Matthew 22:42 (ASV)

Passage

saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The son] of David.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.

Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

Matthew 22:42 saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The son] of David.

Matthew 22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,

Matthew 22:44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "saying", "think", "christ", "whose", and "david". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "saying" and "think", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "Now while the Pharisees were gathered together..." into verse 43's "He saith unto them How then doth...", so "saying" and "think" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "saying" and "think" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.