Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Parallel translations
- WEB Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
- BSB Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
- NKJV Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
- NASB Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
- NLT For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They cite Scripture that the Christ would come from David's offspring and from Bethlehem, David's village. Their objection rests on a genuine prophecy they misapply to Jesus.
Overview
The people correctly recall the biblical prophecy that the Messiah would descend from David and be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Ironically, this is exactly true of Jesus, whose birth in Bethlehem and Davidic lineage the Gospels affirm. Their failure to know the facts of His birth, not a flaw in Scripture, led them to reject Him, showing how ignorance can obscure the very truth that confirms Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Mic 5:2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
- Matt 2:5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
- Jer 23:5Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
- Luke 2:4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
- Luke 2:11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
- Matt 1:1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
- Isa 11:1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
- 1 Sam 16:1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
- Ps 132:11The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
- Ps 89:4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
- 1 Sam 16:18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.
- 1 Sam 16:11–13And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
- John 7:27Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
- 1 Sam 17:58And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
- 1 Sam 16:4And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 7:42 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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