Matthew 22 · Verse 42

Matthew 22:42

Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
Matthew 22:42, King James Version

Matthew 22:42 in other translations

BSB“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.
WEBsaying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”
ASVsaying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
YLTsaying, ‘What do ye think concerning the Christ? of whom is he son?' They say to him, ‘Of David.'
DARBYsaying, What think ye concerning the Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, David's.
BBEWhat is your opinion of the Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, The Son of David.
WebsterSaying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, The son of David.

What does Matthew 22:42 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 42. What think ye Of Christ? What are your views respecting THE MESSIAH, or the Christ, especially respecting his genealogy? He did not ask them their views respecting him in general, but only respecting his ancestry. The article should have been retained in the translation--the Christ, or the Messiah. He did not ask them their opinion respecting himself, his person, and work, as would seem in our translation; but their views respecting the Messiah whom they expected.

Whose son is he? Whose descendant? Mt 1:1.

The son of David. The descendant of David, according to the promise.

(n) "What think ye" Mk 12:35, Lk 20:41

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 42 What think ye of Christ? - Or, What are your thoughts concerning The Christ - the Messiah; for to this title the emphatic article should always be added. Whose son is he? - From what family is he to spring? They say unto him, The son of David - This was a thing well known among the Jews, and universally acknowledged, see Joh 7:42; and is a most powerful proof against them that the Messiah is come. Their families are now so perfectly confounded that they cannot trace back any of their genealogies with any degree of certainty: nor have they been capable of ascertaining the different families of their tribes for more than sixteen hundred years. Why, then, should the spirit of prophecy assert so often, and in such express terms, that Jesus was to come from the family of David; if he should only make his appearance when the public registers were all demolished, and it would be impossible to ascertain the family? Is it not evident that God designed that the Messiah should come at a time when the public genealogies might be inspected, to prove that it was he who was prophesied of, and that no other was to be expected? The evangelists, Matthew and Luke, were so fully convinced of the conclusiveness of this proof that they had recourse to the public registers; and thus proved to the Jews, from their own records, that Jesus was born of the family mentioned by the prophets. Nor do we find that a scribe, Pharisee, or any other, ever attempted to invalidate this proof, though it would have essentially subserved their cause, could they have done it. But as this has not been done, we may fairly conclude it was impossible to do it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 22:41-46

When Christ baffled his enemies, he asked what thoughts they had of the promised Messiah? How he could be the Son of David and yet his Lord? He quotes Psa 110:1. If the Christ was to be a mere man, who would not exist till many ages after David's death, how could his forefather call him Lord? The Pharisees could not answer it. Nor can any solve the difficulty except he allows the Messiah to be the Son of God, and…

Read the full comment on Matthew 22:41-46 →

Matthew 22:42 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

λέγων·legōnsaying;G3004
τίtiWhatG5101
ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771
δοκεῖdokeithinkG1380
περὶpericoncerningG4012
τοῦtoutheG3588
χριστοῦ;christouChrist?G5547
τίνοςtinosOf whomG5101
υἱόςhuiossonG5207
ἐστιν;estinis He?G1510
λέγουσινlegousinThey sayG3004
αὐτῷ·autōto Him;G846
τοῦtou<the>G3588
Δαυίδ.¶DauidOf David.G1138

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 22:42

  • Jeremiah 23:5-6

    Behold, 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. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

  • John 6:68-69

    Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

  • Amos 9:11

    In 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:

  • Ezekiel 34:23-24

    And 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. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.

  • Matthew 16:13-17

    When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. …

  • 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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

  • Isaiah 11:1-4

    And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

  • Isaiah 7:13-14

    And 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? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

  • Matthew 1:1

    The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

  • Acts 13:22-23

    And 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. Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

  • Luke 1:69-70

    And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

  • Matthew 9:27

    And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
2:4-6; 14:33; 16:13-17; Joh 1:49; 6:68,69; 20:28; Php 2:9-11; 3:7-10
Col 3:11; 1Pe 2:4-7; Re 5:12-14
The Son.
1:1; 21:9; Isa 7:13,14; 9:6,7; 11:1-4; Jer 23:5,6; Eze 34:23,24
Am 9:11; Lu 1:69,70; Joh 7:41,42; Ac 13:22,23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 22:41

    While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

  • Matthew 22:42

    Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.

  • Matthew 22:43

    He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

Read all of Matthew 22

Matthew 22:42 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Diciendo: ¿Qué os parece del Cristo? ¿de quién es Hijo? Dícenle: De David.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		disant: Que vous semble-t-il du Christ? – de qui est-il fils? Ils lui disent: De David.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und sagte: was dünkt euch von dem Christus? wessen Sohn ist er? Sie sagen zu ihm: Davids.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		dicens: Quid vobis videtur de Christo? cujus filius est? Dicunt ei: David.