifies not just a master but a figure of superior authority, even divinity. For the Jews, calling someone "Lord" implied profound respect, obedience, and recognition of supremacy.
- how (πῶς - pōs): A rhetorical question signaling an apparent paradox. It highlights the contradiction in understanding the Messiah as solely a human son while acknowledging David's calling Him "Lord."
- is He (ἔστιν - estin): Simple present tense of "to be." It denotes the essential nature or relationship.
- his (αὐτοῦ - autou): Possessive, referring back to David.
- Son (υἱὸς - huios): This is huios in Greek, meaning a direct descendant or son. This term directly connects to the common understanding of the Messiah as the Son of David, a lineal heir fulfilling the Davidic Covenant.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "If then David calls Him Lord": This phrase sets the premise, quoting David's own prophetic declaration from Psalm 110:1. It emphasizes David's authoritative acknowledgment of the Messiah's exalted status. The use of "Lord" (Kyrios) here is crucial; David, a king and prophet, bows to a greater "Lord."
- "how is He his Son?": This forms the critical rhetorical question, highlighting the paradox. If the Messiah is merely David's biological descendant (Son), He should logically be subservient to David, not called "Lord" by David himself. This forces a re-evaluation of the Messiah's nature, pointing beyond human lineage to a divine relationship. Jesus uses their own Scripture against their limited understanding, demonstrating the Messiah's pre-existence and deity. This question encapsulates the mystery of Christ: fully God and fully man, Son of David in the flesh, but Lord of David in His divine nature.
Matthew 22 45 Bonus section
The inability of the Pharisees to answer Jesus' question highlighted a fundamental flaw in their theology: they had largely divorced the prophecies of the Messiah's deity from those of His humanity, focusing almost exclusively on the latter for political reasons. Psalm 110:1, often called the "most quoted Psalm in the New Testament," became a cornerstone for early Christian theology concerning Jesus' Messiahship, divine nature, and ascension to God's right hand. It directly points to Christ's present session as ruling Lord. Jesus' use of this Psalm effectively reveals Himself not just as a prophet or a king, but as the anticipated God-Man. His question in Matthew 22:45 is not to teach new information but to challenge existing flawed interpretations and to draw attention to His unique person.
Matthew 22 45 Commentary
Matthew 22:45 serves as Jesus' climactic counter-question in His confrontations with the religious leaders, aiming to expose their incomplete understanding of the Messiah's true identity. The Pharisees held a predominantly earthly, political view of the Messiah as a conquering human king from David's line who would restore Israel's national glory. By quoting Psalm 110:1, where David himself prophetically addresses the Messiah as "my Lord," Jesus challenges this narrow perspective. David calling the Messiah "Lord" implies a being of supreme authority and divine status, one greater than David himself. If the Messiah were only David's biological son, He would be subordinate to His forefather, not referred to as "Lord."
Jesus' rhetorical question, "how is He his Son?", forces the Pharisees to grapple with this theological paradox. The answer, which they could not provide, is that the Messiah must be more than human. He must be both the lineal descendant of David (fulfilling the Davidic covenant and the human aspect of His genealogy) and simultaneously David's divine Lord (reflecting His pre-existence and eternal nature as God). This verse subtly yet profoundly reveals the mystery of the Incarnation—that the Messiah is truly Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, who is fully God and fully man. He is the Son of David according to His humanity (Rom 1:3), but the Lord of David by His divine nature and eternal sonship (Rom 1:4; Phil 2:9-11). The religious leaders were silenced not because they lacked knowledge of Scripture, but because they lacked the spiritual understanding to accept the radical truth of Jesus' divine claims.