📖 Biblical Definition
"The Root of David" is Christ’s self-title in Revelation 5:5: "Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof"; and again in Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and the morning star." The title carries a striking theological ambiguity: Christ is BOTH the root (the source from which David sprang — for as God, He preceded David) AND the offspring (the descendant who came after David — as Man). Both halves are true. This is precisely how He answers the riddle in Matthew 22:41-46: David’s Son and David’s Lord at once.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Rev 5:5 + 22:16: Christ as both source AND offspring of David.
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Christ's self-title in Revelation 5:5 ("the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book") and 22:16 ("I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and the morning star"). The striking ambiguity: Christ is simultaneously the ROOT (the source from which David sprang — the One David called Lord in Ps 110:1; the eternal Son who pre-existed David) AND the OFFSPRING (the Messianic descendant who came after David in time, from David's flesh). Same Person, both temporal directions. Christ Himself uses the riddle in Matt 22:41-46 against the Pharisees: "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord... If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" The answer: He is both.
📖 Key Scripture
Revelation 5:5 — "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book."
Revelation 22:16 — "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and the morning star."
Matthew 22:43-45 — "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?"
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Often missed; the Root-and-Offspring paradox is one of the strongest Christological signatures in Scripture.
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Christ as Root AND Offspring of David is one of Scripture's strongest paradoxical Christological signatures. He pre-existed David (eternal Son) AND descended from David (incarnate Son). Both are real; both are essential; both are gospel. The riddle Christ posed to the Pharisees is His own self-disclosure.
Recover the paradox: He is your Lord because He is your Root (eternal Son who made you), and He is your Brother because He is your Offspring-relative (incarnate Son who shares your flesh). Both relations save.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek hē rhiza Dabid.
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['Greek', 'G4491', 'rhiza', 'root']
['Greek', 'G1085', 'genos', 'offspring, kind']
Usage
"Christ as both Root AND Offspring."
"Pre-existed David AND descended from him."
"Riddle posed to Pharisees."