Mark 12:35-37 · Bible study

Mark 12:35-37 Commentary: How Is Christ David's Son and Lord?

Greek · 9 what the commentators say

← Devotional reading

Meaning in one sentence

Jesus cites Psalm 110 to show the Messiah is more than David's son, He is David's Lord. Study the meaning and context.

Research Summary

Meaning: Jesus uses Psalm 110 to show that the Messiah is more than a human descendant of David, he is David's divine Lord.
Key words: “Christ” (anointed one), “Lord” (κύριος, used for both God and master), “by the Holy Spirit” (showing the psalm is inspired).
Main debate: Whether this passage primarily teaches the two natures of Christ or simply corrects a political misunderstanding of the Messiah.
Theological theme: The identity of Jesus, both son of David according to the flesh and Lord according to his divine nature.
Best use: Christology, Psalm 110 as a messianic text.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?

³⁶Speaking 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.”’

³⁷David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?” And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.

WEB World English Bible 2000

³⁵Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

³⁶For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’

³⁷Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly.

KJV King James Version 1769

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

³⁶For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

³⁷David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

³⁵And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David?

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.

³⁷David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

³⁵And Jesus answering said, teaching in the temple, `How say the scribes that the Christ is son of David?

³⁶for David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my lord, Sit thou on My right hand, till I place thine enemies--thy footstool;

³⁷therefore David himself saith of him Lord, and whence is he his son?' And the great multitude were hearing him gladly,

Darby Darby Bible 1890

³⁵And Jesus answering said [as he was] teaching in the temple, How do the scribes say that the Christ is son of David?

³⁶[for] David himself said [speaking] in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet.

³⁷David himself [therefore] calls him Lord, and whence is he his son? And the mass of the people heard him gladly.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

³⁵And Jesus answering, said, teaching in the temple: How do the scribes say that Christ is the son of David?

³⁶For David himself saith by the Holy Ghost: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

³⁷David therefore himself calleth him Lord. And whence is he then his son? And a great multitude heard him gladly.

Verse in Context

33 and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.

35 Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’

37 Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly.

38 In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,

39 and to get the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts,

Original Language (Koine Greek)

New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 12:35

Καὶ Kai G2532 And

ἀποκριθεὶς apokritheis G0611 answering

ὁ ho G3588 <the>

Ἰησοῦς Iēsous G2424 Jesus

ἔλεγεν elegen G3004 was saying

διδάσκων didaskōn G1321 teaching

ἐν en G1722 in

τῷ tō G3588 the

ἱερῷ· hi'erō G2411 temple;

πῶς pōs G4459 How

λέγουσιν legousin G3004 say

οἱ hoi G3588 the

γραμματεῖς grammateis G1122 scribes

ὅτι hoti G3754 that

ὁ ho G3588 the

χριστὸς christos G5547 Christ

υἱὸς huios G5207 [the] son

Δαυίδ Dauid G1138 of David

ἐστιν; estin G1510 is?

Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators from various traditions agree on the central thrust of this passage. Jesus does not deny that the Messiah is the son of David (Gill makes that point explicitly). Instead, he pushes beyond a merely human, political expectation by quoting Psalm 110:1. The Cambridge Bible notes that Jewish rabbis already regarded that psalm as messianic. By saying David himself called his descendant 'Lord,' Jesus forces the question: if the Messiah is David's son, how can David address him as his superior? Jamieson-Fausset-Brown conclude that the only solution is the union of a human nature (descended from David) and a divine nature (which David acknowledges as Lord). The crowd's glad hearing (Barnes stresses this was the common people, not the elites) shows the teaching resonated where pride did not block understanding.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Low

What is clear: Jesus is greater than any simple human descendant of David; he is the Lord whom David himself worshipped, pointing to his divine identity.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
The meaning of Psalm 110:1 in this context	Christians agree that Psalm 110:1 is messianic and that Jesus used it to reveal his divine identity.	Some traditions read this as a direct claim to pre-existence (Jesus existed as Lord before David), while others see it as a statement about Jesus' exalted status after the resurrection.
The title 'son of David'	All agree that Jesus is physically descended from David, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.	Catholics and some Protestants emphasize that this sonship is through Mary; others focus on Joseph's legal lineage. The passage is not about that distinction, so the debate is indirect.
Why the scribes did not answer	Most agree the scribes were silenced because they could not reconcile their limited view with Jesus' argument.	Some say they were ashamed; others say they were obstinate in unbelief (as Cambridge puts it, 'not through ignorance, but through unbelief').
The crowd's response	The great multitude heard him gladly, showing that ordinary people received Jesus' teaching.	Interpreters differ on whether this indicates saving faith or simply fascination.

Historical & Cultural Context

This exchange takes place in the temple during the final days before Jesus' crucifixion (Mark 11:27; Luke 19:47). Jesus had just silenced a series of traps set by Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes. Now he takes the offensive. The scribes commonly taught that the Messiah would be a son of David, a royal descendant who would restore Israel's political fortunes (Poole calls this a 'dream of a secular prince'). Jesus does not challenge that lineage; he challenges the limited view that goes with it.

Psalm 110 was widely accepted in first-century Judaism as a psalm of David and as messianic. The Cambridge Bible states that 'nearly every verse of it is quoted as referring to the Messiah' in later Jewish writings. The phrase 'by the Holy Spirit' (v.36) anchors the quotation in divine revelation. Jesus is saying: David, inspired by God, called his own descendant 'my Lord.' No earthly father ever called his son 'my Lord.' The only explanation is that the Messiah possesses a higher nature.

Jesus addresses this to the whole crowd as he teaches (v.35, 'while he taught in the temple'). The common people, the great multitude, heard him gladly (v.37). Mark alone records this detail, and it signals a turning point: the religious elites are silenced, but the ordinary people begin to glimpse a Messiah greater than they imagined.

Textual Notes

The supplied commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for Mark 12:35-37. The Greek text is stable across the major manuscript traditions. The only minor variation is in the word order of 'in the Holy Spirit' (v.36) between manuscripts, but it does not affect meaning.

Reception History

Early church fathers like Justin Martyr and Irenaeus used this passage to argue for Christ's divinity against Jewish objections and Arianism. The Nicene Creed's language of 'Lord Jesus Christ' echoes the title David gives him. In the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin cited these verses to prove that the Old Testament bears witness to Christ's deity. Modern scholars have focused on the passage's role within Mark's narrative, showing how Jesus systematically dismantles false expectations about the Messiah. Across traditions, Psalm 110 remains a key text for understanding Christ's session at the Father's right hand.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

The scribes' limitation: They taught that the Christ is the son of David, but they stopped there, a political liberator, a human king.
David's own testimony: In Psalm 110, speaking by the Holy Spirit, David calls the Messiah 'Lord' and describes him sitting at God's right hand. This points to a figure who is more than a descendant; he is a divine ruler.
The open question: 'How can he be his son?' Jesus does not deny the sonship; he elevates it. The answer is the incarnation: fully David's son, fully David's Lord.

Five-point outline

The setting: Jesus teaching in the temple after his opponents have run out of questions.
The common teaching: the Messiah is the son of David (what the scribes said).
The scriptural proof: David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, called his son 'Lord.'
The conclusion: The Messiah cannot be merely David's son; he must also be David's Lord.
The response: The common people heard him gladly, while the leaders were left speechless.

Illustration hooks

A grandfather who is also a king, his grandson owes him allegiance, but what if the grandson is also a higher authority?
A portrait artist who paints a self-portrait, he is both the creator and the subject, just as David points to one who is both his descendant and his Lord.

Questions your congregation is asking

How can Jesus be both God and man? This passage gives a biblical framework for that mystery.
Does this mean we should not call Jesus 'Son of David' anymore? No, the title is true, but incomplete without 'Lord.'
Why did the religious leaders refuse to answer? Their pride and preconceived ideas blocked them from seeing a Messiah bigger than their system.

Leading a Discussion

Jesus uses a single psalm to upend everything the scribes taught about the Messiah. This short passage challenges us to examine whether our picture of Jesus is too small, reduced to a moral teacher or a political hero, or whether we truly see him as the Lord David worshipped.

Discussion questions

What did the scribes mean when they said the Christ is the son of David? (See Matthew 22:42 and the surrounding context.)
Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1. According to Jesus, who wrote this psalm and under what inspiration? What does that imply about the psalm's authority?
Why does Jesus emphasize that David called the Messiah 'Lord'? What problem does this create for a simple 'son of David' understanding?
How does this passage show that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine? Why is that essential for salvation?
The crowd heard him gladly, but the scribes said nothing. What does their silence reveal about the condition of their hearts?
In what ways might we today limit Jesus to being just a good example or a wise teacher, rather than acknowledging him as Lord?
What difference does it make in your daily life that Jesus sits at God's right hand until his enemies are under his feet?

What the Commentators Say

8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Mark 12:35 How say the scribes - See Mat 22:41 , etc. Mark 12:37 The common people heard him gladly - And were doubtless many of them brought to believe and receive the truth. By the comparatively poor the Gospel is still best received.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832

Barnes notes the striking contrast between the common people who gladly heard Jesus and the proud rich who rejected him. He insists this is not the gospel's fault: God offers salvation equally to all classes, but only the humble receive it, whether in rags or royal robes.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The commentator highlights that Jesus pressed the Pharisees on why David, speaking by the Holy Spirit, called his own son "Lord" in Psalm 110. This pointed to the Messiah's dual nature: human as David's descendant and divine as his Lord, a truth the Pharisees rejected out of unbelief rather than ignorance, while the common people gladly recognized it.

Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599

The Geneva annotators highlight the paradox Jesus exposes: the scribes teach that the Christ is merely David's son, yet David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, calls Him Lord. This shows the scribes missed the deeper truth of Christ's divine nature, as David acknowledged his own descendant as his superior.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871

JFB finds only one solution to the puzzle of how David calls his own descendant Lord: Christ has two natures. As David's son according to the flesh, he is inferior; as the Lord of a spiritual kingdom, he is superior, and even David is merely a subject of that kingdom.

Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857

Lange notes that Mark strips away the rabbinical debate form to spotlight Christ’s spiritual conquest. The people’s glad hearing is not casual approval; they are on the verge of honoring Him as Messiah. For Lange, this moment displays Jesus’ full spiritual might, with the hierarchy overthrown and the multitude ready to pay homage.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Henry sees Jesus' question about David's son and Lord as exposing the scribes' failure to truly understand Scripture. Their teaching was defective because they could not resolve this paradox. He urges readers to draw truth directly from the Bible rather than depending on human teachers.

Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887

Vincent clarifies that the phrase "the common people" does not single out a social class. Instead it refers to the entire crowd, the great mass of people gathered together without distinction.

Word Study

The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.

ἀποκρίνω apokrinō to answer G0611 · Greek → γραμματεύς grammateus scribe G1122 · Greek → Δαυείδ, Δαυίδ, Δαβίδ Daueid, Dauid, Dabid David G1138 · Greek → διδάσκω didaskō to teach G1321 · Greek → εἰμί eimi to be G1510 · Greek → ἐν en in/on/among G1722 · Greek → ἱερόν hieros temple G2411 · Greek → Ἰησοῦς Iēsous Jesus G2424 · Greek → καί kai and G2532 · Greek → λέγω legō to say G3004 · Greek → ὁ ho the/this/who G3588 · Greek → ὅτι hoti that/since: that G3754 · Greek → πῶς pōs how?! G4459 · Greek → υἱός uhios son G5207 · Greek → Χριστός Christos Christ G5547 · Greek →

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Matthew 9:27	As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”
Matthew 22:41	Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
Matthew 22:45	“If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
Matthew 26:55	In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me.
Mark 11:27	They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him,
Luke 19:47	He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests, the scribes, and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.
Luke 20:1	On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
Luke 20:41	He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?

Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

For personal reflection

Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"

← Devotional