Matthew 22:44Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To preempt any notion that David’s words are exaggerated or mere human opinion, He asks, “How doth David call Him Lord by the Spirit?” This reflects how humbly He reveals the prophet’s perspective about Himself. Initially, He posed the question, “What think ye of Him? Whose Son is He?” to prompt a response. When they replied, “He is David’s,” He refrained from stating, “David says the following,” instead reiterating through another question, “How shall David call His Lord?”—ensuring that they did not interpret His assertion of divinity as contradicting their beliefs. For similar reasons, He refrains from saying, “As you think of Me,” but rather, “of Christ.” The apostles also spoke about the patriarch David with humility; it was appropriate to speak boldly of David, given that he died and was buried (Acts 2:29).

In the same manner, the Savior presents His identity through questions and logical reasoning, inquiring, “How shall David call His Lord by the Spirit, saying, ‘The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make Thy enemies Thy footstool?’” And then, “If David call Him Lord, how can He be His son?” (vv. 43-45). In doing this, He does not deny His lineage as David’s son— certainly, He would not have reproached Peter for that—but He seeks to correct the misunderstanding held by the Pharisees. His question, “What son is He?” conveys this message: He is indeed David's son, yet not in the way you comprehend. They asserted that Christ was merely David's son and not His Lord. Thus, He first presents the prophet’s testimony before gently correcting their view by asking, “If David call Him Lord, how can He be His son?”

When the Pharisees heard this, they remained silent; they showed no desire to pursue the truth. He, therefore, leads them to recognize that He is Lord to David. Even this is articulated not as a direct claim but through the prophet’s words, due to their disbelief and disdain for Him. Recognizing their attitude, we should not be misled by the Savior’s occasional humble self-descriptions. A primary reason for this, among others, was His effort to align His discussions with their perceptions. Consequently, He continues to impart His teachings through questions and answers, subtly highlighting His importance, as being regarded as the Lord of the Jews differs from being acknowledged as the Lord of David.

Notice, then, how aptly He introduces this doctrine. After asserting the oneness of the Lord, He also declares that He is Lord, substantiating this through both His actions and the prophet’s testimony. He simultaneously announces that the Father Himself will enact vengeance against them, stating, “Till I make Thy enemies Thy footstool,” thus affirming His equality and dignity alongside the Father. With these statements, the Savior concludes His dialogue with the Pharisees, presenting them with a doctrine that is profound, majestic, and silencing. From that moment, they were indeed mute, not by choice, but because they lacked any counterargument. They received a blow so convincing that they refrained from attempting to question Him henceforth, as it is noted, “Whosoever from that day dared to question Him” (v. 46). This greatly benefited the people. Consequently, having dispelled these wolves and thwarted their malicious schemes, the Savior finally turns His attention to the people.

Thus, the Lord is identified as the son of David, not due to birth from him, but because He is eternally begotten of the Father, existing before the Father Himself in His human nature. To resolve this matter, the Jews concoct elaborate speculations, claiming that Abraham had a servant, Eliezer of Damascus, suggesting that the Psalm was written concerning him, as though God had said to Abraham after defeating five kings, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’ (Psalms 109:1). The text does indeed draw from Genesis 14. However, if that is the case, how can God proclaim to Abraham: ‘In the day of Your power Your people will be willing in the beauties of holiness; from the womb of the morning, the dew of Your youth will be Yours’? And: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not repent: You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek’ (Ps. 109:3-4). On the other hand, they are forced to confront the question: How is it that Abraham existed before the dawn and was a priest after the order of Melchizedek when Melchizedek offered him bread and wine, and he received a tenth from the spoils?

Thus, He posed a question that, while He maintained silence, served to demonstrate His divinity: How could David, through the Holy Spirit, refer to Him as Lord? Could it be that the One to be born of him was also his Lord? This inquiry seemed directed not only at the Pharisees but also at the heretics. In His humanity, He was a descendant of David, yet in His divine essence, He was indeed his Lord.

This duality is further emphasized by the phrase ‘Sit at my right hand.’ As God, He has always existed, being co-eternal and united with the Father, and as man, following His ascension to heaven, He ‘sat down at the right hand of the throne of majesty on high’ (Hebrews 1:3), demonstrating that His humanity was exalted to share in the unchanging and supreme glory that His deity possessed prior to the creation of the world. In His suffering, He petitioned the Father, saying: ‘And now glorify Me, Father, with Thy own glory, which I had with Thee before the world existed’ (John 17:5). The term until here is often interpreted as indicating eternity in both the Old and New Testaments. The Father secured His Son's victory over His enemies—not just temporarily, but eternally—over the fundamental forces, dominions, and the rulers of the darkness of this age, culminating in the defeat of death itself (Gen. 8:7; Ps. 122:2; Is. 46:4; Mt. 1:25; Mt. 18:30; Heb. 10:13; Eph. 6:12). The death of the Lord not only liberated humanity from the grip of demons but also transitioned it from death to life: ‘He that believeth in Him, though he die, yet shall he live’ (John 11:25). After delivering these prophetic assertions to the Pharisees, Jesus concluded by asking, ‘If David called Christ Himself his Lord, What Son is He?’ It is important to note that He does not refute being the Son of David, as He was incarnate through the Holy Virgin, who was of David’s lineage; instead, He addresses the misconception held by the Pharisees. They claimed He was solely the Son of David, denying Him the status of Lord, but David serves both as the father of the Lord Jesus and His servant: the father in a physical sense and the servant in a spiritual sense (Zlat. in conversation). Through these prophetic affirmations, Jesus effectively compelled the Pharisees to acknowledge He is both God and man.

Whose son is He? aiming to prompt them to respond. When they replied, “from David,” He then followed with another inquiry: How then does David call Him Lord? This was intended to prevent them from perceiving it as contradictory to His divine nature. For this reason, He did not say, As you think of Me, but rather, of Christ.

John Chrysostom emphasizes that these two elements should have enlightened the Pharisees and scribes to understand that although the Messiah is a descendant of David in human form, He is infinitely greater than David in His divine nature. Thus, Jesus concluded His discourse with another question: “But if David himself calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?” No one responded to Him. His obstinate adversaries refused to acknowledge their lack of understanding of the Scriptures, opting for silence while concealing their malice. Meanwhile, the people, sensing where the truth resided, listened to the Lord with eagerness. The words of the Psalm referenced by Christ were later utilized by the holy Apostles Peter (Acts 2:34-35) and Paul (Hebrews 1:13) to affirm His divinity.