Luke 20:44
What does Luke 20:44 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 20:44 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 20:44 means
Jesus then posed His interpretive question based on David's words: "David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?" This was a profound Christological riddle to the scribes. If David, the great king and ancestor of the Messiah, called the Messiah "my Lord," how could the Messiah simply be David's physical son? Jesus was prompting them to consider the Messiah's divine nature and pre-existence, which transcended His human lineage. He was more than merely a human descendant; He was also divine, the eternal Son of God, a truth they struggled to comprehend.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?
KJV
King James Version · 1611David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949David then gives him the name of Lord, so how is it possible for him to be his son?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862David, then, doth call him lord, and how is he his son?'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752David then calleth him Lord. And how is he his son?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890David therefore calls him Lord, and how is he his son?
Context
This verse presents Jesus' culminating interpretive question, directly building on the quotation from Psalm 110. It challenges the scribes' superficial understanding of the Messiah as simply a human descendant of David. This question, left unanswered by the scribes, serves to assert Jesus' divine nature subtly and directly leads to His subsequent warning against the hypocrisy of the scribes to His disciples.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Galatians 4:4
but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
- Matthew 1:23
Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us.
- Luke 1:31
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
- Revelation 22:16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star.
- Luke 2:11
for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
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