Mat 21:3 | RWP | e4.org | The Lord ( ο κυριος ). It is not clear how the word would be understood here by those who heard the message though it is plain that Jesus applies it to himself. The word is from κυρος , power or authority. In the LXX it is common in a variety of uses which appear in the N.T. as master of the slave ( ), of the harvest ( ), of the vineyard ( ), of the emperor ( ), of God ( ; ), and often of Jesus as the Messiah ( ). Note . This is the only time in Matthew where the words ο κυριος are applied to Jesus except the doubtful passage in . A similar usage is shown by Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary and Deissmann's Light from the Ancient East . Particularly in Egypt it was applied to "the Lord Serapis" and Ptolemy and Cleopatra are called "the lords, the most great gods" ( ο κυριο θεο μεγιστο ). Even Herod the Great and Herod Agrippa I are addressed as "Lord King." In the west the Roman emperors are not so termed till the time of Domitian. But the Christians boldly claimed the word for Christ as Jesus is here represented as using it with reference to himself. It seems as if already the disciples were calling Jesus "Lord" and that he accepted the appellative and used it as here.

‏ Matthew 21:3

The Lord ( ο κυριος ). It is not clear how the word would be understood here by those who heard the message though it is plain that Jesus applies it to himself. The word is from κυρος, power or authority. In the LXX it is common in a variety of uses which appear in the N.T. as master of the slave (Mt 10:24), of the harvest (9:38), of the vineyard (20:8), of the emperor (Ac 13:27), of God (Mt 11:20; 11:25), and often of Jesus as the Messiah (Ac 10:36). Note Mt 8:25. This is the only time in Matthew where the words ο κυριος are applied to Jesus except the doubtful passage in 28:6. A similar usage is shown by Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary and Deissmann's Light from the Ancient East. Particularly in Egypt it was applied to "the Lord Serapis" and Ptolemy and Cleopatra are called "the lords, the most great gods" ( ο κυριο θεο μεγιστο ). Even Herod the Great and Herod Agrippa I are addressed as "Lord King." In the west the Roman emperors are not so termed till the time of Domitian. But the Christians boldly claimed the word for Christ as Jesus is here represented as using it with reference to himself. It seems as if already the disciples were calling Jesus "Lord" and that he accepted the appellative and used it as here.