Matthew 22:45
New International Version
If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”

New Living Translation
Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

English Standard Version
If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

Berean Standard Bible
So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”

Berean Literal Bible
If therefore David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?"

King James Bible
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

New King James Version
If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”

New American Standard Bible
Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”

NASB 1995
“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”

NASB 1977
“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”

Amplified Bible
So then, if David calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord,’ how is He David’s son?”

Christian Standard Bible
“If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how then can he be his son? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how then can the Messiah be his Son?”

American Standard Version
If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?

Contemporary English Version
If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be a son of King David?"

English Revised Version
If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?"

Good News Translation
If, then, David called him 'Lord,' how can the Messiah be David's descendant?"

International Standard Version
If David calls him 'Lord', how can he be his son?"

Majority Standard Bible
So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”

NET Bible
If David then calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"

New Heart English Bible
"If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

Webster's Bible Translation
If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?

Weymouth New Testament
"If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"

World English Bible
“If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?”

Berean Literal Bible
If therefore David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?"

Young's Literal Translation
If then David doth call him lord, how is he his son?'

Smith's Literal Translation
If, therefore, David calls him Lord, how is he his son.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

Catholic Public Domain Version
So then, if David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

New American Bible
If David calls him ‘lord,’ how can he be his son?”

New Revised Standard Version
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If David then calls him Lord, how can he be his son?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“If therefore David called him THE LORD JEHOVAH, how is he his son?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?

Godbey New Testament
Then if David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?

Haweis New Testament
If then David calleth him Lord, how is he his son?

Mace New Testament
why then does David call him Lord, if He be David's son?

Weymouth New Testament
"If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"

Worrell New Testament
If, then, David calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?"

Worsley New Testament
therefore if David call Him Lord, how is He his son?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Whose Son is the Christ?
44‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.” ’ 45So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?” 46No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.…

Cross References
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.”

Mark 12:36
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.”’

Luke 20:42-44
For David himself says in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand / until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ / Thus David calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?”

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”?

1 Corinthians 15:25
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

Hebrews 10:12-13
But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. / Since that time, He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool for His 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.”

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.

Isaiah 11:1-4
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. / The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. / And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear, ...

Zechariah 6:12-13
And you are to tell him that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Here is a man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build the temple of the LORD. / Yes, He will build the temple of the LORD; He will be clothed in splendor and will sit on His throne and rule. And He will be a priest on His throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two.’


Treasury of Scripture

If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

how.

John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Romans 1:3,4
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; …

Romans 9:5
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Jump to Previous
Calls David Gives
Jump to Next
Calls David Gives
Matthew 22
1. The parable of the marriage of the king's son.
9. The vocation of the Gentiles.
12. The punishment of him who lacked a wedding garment.
15. Tribute ought to be paid to Caesar.
23. Jesus confutes the Sadducees for the resurrection;
34. answers which is the first and great commandment;
41. and puzzles the Pharisees by a question about the Messiah.














So if
This phrase introduces a logical argument, inviting the listener to consider the implications of the statement. In the Greek, "if" (εἰ) is often used to present a condition that is assumed to be true for the sake of argument. Jesus is engaging His audience in a form of rabbinic debate, encouraging them to think critically about the Scriptures.

David calls Him 'Lord,'
The reference to David is significant, as David is a central figure in Jewish history, revered as the greatest king of Israel and a man after God's own heart. The term "calls" (καλεῖ) implies a recognition or declaration of status. The word "Lord" (Κύριος) is a title of authority and divinity. In the Hebrew context, this would be akin to the use of "Adonai," a term reserved for God. Jesus is quoting Psalm 110:1, a psalm attributed to David, where David refers to the Messiah as "Lord," indicating a superior status.

how can He be his son?
This question challenges the prevailing Jewish understanding of the Messiah as merely a human descendant of David. The Greek word for "son" (υἱός) denotes lineage and inheritance. Jesus is pointing out the paradox that the Messiah, while being a descendant of David, is also greater than David. This implies the dual nature of the Messiah as both human and divine. Historically, this question would have been provocative, as it challenges the limited messianic expectations of the time and points to the deeper mystery of Christ's identity.

Verse 45. - If David... Son? The argument is this: David speaks with highest reverence of Messiah, calling him his Lord: how is this attitude consistent with the fact that Messiah is David's Son? How can Messiah be both Son and Lord of David? We, who have learned the truth concerning the two natures of Christ, can readily answer the question. He is both "the Root and the Offspring of David" (Revelation 22:16). The Athanasian Creed offers the required solution of the seeming paradox: "God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of his mother, born in the world; perfect God, and perfect Man... who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ." Here was an explanation (if the Pharisees took his words to heart) of much that had excited their indignation, and caused cavil and carping. He claimed to be the Messiah; and Messiah, as Scripture presented him, had a twofold nature. When, therefore, he asserted equality with the Father when he, "being man, made himself God" (John 10:33), he was vindicating that Divine nature which he as Messiah possessed. Jesus did not further elucidate this mystery. He had given food for reflection; he had unfolded the hidden meaning of Scripture; he had shown the shallowness of the popular exegesis; the knowledge was here; there was wanting only the will to raise the flower of faith in the heart of these obdurate hearers.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

if
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

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

calls
καλεῖ (kalei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'.

Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

Lord,
Κύριον (Kyrion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

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 He be
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[David’s]
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

son?”
υἱὸς (huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.


Links
Matthew 22:45 NIV
Matthew 22:45 NLT
Matthew 22:45 ESV
Matthew 22:45 NASB
Matthew 22:45 KJV

Matthew 22:45 BibleApps.com
Matthew 22:45 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 22:45 Chinese Bible
Matthew 22:45 French Bible
Matthew 22:45 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 22:45 If then David calls him Lord how (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 22:44
Top of Page
Top of Page