Exploring the Meaning of Dabid in Greek

Δαυείδ/Δαυίδ/Δαβίδ names David. In these passages it appears both as a figure in Jesus’ genealogy and as a key descriptor used in speech about Jesus.

Occurrences

Matthew 1:1 — “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Here David functions as a genealogical anchor point: Jesus Christ is introduced in relation to David (“the son of David”) and to Abraham. The name marks lineage and establishes a framework for reading what follows as family history.

Matthew 1:6 — “Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.”

David is identified with the royal title “King,” and the name is positioned within a line of descent: Jesse → David → Solomon. The verse also ties David to a particular family circumstance (“by her who had been Uriah’s wife”), showing the name operating not only as a label but as a node connecting multiple relationships in the genealogy.

Matthew 1:17 — “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.”

David serves as the dividing marker in a structured reckoning of generations. The name stands at the hinge between two counted spans (“from Abraham to David… from David to the exile”), so David is not merely one ancestor among many but a reference point used to organize the entire list.

Matthew 1:20 — “But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

In the angel’s address, David names Joseph’s identity: “son of David.” This use places Joseph within a recognized family line at the very moment he is being instructed about Mary and the child conceived “of the Holy Spirit,” linking the domestic situation to ancestry that the narrative has already set out.

Matthew 9:27 — “As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!””

David’s name is used as a direct title in a plea to Jesus. The blind men’s repeated address (“son of David”) becomes the form their request for mercy takes, giving their cry a particular focus as they follow him and call out.

Matthew 12:3 — “But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;”

David is invoked as a precedent in an argument. Jesus appeals to something “David did” under the pressure of hunger and in the company of others, so the name introduces an example meant to be recognized by readers (“Haven’t you read…”) and applied to the present dispute.

Matthew 12:23 — “All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?””

David’s name frames the crowd’s question about Jesus’ identity. Their amazement leads them to test a possibility: whether Jesus fits the description “the son of David,” with the name functioning as a category by which Jesus might be understood.

Matthew 15:22 — “Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!””

David’s name again appears within a plea, here intensified by “Lord” and by the urgency of a child “severely possessed by a demon.” The woman addresses Jesus as “son of David” as part of her appeal for help, showing the name in the mouth of a petitioner who is outside the immediate setting (“came out from those borders”).

Matthew 20:30 — “Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!””

David’s name is again the key address in a request for mercy, now from two men “sitting by the road.” Hearing that Jesus “was passing by” triggers their shout, and “son of David” serves as the identifying appeal attached to “Lord.”

Matthew 20:31 — “The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!””

The same address is repeated under opposition. As the multitude tries to silence them, the blind men intensify their cry; “son of David” remains the fixed form of their appeal, highlighting persistence and the public nature of the identification.

Matthew 21:9 — “The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!””

David’s name is placed in a celebratory acclamation. The crowds’ shout is not a private request for mercy but a public chant (“kept shouting”) directed to “the son of David,” paired with blessing and exalted praise, so David’s name becomes part of the language of honor as Jesus is surrounded by people in motion (“went in front… those who followed”).

Matthew 21:15 — “But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,”

David’s name here is heard in the temple, spoken by children as a refrain: “Hosanna to the son of David!” The title’s use becomes a point of conflict, provoking indignation in religious leaders who witness both “the wonderful things that he did” and this particular acclamation voiced in a sacred space.

Sense and Usage

Across these scenes, David’s name works in two main ways: as a genealogical reference and as a spoken designation attached to Jesus. In the genealogy (Matthew 1:1, 1:6, 1:17), David is positioned as a central figure around whom family lines are traced and counted. The narrative uses the name to connect generations, to organize time (“from Abraham to David… from David to the exile”), and to attach royal status explicitly (“King David”). In that setting, David is not merely mentioned; the name is used to structure the presentation of ancestry, so that later references to “son of David” resonate with the earlier genealogical framing.

In direct address and public speech (Matthew 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30–31; 21:9, 21:15), “son of David” functions as a recognizable descriptor that speakers use when calling to Jesus. Those who speak it do so in varied circumstances: some plead for mercy because of blindness or demonic affliction, others voice a question prompted by amazement, and still others shout praise in a procession and within the temple. The repeated pattern shows that David’s name can be carried into urgent supplication (“Have mercy on us…”) and into communal celebration (“Hosanna to the son of David!”), making it a versatile designation in the narrative’s public soundscape.

One additional use (Matthew 1:20) applies David’s name to Joseph rather than to Jesus: “Joseph, son of David.” In context, this address links the genealogical line to the immediate, personal decision Joseph faces about Mary. David’s name thereby bridges the genealogical record and the lived moment of guidance, placing the family identity signaled by David alongside the announcement that the conception is “of the Holy Spirit.”

Finally, David also appears as a precedent in argument (Matthew 12:3). Here the name introduces a remembered act (“what David did, when he was hungry”), treating David as a figure whose behavior under need can be brought forward to illuminate a present debate. In these passages, then, David’s name can anchor lineage, shape identity, prompt questions, intensify pleas, fuel praise, and support reasoning—all without changing the referent of the name itself.

Imagery

The name David gathers distinct images in these texts: the ordered list of generations; the intimate scene of a dream in which Joseph is addressed by an angel; the roadside cries of blind men who refuse to be silenced; and the swelling shouts of crowds and children—especially the temple scene where “Hosanna to the son of David!” becomes audible enough to provoke indignation. In each case, David’s name is less a private detail than a public marker, spoken aloud to locate persons and to press a claim about who Jesus is.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).