Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
Parallel translations
- WEB saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”
- BSB “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.
- NKJV saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
- NASB “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” They *said to Him, “The son of David.”
- NLT “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is 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 asks whose son the Christ is, and they answer 'David's.' Their answer is true but incomplete.
Overview
Jesus probes their understanding of the Messiah, and they rightly affirm He is David's descendant. Yet this answer, while correct, does not capture the Messiah's full dignity. Jesus will press them to see that the Christ is more than merely David's son, setting up the revelation of His divine identity.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- Jer 23:5–6Behold, 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.
- Matt 16:13–17When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
- Amos 9:11In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
- John 6:68–69Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
- Ezek 34:23–24And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
- Isa 9:6–7For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
- Isa 11:1–4And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
- Isa 7:13–14And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
- Matt 1:1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
- Luke 1:69–70And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
- Acts 13:22–23And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
- Matt 21:9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
- Matt 9:27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
- John 7:41–42Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
- Col 3:11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
- John 1:49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
- Matt 14:33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
- Phil 2:9–11Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
- Matt 2:4–6And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
- Rev 5:12–14Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
- 1 Pet 2:4–7To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
- Phil 3:7–10But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
- John 20:28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 22:42 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
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.