Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Romans 1:3 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Ro 1:3	King James	Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord--the grand burden of this "Gospel of God." made of the seed of David--as, according to "the holy scriptures," He behooved to be. (See on Mat 1:1). according to the flesh--that is, in His human nature (compare Rom 9:5; Joh 1:14); implying, of course, that He had another nature, of which the apostle immediately proceeds to speak.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord--the grand burden of this "Gospel of God."

made of the seed of David--as, according to "the holy scriptures," He behooved to be. (See on Mat 1:1).

according to the flesh--that is, in His human nature (compare Rom 9:5; Joh 1:14); implying, of course, that He had another nature, of which the apostle immediately proceeds to speak.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Concerning his Son - This is connected with the first verse, with the word "gospel." The gospel of God concerning his Son. The design of the gospel was to make a communication relative to his Son Jesus Christ. This is the whole of it. There is no "good news" to man respecting salvation except what comes by Jesus Christ. Which was made - The word translated "was made" means usually "to be," or "to become." It is used, however, in the sense of being born. Thus, Gal 4:4, "God sent forth his Son made of a woman," born of a woman. Joh 8:58, "before Abraham was (born), I am." In this sense it seems to be used here, who was born, or descended from the seed of David. Of the seed of David - Of the posterity or lineage of David. He was a descendant of David. David was perhaps the most illustrious of the kings of Israel. The promise to him was that there should not fail a man to sit on this throne; Kg1 2:4; Kg1 8:25; Kg1 9:5; Ch2 6:16. This ancient promise was understood as referring to the Messiah, and hence, in the New Testament he is called the descendant of David, and so much pains is taken to show that he was of his line; Luk 1:27; Mat 9:27; Mat 15:22; Mat 12:23; Mat 21:9, Mat 21:15; Mat 22:42, Mat 22:45; Joh 7:42; Ti2 2:8. As the Jews universally believed that the Messiah would be descended from David Joh 7:42, it was of great importance for the sacred writers to make it out clearly that Jesus of Nazareth was of that line and family. Hence, it happened, that though our Saviour was humble, and poor, and obscure, yet he had that on which no small part of the world have been accustomed so much to pride themselves, an illustrious ancestry. To a Jew there could be scarcely any honor so high as to be descended from the best of their kings; and it shows how little the Lord Jesus esteemed the honors of this world, that he could always evince his deep humility in circumstances where people are usually proud; and that when he spoke of the honors of this world, and told how little they were worth, he was not denouncing what was not within his reach. According to the flesh - The word "flesh," σάρξ sarx, is used in the Scriptures in a great variety of significations. (1) it denotes, as with us, the flesh literally of any living being; Luk 24:39, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones," etc. (2) the animal system, the body, including flesh and bones, the visible part of man, in distinction from the invisible, or the soul; Act 2:31, "Neither did his flesh (his body) "see corruption." Co1 5:5; Co1 15:39. (3) the man, the whole animated system, body and soul; Rom 8:3, "In the likeness of sinful flesh. Co1 15:50; Mat 16:17; Luk 3:6. (4) human nature. As a man. Thus, Act 2:30, "God hath sworn with an oath that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, that is, in his human nature, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." Rom 9:5, "whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever." The same is its meaning here. He was a descendant of David in his human nature, or as a man. This implies, of course, that he had another nature besides his human, or that while he was a man he was also something else; that there was a nature in which he was not descended from David. That this is its meaning will still further appear by the following observations. (1) the apostle expressly makes a contrast between his condition according to the flesh, and that according to the spirit of holiness. (2) the expression "according to the flesh" is applied to no other one in the New Testament but to Jesus Christ. Though the word "flesh" often occurs, and is often used to denote man, yet the special expression, "according to the flesh" occurs in no other connection. In all the Scriptures it is never said of any prophet or apostle, any lawgiver or king, or any man in any capacity, that he came in the flesh, or that he was descended from certain ancestors according to the flesh. Nor is such an expression ever used any where else. If it were applied to a mere man, we should instantly ask in what other way could he come than in the flesh? Has he a higher nature? Is he an angel, or a seraph? The expression would be unmeaningful. And when, therefore, it is applied to Jesus Christ, it implies, if language has any meaning, that there was a sense in which Jesus was not descended from David. What that was, appears in the next verse.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Concerning his Son - This is connected with the first verse, with the word "gospel." The gospel of God concerning his Son. The design of the gospel was to make a communication relative to his Son Jesus Christ. This is the whole of it. There is no "good news" to man respecting salvation except what comes by Jesus Christ.

Which was made - The word translated "was made" means usually "to be," or "to become." It is used, however, in the sense of being born. Thus, Gal 4:4, "God sent forth his Son made of a woman," born of a woman. Joh 8:58, "before Abraham was (born), I am." In this sense it seems to be used here, who was born, or descended from the seed of David.

Of the seed of David - Of the posterity or lineage of David. He was a descendant of David. David was perhaps the most illustrious of the kings of Israel. The promise to him was that there should not fail a man to sit on this throne; Kg1 2:4; Kg1 8:25; Kg1 9:5; Ch2 6:16. This ancient promise was understood as referring to the Messiah, and hence, in the New Testament he is called the descendant of David, and so much pains is taken to show that he was of his line; Luk 1:27; Mat 9:27; Mat 15:22; Mat 12:23; Mat 21:9, Mat 21:15; Mat 22:42, Mat 22:45; Joh 7:42; Ti2 2:8. As the Jews universally believed that the Messiah would be descended from David Joh 7:42, it was of great importance for the sacred writers to make it out clearly that Jesus of Nazareth was of that line and family. Hence, it happened, that though our Saviour was humble, and poor, and obscure, yet he had that on which no small part of the world have been accustomed so much to pride themselves, an illustrious ancestry. To a Jew there could be scarcely any honor so high as to be descended from the best of their kings; and it shows how little the Lord Jesus esteemed the honors of this world, that he could always evince his deep humility in circumstances where people are usually proud; and that when he spoke of the honors of this world, and told how little they were worth, he was not denouncing what was not within his reach.

According to the flesh - The word "flesh," σάρξ sarx, is used in the Scriptures in a great variety of significations.

(1) it denotes, as with us, the flesh literally of any living being; Luk 24:39, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones," etc.

(2) the animal system, the body, including flesh and bones, the visible part of man, in distinction from the invisible, or the soul; Act 2:31, "Neither did his flesh (his body) "see corruption." Co1 5:5; Co1 15:39.

(3) the man, the whole animated system, body and soul; Rom 8:3, "In the likeness of sinful flesh. Co1 15:50; Mat 16:17; Luk 3:6.

(4) human nature. As a man. Thus, Act 2:30, "God hath sworn with an oath that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, that is, in his human nature, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." Rom 9:5, "whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever." The same is its meaning here. He was a descendant of David in his human nature, or as a man. This implies, of course, that he had another nature besides his human, or that while he was a man he was also something else; that there was a nature in which he was not descended from David.

That this is its meaning will still further appear by the following observations.

(1) the apostle expressly makes a contrast between his condition according to the flesh, and that according to the spirit of holiness.

(2) the expression "according to the flesh" is applied to no other one in the New Testament but to Jesus Christ. Though the word "flesh" often occurs, and is often used to denote man, yet the special expression, "according to the flesh" occurs in no other connection.

In all the Scriptures it is never said of any prophet or apostle, any lawgiver or king, or any man in any capacity, that he came in the flesh, or that he was descended from certain ancestors according to the flesh. Nor is such an expression ever used any where else. If it were applied to a mere man, we should instantly ask in what other way could he come than in the flesh? Has he a higher nature? Is he an angel, or a seraph? The expression would be unmeaningful. And when, therefore, it is applied to Jesus Christ, it implies, if language has any meaning, that there was a sense in which Jesus was not descended from David. What that was, appears in the next verse.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
seed See note on the Davidic descent of Christ, (See Scofield) - (Luk 3:23).

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Concerning His son Connect with promised afore. Christ is the great personal object to which the promise referred.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Who was of the seed of David according to the flesh - That is, with regard to his human nature. Both the natures of our Saviour are here mentioned; but the human is mentioned first, because the divine was not manifested in its full evidence till after his resurrection.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Concerning his Son - That is, the Gospel relates every thing concerning the conception, birth, preaching, miracles, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed-royal, being, as far as his humanity was considered, the son of David, and then the only rightful heir to the Israelitish throne.

Top

¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

⁵ Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

¹ The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

⁵ Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

³⁰ Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

⁵ To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

³¹ He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

³⁹ Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

⁴² Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

⁸ Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

⁴² Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

⁴⁵ If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

⁴² Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.

¹⁵ And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

⁹ And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

²³ And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

²² And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

²⁷ And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

¹⁶ Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

⁵ Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

²⁵ Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.

⁴ That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

⁵⁸ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

²³ And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,