LUK 20:27-40

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

27Some of the Sadducees, who speak against the resurrection, came forward and questioned him, [20:28] saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies who had a wife, and he was childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. [20:29] There were then seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless. [20:30] The second [20:31] and the third took her, and likewise all seven — they left no children and died. [20:32] Finally the woman died too. [20:33] Now in the resurrection — whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife." [20:34] Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, [20:35] but those deemed worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. [20:36] For they can no longer die, for they are equal to the angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [20:37] But that the dead are raised — even Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' [20:38] He is not God of the dead but of the living, for to him all are alive." [20:39] Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, you have spoken well." [20:40] For they no longer dared to question him about anything.

In the world it was spoken into

In first-century Judea, the Sadducees were a powerful Jewish sect closely aligned with the Temple priesthood and the Roman authorities. They rejected the concept of resurrection, a belief held by Pharisees and other Jewish groups, because they saw it as unsupported by the Torah. Their question to Jesus about the levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) was a deliberate challenge, designed to mock the idea of resurrection by presenting an absurd scenario. Levirate marriage was a cultural institution ensuring familial continuity and inheritance in a society where lineage and land were central. By invoking this custom, the Sadducees sought to trap Jesus in a logical contradiction. Jesus’ response reframes resurrection not as a continuation of earthly relationships but as a transformation into a state akin to angels , transcending mortal constraints. This would have resonated with Jewish apocalyptic expectations of a new age where God’s purposes are fulfilled. The Sadducees’ silence underscores their inability to counter Jesus’ appeal to Scripture and his redefinition of resurrection.

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How other translations render this

LUK 20:27

KJV: Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
BSB: Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.
Koinōnos: Some of the Sadducees, who speak against the resurrection, came forward and questioned him,

LUK 20:28

KJV: Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
BSB: “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a manʼs brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brotherʼs widow and raise up offspring for him.
Koinōnos: saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies who had a wife, and he was childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

LUK 20:29

KJV: There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
BSB: Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless.
Koinōnos: There were then seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless.

LUK 20:30

KJV: And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
BSB: Then the second
Koinōnos: The second

LUK 20:31

KJV: And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
BSB: and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.
Koinōnos: and the third took her, and likewise all seven — they left no children and died.

LUK 20:32

KJV: Last of all the woman died also.
BSB: And last of all, the woman died.
Koinōnos: Finally the woman died too.

LUK 20:33

KJV: Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
BSB: So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
Koinōnos: Now in the resurrection — whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.

LUK 20:34

KJV: And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
BSB: Jesus answered, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
Koinōnos: Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,

LUK 20:35

KJV: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
BSB: But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.
Koinōnos: but those deemed worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

LUK 20:36

KJV: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
BSB: In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.
Koinōnos: For they can no longer die, for they are equal to the angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

LUK 20:37

KJV: Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
BSB: Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
Koinōnos: But that the dead are raised — even Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

LUK 20:38

KJV: For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
BSB: He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”
Koinōnos: He is not God of the dead but of the living, for to him all are alive.

LUK 20:39

KJV: Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.
BSB: Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, You have spoken well!”
Koinōnos: Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, you have spoken well.

LUK 20:40

KJV: And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.
BSB: And they did not dare to question Him any further.
Koinōnos: For they no longer dared to question him about anything.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.1.2

›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.1.2

“The Jews had for a great while had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves; the sect of the Essens, and the sect of the Sadducees, and the third sort of opinions was that of those called Pharisees”

Cited to ground: the Sadducees were a powerful Jewish sect

Translator's notes

LUK 20:27

denying:The word translated 'denying' here implies speaking against or contradicting, often in a confrontational or argumentative manner, rather than simply disbelieving.

LUK 20:28

shall raise up:The term 'shall raise up' specifically means to cause someone to rise, often from a prone position or from death, emphasizing the active role of the one doing the raising.

LUK 20:34

of the:The word translated 'of the' in this phrase refers to an 'age' or 'eon,' denoting a distinct period of time with its own characteristics, rather than just a general time period.

LUK 20:36

like [the] angels:The word translated 'like [the] angels' is a single compound term meaning 'equal to angels' or 'angel-like,' highlighting a direct comparison in nature or status.