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40 [a](A)The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

The Question About David’s Son.[b] 41 (B)While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them,[c] 42 [d]saying, “What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “David’s.”

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Footnotes

  1. 22:40 The double commandment is the source from which the whole law and the prophets are derived.
  2. 22:41–46 Having answered the questions of his opponents in the preceding three controversies, Jesus now puts a question to them about the sonship of the Messiah. Their easy response (Mt 22:43a) is countered by his quoting a verse of Ps 110 that raises a problem for their response (43b–45). They are unable to solve it and from that day on their questioning of him is ended.
  3. 22:41 The Pharisees…questioned them: Mark is not specific about who are questioned (Mk 12:35).
  4. 22:42–44 David’s: this view of the Pharisees was based on such Old Testament texts as Is 11:1–9; Jer 23:5; and Ez 34:23; see also the extrabiblical Psalms of Solomon 17:21. How, then…saying: Jesus cites Ps 110:1 accepting the Davidic authorship of the psalm, a common view of his time. The psalm was probably composed for the enthronement of a Davidic king of Judah. Matthew assumes that the Pharisees interpret it as referring to the Messiah, although there is no clear evidence that it was so interpreted in the Judaism of Jesus’ time. It was widely used in the early church as referring to the exaltation of the risen Jesus. My lord: understood as the Messiah.