Mark 12:36 (KJV)

Passage

For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Nearby Context

Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Mark 12:35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?

Mark 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Mark 12:37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

Mark 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "david", "himself", "said", "holy", "ghost", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "david" and "himself", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 35's "And Jesus answered and said while he..." into verse 37's "David therefore himself calleth him Lord and...", so "david" and "himself" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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