The Question about David's Son
And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by[c] the Holy Spirit, declared,
'The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
till I put thy enemies under thy feet.'
David himself calls him Lord; so how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly.
Theophylact - Because 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."
Pseudo-Jerome - 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?"
Theophylact - But Christ shews Himself to be the Lord, by the words of David.
For it goes on: "For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on My right hand;" as if He had said, Ye cannot say that David said this without the grace of the Holy Spirit, but he called Him Lord in the Holy Spirit; and that He is Lord, he shews, by this that is added, "Till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool;" for they themselves were His enemies, whom God put under the footstool of Christ.
Bede - But the putting down of His enemies by the Father, does not shew the weakness of the Son, but the unity of nature, by which One works in the Other; for the Son also subjects the Father's enemies, because He glorifies His Father upon earth.
Gloss. - Thus then Lord concludes from what has gone before the doubtful questions. For from the foregoing words of David it is proved that Christ is the Lord of David, but according to the saying of the Scribes, it is proved that He is his Son. And this is what is added, "David himself then calls Him Lord, how is He then his Son?"
Bede - The question of Jesus is useful for us even now against the Jews; for they, acknowledging that Christ is to come, assert that He is a mere man, a holy Person descended from David. Let us then ask them, as our Lord has taught us, if He be a mere man, and only the son of David, how David in the Holy Spirit calls Him Lord. They are not however reproved for calling Him David's son, but for not believing Him to be the Son of God.
It goes on: "And the common people heard Him gladly."
Gloss. - Namely, because they saw that He answered and put questions wisely.
- text taken from Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark by Saint Thomas Aquinas, translated by William Whiston, 1842