The Sadducees and the Resurrection

27 Some(A) of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,(B) came up and questioned him: 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother has a wife, and dies childless, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.[a](C) 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30 Also the second[b] 31 and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

34 Jesus told them, “The children of this age(D) marry and are given in marriage.(E) 35 But those who are counted worthy(F) to take part in that age(G) and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die,(H) because they are like angels and are children of God,(I) since they are children of the resurrection. 37 Moses even indicated in the passage about the burning bush that the dead are raised, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.[c](J) 38 He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to[d] him.”(K)

39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:28 Dt 25:5
  2. 20:30 Other mss add took her as wife, and he died without children
  3. 20:37 Ex 3:6,15
  4. 20:38 Or with

The Question about the Resurrection

27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him(A) 28 and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man[a] shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.(B) 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; 30 then the second[b] 31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

34 Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.(C) 37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.(D) 38 Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”(E) 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him another question.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 20.28 Gk his brother
  2. 20.30 Other ancient authorities add married the woman, and this one died childless,