The Meaning of Luke 20:44 Explained

Luke 20:44

KJV: David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?

YLT: David, then, doth call him lord, and how is he his son?'

Darby: David therefore calls him Lord, and how is he his son?

ASV: David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

David  therefore  calleth  him  Lord,  how  is he  then  his  son? 

What does Luke 20:44 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus drew the logical conclusion by framing it as a question. Messiah must be both divine and a descendant of David (cf. Romans 1:3-4). No synoptic writer recorded an answer. Apparently no one offered one. The conclusion was obvious but unacceptable to the religious leaders. They did not want to admit that Messiah was God. If they did, they would have to prove that Jesus was not God since He claimed to be Messiah. They did not want to do that because of popular support for Jesus" messiahship and because they would have had to submit to Him.
"This title of "Lord" was a more important title than Messiah, for it pictured Jesus" total authority and His ability and right to serve as an equal with God the Father." [1]

Context Summary

Luke 20:41-47 - David's Lord Testing Men And Women
It was the Master's turn to question. As man, He was David's descendant and son; as the Son of God, He was his Lord. Though it sealed His doom, our Lord tore the veil from before these hypocrites, that when He had passed, His followers might be warned against these sunken rocks, Judges 1:12.
We note the difference between the false teachers, who devoured widows' houses, and the true Leader and Teacher, who set so high a value on a widow's gift. Our gifts to God should cost us something, else they are not reckoned in the accounts of eternity. The real value of a gift is to be estimated by what is left behind. Remember that the fragrance and beauty of this act have lasted, while the stones of the Temple have crumbled to dust. Holy deeds are imperishable! Jesus is still sitting by the treasury, watching and estimating our gifts. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 20

1  Jesus confirms his authority by a question of John's baptism
9  The parable of the vineyard
19  Of giving tribute to Caesar
27  He instructs the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection
41  How Jesus is the Son of David
45  He warns his disciples to beware of the scribes

Greek Commentary for Luke 20:44

David therefore [Δαυειδ ουν]
Without ει — ei as in Matthew 22:45. On the basis of this definite piece of exegesis (ουν — oun therefore) Jesus presses the problem (πως — pōs how) for an explanation. The deity and the humanity of the Messiah in Psalm 110:1-7 are thus set forth, the very problems that disturbed the rabbis then and that upset many critics today. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 20:44 mean?

David therefore Him Lord calls and how of him son is He
Δαυὶδ οὖν αὐτὸν Κύριον καλεῖ καὶ πῶς αὐτοῦ υἱός ἐστιν

Δαυὶδ  David 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Δαβίδ 
Sense: second king of Israel, and ancestor of Jesus Christ.
Κύριον  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
καλεῖ  calls 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.
πῶς  how 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πῶς  
Sense: how, in what way.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
υἱός  son 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
ἐστιν  is  He 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.