The Sadducees and the Resurrection

23 That same day some Sadducees,(A) who say there is no resurrection, came up to him and questioned him:(B) 24 “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.[a](C) 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second also, and the third, and so on to all seven. 27 Last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”[b]

29 Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like[c] angels in heaven.(D) 31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: 32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?[d](E) He[e] is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33 And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:24 Dt 25:5
  2. 22:28 Lit all had her
  3. 22:30 Other mss add God’s
  4. 22:32 Ex 3:6,15–16
  5. 22:32 Other mss read God

Question about resurrection

23 That same day Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus. 24 They asked, “Teacher, Moses said, If a man who doesn’t have children dies, his brother must marry his wife and produce children for his brother.[a] 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married, then died. Because he had no children he left his widow to his brother. 26 The same thing happened with the second brother and the third, and in fact with all seven brothers. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 At the resurrection, which of the seven brothers will be her husband? They were all married to her.”

29 Jesus responded, “You are wrong because you don’t know either the scriptures or God’s power. 30 At the resurrection people won’t marry nor will they be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like angels from God. 31 As for the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what God told you, 32 I’m the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?[b] He isn’t the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 Now when the crowd heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

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Marriage at the Resurrection(A)

23 That same day the Sadducees,(B) who say there is no resurrection,(C) came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.(D) 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures(E) or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;(F) they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[a]?(G) He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:32 Exodus 3:6