Mark 12:35
in Mark 12While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David?
KJV
And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
⋯
This verse in Mark 12
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBecause Christ was coming to His Passion, He corrects a false opinion of the Jews, who said that Christ was the Son of David, not his Lord; wherefore it is said, And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple. But Christ shows Himself to be the Lord, by the words of David.
This site's exposition
How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David
on Mark 12:35-37
Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared in Psalm 110:1, The Lord said to my Lord, and so gave his descendant the title Lord. The riddle resolves only in a Messiah who is both David's son and David's Lord.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
Since the Lord was about to go to His passion, He corrects the false opinion of the scribes, who thought that Christ is only the Son of David and not the Son of God. Therefore, from the very words of David, He shows that He …
That is, He openly speaks to them of Himself, that they may be inexcusable; for it goes on: How say the Scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
And answering, Jesus, teaching in the temple, said: How do the scribes say that Christ is the Son of David? For he himself says in the Holy Spirit: The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies as …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Jesus answered and said,.... To the Pharisees that were gathered together about him; See Gill on Mat 22:41. While he taught in the temple; Whilst he was in the temple, and as he was teaching the people there; among other things in his doctrine, he put this question, how say the Scribes, that Christ is the son of David?
Note, Those are unworthy to sit in Moses's seat, who, though they are able to preach the truth, are not in some measure able to defend it when they have preached it, and to convince gainsayers. Now this galled the scribes, to have their ignorance thus exposed, and, no doubt, incensed them more against Christ; but the common people heard him gladly,
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
We have seen in the former part of this chapter, how the enemies of our Lord endeavored to "catch Him in His words." We have seen how the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes successively propounded to Him hard questions — questions we can hardly fail to observe more likely to minister strife than edification. The passage before us begins with a question of a very different character. Our Lord Himself propounds it. He asks His enemies about Christ and the meaning of Holy Scripture. Such questions are always truly profitable.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?--How come they to give it out that Messiah is to be the son of David? In Matthew (Mt 22:42), Jesus asks them, "What think ye of Christ?" or of the promised and expected Messiah? "Whose son is He [to be]?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
We have seen in the former part of this chapter, how the enemies of our Lord endeavored to "catch Him in His words." We have seen how the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes successively propounded to Him hard questions — questions we can hardly fail to observe more likely to minister strife than edification. The passage before us begins with a question of a very different character. Our Lord Himself propounds it. He asks His enemies about Christ and the meaning of Holy Scripture. Such questions are always truly profitable. Well would it be for the church if theological discussions were less about trifles, and more about weighty matters , and things necessary to salvation. Let us learn, in the first place, from these verses, how much there is about Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures . Our Lord desires to expose the ignorance of the Jewish teachers about the true nature of the Messiah. He does it by referring to a passage in the book of Psalms, and showing that the Scribes did not rightly understand it. And in so doing He shows us that one subject, about which David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write, was Christ. We know, from our Lord's own words in another place, that the Old Testament Scriptures "testify of Christ." (John 5:39.) They were intended to teach men about Christ, by types, and figures, and prophecy, until He Himself should appear on earth. We should always keep this in mind, in reading the Old Testament, but never so much as in reading the Psalms. Christ is undoubtedly to be found in every part of the Law and the Prophets, but nowhere is He so much to be found, as in the book of Psalms. His experience and sufferings at His first coming into the world — His future glory, and His final triumph at His second coming — are the chief subjects of many a passage in that wonderful part of God's word.
How say the scribes - See Mat 22:41, etc.
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀποκριθεὶς | apokritheis | answering | G611 → | 231 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ἔλεγεν | elegen | was saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| διδάσκων | didaskon | teaching | G1321 → | 96 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱερῷ· | hi'ero | temple; | G2411 → | 70 times |
| πῶς | pos | How | G4459 → | 103 times |
| λέγουσιν | legousin | say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γραμματεῖς | grammateis | scribes | G1122 → | 62 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χριστὸς | christos | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | [the] son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| Δαυίδ | dauid | of David | G1138 → | 59 times |
| ἐστιν; | estin | is? | G1510 → | 2333 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀποκριθεὶςanswering
apokritheisG611 →231 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
ἔλεγενwas saying
elegenG3004 →1325 times
διδάσκωνteaching
didaskonG1321 →96 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἱερῷ·temple;
hi'eroG2411 →70 times
πῶςHow
posG4459 →103 times
λέγουσινsay
legousinG3004 →1325 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
γραμματεῖςscribes
grammateisG1122 →62 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
χριστὸςChrist
christosG5547 →523 times
υἱὸς[the] son
huiosG5207 →377 times
Δαυίδof David
dauidG1138 →59 times
ἐστιν;is?
estinG1510 →2333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 7:42Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
it leads to
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Matthew 2:5
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
- Luke 2:4
So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David.
- Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
- Micah 5:2
Through
Matthew 26:55At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and…
it leads to
- John 8:2
Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.
- Luke 22:52–53
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw?
- John 8:2
Through
Luke 20:1One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him.
it leads to
- Matthew 21:23–27
When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And…
- Matthew 21:23–27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
About Mark

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.
