Devine Scripture

Mark 12:37

What does Mark 12:37 mean?

A plain-English look at Mark 12:37 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Mark 12:37 means

Jesus directly poses the logical conundrum to the scribes: if David himself calls the Messiah \"Lord,\" then how can the Messiah merely be David’s son in the conventional sense? This question forces them to confront the Messiah’s divine nature, which elevates Him beyond a simple human descendant, while not negating His Davidic lineage. The common people, however, heard Jesus’s teaching gladly, indicating their receptiveness to this deeper spiritual truth, in contrast to the resistant religious elites who clung to their limited understanding of the Messiah.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

David himself gives him the name of Lord; and how then is he his son? And the common people gave ear to him gladly.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

therefore David himself saith of him Lord, and whence is he his son?' And the great multitude were hearing him gladly,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

David therefore himself calleth him Lord. And whence is he then his son? And a great multitude heard him gladly.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

David himself [therefore] calls him Lord, and whence is he his son? And the mass of the people heard him gladly.

Context

This verse delivers Jesus's climactic question based on the Psalm 110 quotation, directly challenging the scribes' limited understanding of the Messiah. It immediately follows the citation of David calling the Messiah \"Lord.\" This intellectual and theological challenge highlights the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders and contrasts it with the receptive hearts of the common people, which immediately leads to Jesus's warning against the scribal hypocrisy.

v.36David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

v.37This passage

v.38And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, andto have salutations in the marketplaces,

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Romans 1:3

    concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

  • 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.

  • James 2:5

    Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?

  • Romans 9:5

    whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

  • John 7:46

    The officers answered, Never man so spake.

  • Luke 19:48

    and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening.

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