Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

ROMANS 1:3KJV
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Romans 1:3 (KJV)

What does Romans 1:3 mean?

Romans 1:3 says that the message Paul is sharing is about God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and who was born as a human descendant of David. This verse highlights both Jesus’s identity as God’s Son and his real, physical connection to King David’s family line.

Paul is writing to believers in Rome, introducing the core of his message about Jesus. By mentioning that Jesus came “of the seed of David according to the flesh,” Paul shows that Jesus fulfills Jewish expectations of the Messiah, who was promised to come from David’s lineage, and that Jesus truly became human.

The Greek behind Romans 1:3

  • υἱός (huios, “Son”): This word emphasizes that Jesus is not just a great teacher or prophet, but is uniquely God’s Son, which is central to Paul’s message.
  • σπέρμα (sperma, “seed”): This term means “offspring” or “descendant.” By using this word, Paul points to Jesus’s real, physical ancestry from David, not just a spiritual connection.
  • κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka, “according to the flesh”): This phrase means “in terms of human nature” or “by physical descent.” It stresses that Jesus’s link to David is genuine and bodily, not just symbolic.

Why Romans 1:3 matters

  • Romans 1:3 clarifies that Jesus is both divine (God’s Son) and truly human (descended from David), which is a key point in Christian belief.
  • This verse connects Jesus to Old Testament promises about the Messiah coming from David’s family, showing that Jesus fits the expected pattern.
  • By starting his letter this way, Paul sets up his argument that the good news about Jesus is rooted in both Jewish history and God’s larger plan for all people.

Where else these words appear

“seed” Greek G4690 · used in 41 verses

  • Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
  • Luke 20:28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
  • Romans 9:29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

“David” Greek G1138 · used in 54 verses

  • Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
  • Mark 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
  • Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

“flesh” Greek G4561 · used in 130 verses

  • Matthew 16:17 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.
  • Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
  • Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.