Luke 20:41
New International Version
Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?

New Living Translation
Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David?

English Standard Version
But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?

Berean Standard Bible
Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?

Berean Literal Bible
And He said to them, "How do they declare the Christ to be Son of David?

King James Bible
And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?

New King James Version
And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?

New American Standard Bible
But He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?

NASB 1995
Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?

NASB 1977
And He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?

Amplified Bible
Then He said to them, “How is it that people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is David’s son?

Christian Standard Bible
Then he said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is the son of David?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then He said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is the Son of David?

American Standard Version
And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David's son?

Contemporary English Version
Jesus asked, "Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David?

English Revised Version
And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David's son?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus said to them, "How can people say that the Messiah is David's son?

Good News Translation
Jesus asked them, "How can it be said that the Messiah will be the descendant of David?

International Standard Version
Then he asked them, "How can people say that the Messiah is David's son?

Majority Standard Bible
Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?

NET Bible
But he said to them, "How is it that they say that the Christ is David's son?

New Heart English Bible
He said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ is David's son?

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to them, How say they that Christ is David's son?

Weymouth New Testament
But He asked them, "How is it they say that the Christ is a son of David?

World English Bible
He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He said to them, “How do they say the Christ is [the] son of David,

Berean Literal Bible
And He said to them, "How do they declare the Christ to be Son of David?

Young's Literal Translation
And he said unto them, 'How do they say the Christ to be son of David,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he said to them, how say they Christ to be son of David?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he said to them: How say they that Christ is the son of David?

Catholic Public Domain Version
But he said to them: “How can they say that the Christ is the son of David?

New American Bible
Then he said to them, “How do they claim that the Messiah is the Son of David?

New Revised Standard Version
Then he said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is David’s son?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said to them, How can the scribes say concerning the Christ, that he is son of David?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He said to them, “How do the Scribes say about The Messiah that he is the son of David?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But he said to them: How say they that the Christ is the son of David?

Godbey New Testament
And He said to them; How do they say that the Christ is the son of David?

Haweis New Testament
Then he spake to them: How say they that the Messiah is the son of David?

Mace New Testament
But Jesus said to them, you affirm the Messiah must be descended from David, how can that be?

Weymouth New Testament
But He asked them, "How is it they say that the Christ is a son of David?

Worrell New Testament
And He said to them, "How say they that the Christ is David's Son?

Worsley New Testament
And He said unto them, How do they say, that Christ is the son of David?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Whose Son is the Christ?
40And they did not dare to question Him any further. 41Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David? 42For David himself says in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand…

Cross References
Matthew 22:41-46
While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them: / “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered. / Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says: ...

Mark 12:35-37
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? / Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’ / David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?” And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.

Psalm 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Acts 2:34-35
For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand / until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’

Hebrews 1:13
Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?

Romans 1:3-4
regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh, / and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”

Matthew 1:1
This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Romans 9:5
Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. / Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

Jeremiah 23:5-6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. / In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

John 7:42
Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”

Acts 13:22-23
After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’ / From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said to them, How say they that Christ is David's son?

How.

Matthew 22:41,42
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, …

Mark 12:35
And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?

Christ.

Luke 18:38,39
And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me…

Isaiah 9:6,7
For 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, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace…

Isaiah 11:1,2
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: …

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Christ David David's Jesus
Luke 20
1. Jesus confirms his authority by a question of John's baptism.
9. The parable of the vineyard.
19. Of giving tribute to Caesar.
27. He instructs the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection.
41. How Jesus is the Son of David.
45. He warns his disciples to beware of the scribes.














Then Jesus said to them
This phrase marks the beginning of a significant teaching moment by Jesus. The context is crucial here; Jesus is addressing the religious leaders who have been questioning His authority. The Greek word for "said" is "εἶπεν" (eipen), which is often used to denote authoritative speech. Jesus is not merely conversing; He is imparting wisdom and challenging the understanding of those who consider themselves learned in the Scriptures. This moment is a turning point where Jesus shifts from being questioned to questioning, demonstrating His divine authority and wisdom.

How can it be said
Here, Jesus introduces a rhetorical question, a common teaching method in rabbinic tradition. The phrase "can it be said" suggests a challenge to the prevailing interpretations of Scripture. The Greek word "λέγεται" (legetai) implies a public or common saying, indicating that Jesus is addressing a widely accepted belief or teaching. This approach invites His listeners to think critically and reflect on their understanding of the Scriptures, encouraging them to move beyond surface-level interpretations.

that the Christ is the Son of David?
This phrase is central to the messianic expectations of the Jewish people. The title "Christ" (Χριστός, Christos) means "Anointed One," and it is synonymous with the Hebrew "Messiah." The expectation that the Messiah would be a descendant of David is rooted in several Old Testament prophecies, such as 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Isaiah 11:1. By questioning this, Jesus is not denying His Davidic lineage but is instead prompting a deeper understanding of the Messiah's identity. The term "Son of David" was a common messianic title, but Jesus is leading His audience to recognize that the Messiah is more than just a political or earthly king; He is divine.

(41, 42) How say they that Christ is David's son?--Better, that the Christ. See Notes on Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37. The implied subject of the verb is clearly, as in St. Mark, "the scribes." St. Luke agrees with St. Mark in not giving the preliminary question, "What think ye of Christ? . . ," which we find in St. Matthew.

Verses 41-44. - The question rejecting Christ's being David's Son. Verse 41. - And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's Son? St. Matthew gives us more details of what went before the following saying of Jesus in which he asserts the Divinity of Messiah. Jesus asked the Pharisees, "What think ye of Christ? whose Son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord," etc.? (Matthew 22:42-44). This is one of the most remarkable sayings of our Lord reported by the synoptists; in it he distinctly claims for himself Divinity, partiei. pation in omnipotence. Unmistakably, lately, under the thinnest veil of parable, Jesus had told the people that he was Messiah For instance, his words in the parable of the "wicked husbandmen;" in the parable of "the pounds;" in his late acts in the temple - driving out the sellers and buyers, allowing the children in the temple to welcome him with Messianic salutation, receiving as Messiah the welcome of the Passover pilgrims and others on Palm Sunday as he entered Jerusalem. In his later parables, too, he had with startling clearness predicted his approaching violent death. Now, Jesus was aware that the capital charge which would be brought against him would be blasphemy, that he had called himself, not only the Messiah, but Divine, the Son of God (John 5:18; John 10:33; Matthew 26:65). He was desirous, then, before the end came, to show from an acknowledged Messianic psalm that if he was Messiah - and unquestionably a large proportion of the people received him as such - he was also Divine. The words of the psalm (110.) indisputably show this, viz. that the coming Messiah was Divine. This, he pointed out to them, was the old faith, the doctrine taught in their own inspired Scriptures. But this was not the doctrine of the Jews in the time of our Lord. They, like the Ebionites in early Christian days, expected for their Messiah a mere "beloved Man." It is most noticeable that the Messianic claim of Jesus, although not, of course, conceded by the scribes, was never protested against by them. That would have been glaringly unpopular. So many of the people, we know, were persuaded of the truth of these pretensions; Jesus had evidently the greatest difficulty to stay the people's enthusiasm in his favour. What the scribes persistently repelled, and in the end condemned him for, was his assertion of Divinity. In this passage he shows from their own Scriptures that whoever was Messiah must be Divine. He spoke over and over again as Messiah; he acted with the power and in the authority of Messiah; he allowed himself on several public occasions to be saluted as such: who would venture, then, to question that he was fully conscious of his Divinity? This conclusion is drawn, not from St. John, but exclusively from the recitals of the three synoptists.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[Jesus] declared,
Εἶπεν (Eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“How
Πῶς (Pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

can it be said that
λέγουσιν (legousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Christ
Χριστὸν (Christon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

is
εἶναι (einai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[the] Son
υἱόν (huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of David?
Δαυὶδ (Dauid)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1138: David, King of Israel. Of Hebrew origin; Dabid, the Israelite king.


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