“And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,”
My Notes
What Does Luke 20:42 Mean?
"And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand." Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 — the most-quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament — and attributes it to DAVID HIMSELF: David SAID this. In the BOOK OF PSALMS. David is the speaker. God (the LORD/Yahweh) is the addresser. And David's LORD (Adonai/the Messiah) is the addressee. David records a conversation between Yahweh and the Messiah — and calls the Messiah HIS LORD.
The phrase "David himself saith" (autos gar Dauid legei — for David himself says) establishes DAVIDIC AUTHORSHIP: the quotation's authority depends on David being the speaker. If David — the king, the greatest ruler Israel ever had — calls the Messiah 'my Lord,' then the Messiah must be GREATER than David. The 'himself' emphasizes the personal attribution: David PERSONALLY said this.
The "the LORD said unto my Lord" (eipen Kyrios tō Kyriō mou — the Lord said to my Lord) is a conversation between TWO divine figures: Yahweh (the LORD — Kyrios #1) speaks to the Messiah (David's Lord — Kyrios #2). David overhears/records the conversation. The Psalm captures divine dialogue: God the Father addressing God the Son. The throne-invitation ('sit at my right hand') comes from the highest authority to the highest dignity.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Do you see Jesus as David's descendant only — or also as David's Lord?
- 2.What does David calling his own future descendant 'my Lord' teach about the Messiah's nature?
- 3.How does the divine dialogue (LORD speaking to Lord) reveal the relationship within the Godhead?
- 4.What does the right-hand seat — supreme authority, shared rule — communicate about the Messiah's position?
Devotional
David HIMSELF says: the LORD said to MY Lord — sit at My right hand. David records a conversation between God and the Messiah. And David calls the Messiah 'MY LORD.' The king who ruled Israel calls the future Messiah his SUPERIOR. The father calls his descendant his master.
The 'David himself saith' makes the authorship PERSONAL: Jesus emphasizes that DAVID spoke these words. Not a scribe. Not an editor. David. HIMSELF. The personal attribution is the foundation of the argument: if the greatest king calls the Messiah 'my Lord,' then the Messiah outranks the king. The personal speaking is the personal subordinating.
The 'the LORD said unto my Lord' captures DIVINE DIALOGUE: Yahweh (the LORD) speaks to the Messiah (David's Lord). The Psalm records a conversation between TWO persons within the Godhead — the Father inviting the Son to sit at His right hand. David didn't INVENT this conversation. He OVERHEARD it by the Spirit. The Psalm is a prophetic window into a divine exchange.
The 'sit thou on my right hand' is the THRONE-INVITATION: the right hand is the position of SUPREME AUTHORITY — the co-regent's seat, the place of shared rule, the position of equal dignity. Yahweh invites the Messiah to sit at the highest position beside Himself. The invitation is FROM the Father TO the Son. The seating is the enthronement. The right hand is the throne.
Jesus' question (verse 44 — 'how is he then his son?') uses this Psalm to prove the Messiah is MORE than David's descendant: if David calls Him LORD, the Messiah must be DIVINE, not just human. The son who is also the Lord requires two natures. The descendant who is also the deity demands incarnation.
Do you see Jesus as David's SON only — or also as David's LORD?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The scribes were students in the law, and expositors of it to the people, men in reputation for wisdom and honour, but…
in the book of Psalms Psa 110:1. The Jews universally regarded it as a Messianic Psalm, and in Luk 20:3 the LXX.…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture