Luke 20:29

20:29-33 Well, suppose there were seven brothers: A similar story of a woman married to seven husbands appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha (Tobit 3:7-17; 6:10–8:18).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 20:29 . οὖν , therefore, carrying on the narrative (frequent in John) and implying that the law of Moses cited gave rise to the curious case stated and the difficulty connected with it.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 29. There were therefore seven brethren] See Clarke on Mt 22:23-33.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. There were therefore seven brethren] In Mat_22:25 it runs “there were with us,” as though they were alluding to an actual case.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Last of all the woman died also. Having had no children by either of her seven husbands.

Last of all the woman died also. Having had no children by either of her seven husbands.

Luke 20:33

luk 20:33

luk 20:33

luk 20:33Therefore in the resurrection,.... At the time of the resurrection of the dead, in that state, supposing there will be such an one, which they denied;

whose wife of them is she? the first, or the last, or any of the intermediate ones?

for seven had her to wife; and she had no child by either of them; so that their claim seems to be alike; this they thought unanswerable, and sufficient to set aside the notion of a resurrection.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Vers. 29-33. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. The question here put to the Master was a well-known materialistic objection to the resurrection, and had on several occasions Been asked by these shallow Epicureans as the Talmud calls them to the great rabbis of the schools of the Pharisees. Their usual answer was that the woman in question would be the wife of the first husband.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

The Sadducees finish asking Jesus their question.

General Information:

The Sadducees tell Jesus a short story in verses 29-32. This is a story they made up as an example. In verse 33, they ask Jesus a question about the story they told.

There were seven brothers

This may have happened, but it is probably a story that they made up to test Jesus.

the first ... the second ... The third

"brother number one ... brother number two ... Brother number three" (See: Ordinal Numbers)

died childless

"died without having any children" or "died, but did not have any children"

the second as well

They did not repeat many of the details to keep the story short. AT: "the second married her and the same thing happened" or "the second brother married her and died without having any children" (See: Ellipsis)

The third took her

"The third married her"

likewise the seven also left no children, and died

They did not repeat many of the details to keep the story short. AT: "in the same way the rest of the seven brothers married her and had no children and died" (See: Ellipsis)

the seven

"all seven of the brothers" or "each of the seven brothers"

In the resurrection

"When people are raised from the dead" or "When dead people will become alive again." Some languages have a way of showing that the Sadducees did not believe that there would be a resurrection, such as "In the supposed resurrection" or "When dead people are supposedly raised from the dead."

translationWords

resurrection

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

29. ἑπτὰ οὖν κ.τ.λ. In Mat 22:25 it runs “there were with us,” as though they were alluding to an actual case.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29.] οὖν, well then—i.e. ‘as an example of this law, …’

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. ἑπτὰ υὀ͂ν ἀδελφοί . The οὖν appears to indicate that what is about to be narrated was a consequence of this levirate law. But the υὀ͂ν may be a mere particle of transition. Mt. inserts παρʼ ἡμῖν, as if they professed to describe what had actually taken place. It is said to have been a well-known problem, the recognized answer to which was, that at the resurrection the woman would be the wife of the first brother. This answer Christ might have given; but, while it would have avoided the ridicule to which the Sadducees wished to expose Him, it would not have refuted their doctrine. D, Syr-Sin. c d ff2 l q ins. παρʼ ἡμῖν here.

ἄτεκνος. “Childless” as in ver. 28: comp. ver. 31. All three imply that there was neither son nor daughter. And this is laid down in the Talmud,—that the deceased brother must have no child at all, although Deu 25:5 says simply “have no son” (RV.). Some maintained that the levirate law, which to a large extent had gone out of use, did not apply to a wedded wife, but only to a betrothed woman. The Mishna recommends that the levirate law be not observed.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.