MAT 22:23-33

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

23On that day Sadducees came to him — those who say there is no resurrection — and they questioned him,

24saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother shall marry his widow and raise up offspring for his brother.'

25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring he left his wife to his brother.

26Likewise the second, and the third, down to the seventh.

27Last of all the woman died.

28In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her."

29But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are led astray, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven.

31And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,

32'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

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

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Judea, the Sadducees, a priestly and aristocratic faction, rejected the concept of resurrection, aligning with their strict interpretation of the Torah and their focus on Temple worship. Their question to Jesus about levirate marriage (Deut 25:5-10) reflects their attempt to discredit resurrection by highlighting its practical absurdities. Levirate marriage was a cultural and legal institution ensuring familial continuity and inheritance in a patriarchal society. The Sadducees’ hypothetical scenario of a woman marrying seven brothers underscores their belief that resurrection would disrupt social order. Jesus’ response, invoking Exodus 3:6, shifts the focus from legalistic debate to the nature of God’s power and the resurrection’s transformative reality. His rebuke, 'You are deceived,' challenges their reliance on human reasoning over divine revelation. For Jesus’ audience, this exchange would highlight the Sadducees’ theological rigidity and Jesus’ authority in interpreting Scripture, affirming resurrection as a divine promise beyond human comprehension.

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How other translations render this

MAT 22:23

KJV: The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
BSB: That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him.
Koinōnos: On that day Sadducees came to him — those who say there is no resurrection — and they questioned him,

MAT 22:24

KJV: Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
BSB: “Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
Koinōnos: saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother shall marry his widow and raise up offspring for his brother.

MAT 22:25

KJV: Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
BSB: Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother.
Koinōnos: Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring he left his wife to his brother.

MAT 22:26

KJV: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
BSB: The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh.
Koinōnos: Likewise the second, and the third, down to the seventh.

MAT 22:27

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

MAT 22:28

KJV: Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
BSB: In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her.”
Koinōnos: In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.

MAT 22:29

KJV: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
BSB: Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
Koinōnos: But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are led astray, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

MAT 22:30

KJV: For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
BSB: In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
Koinōnos: For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven.

MAT 22:31

KJV: But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
BSB: But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you:
Koinōnos: And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,

MAT 22:32

KJV: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
BSB: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
Koinōnos: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.

MAT 22:33

KJV: And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
BSB: When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
Koinōnos: And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

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 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

Translator's notes

MAT 22:24

will marry:The word translated 'will marry' specifically refers to the custom of a man marrying his deceased brother's widow to produce an heir, a practice known as levirate marriage.

MAT 22:29

You err:The phrase 'You err' implies not just a mistake, but a wandering or being led astray from the truth, suggesting a fundamental misunderstanding.
knowing:The word translated 'knowing' here refers to a deep, experiential understanding or acquaintance, not merely intellectual knowledge of facts.

MAT 22:31

you have read:The word translated 'you have read' often implies not just the act of reading, but also understanding and recognizing the meaning of what is read.