The idea
The gospel is the arrival of a kingdom — 'the empire of God' — and God promised David a throne 'for ever.' Jesus is not only a new Adam and a new Moses but a new David, so the question follows: 'If Jesus is the new Davidic king, then who is the new queen?' Pitre answers from the Old Testament's portrait of the queen mother (gebirah, 'great lady') under four heads: the queen is the king's mother, not his wife; she reigns with the king; she is a powerful intercessor; and she appears in the prophecies of the future king. He then imagines first-century Jewish women asking not only 'Who will be the mother of the Messiah?' but 'Who will be the new queen mother?'
Key verses
- 2 Samuel 7:12 — the throne established for ever (v. 13).
- Matthew 1:1 — 'Jesus Christ, the son of David.'
- 1 Kings 2:19 — the king's mother enthroned at his right hand.
- Isaiah 7:14 — the mother of the future king foretold.
The connection
| Old Testament root | New Testament fulfilment | |
|---|---|---|
| The gebirah beside the Davidic king | → | Mary beside Christ the King |
The queen-mother chapter is a syllogism built on the book's Christology-first rule: the gospel is a kingdom, the king is a son of David, and a Davidic kingdom has a queen mother.