He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?
Parallel translations
- KJV And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?
- BSB Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?
- NKJV And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?
- NASB But He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?
- NLT Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David?
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
Jesus turns the questioning around, asking how the Christ can be called David's son.
Overview
Having silenced His critics, Jesus now poses His own question about the identity of the Messiah. The common expectation was that the Christ would simply be a descendant of David. Jesus presses deeper, preparing to reveal that the Messiah is far greater than a mere earthly king.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Mark 12:35–37Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
- Matt 1:1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
- Matt 22:41–45Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
- Isa 11:1–2A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
- Luke 18:38–39He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!”
- Jer 23:5–6“Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
- Rom 1:3–4concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh,
- Acts 2:30Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
- Isa 9:6–7For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Jer 33:15–16“In those days, and at that time, I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
- John 7:42Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
- Jer 33:21then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
- Rev 22:16I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star.”
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 20:41 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.