Mark 12:20

20. there were seven brethren] It was probably a fictitious case, for the Jews were averse to the fulfilling of the enactment at all.

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.

And the seventh had her, and left no seed,.... All, the seven brethren married her, one after another, and neither of them had any children by her:

and last of all the woman died also; after all the seven brethren, to whom she had been married.

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

20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

Ver. 20. {See Trapp on "Mat 22:25"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There were seven brothers

The Sadducees talk about a situation that did not really happen because they want Jesus to tell them what he thinks is right and wrong. AT: "Suppose there were seven brothers" (See: Hypothetical Situations)

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

These numbers refer to each of the brothers and can be expressed as such. AT: "the first brother ... the second brother ... the third brother" (See: Ellipsis)

The seven

This refers to all the brothers. AT: "The seven brothers" (See: Ellipsis)

the first took a wife ... the second took her

"the first married a woman ... the second married her." Here marrying a woman is spoken of as "taking" her.

the third likewise

It may be helpful to explain what "likewise" means. AT: "the third brother married her as his other bothers did, and he also died leaving no children" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

The seven left no children

Each of the brothers married the woman and then died before he had any children with her. This can be stated clearly. AT: "Eventually all seven brothers married that woman one by one, but none of them had any children with her, and one by one they died" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be?

The Sadducees are testing Jesus by asking this question. If your readers can only understand this as a request for information, this can be written as a statement. AT: "Now tell us whose wife she will be in the resurrection, when they all rise again." (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

die

resurrection

raise

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

20. [2732][2733][2734][2735][2736] omit οὖν. See on Mar 12:6.

[2732] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[2733] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[2734] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[2735] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[2736] An asterisk denotes that the word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and such words are included in the index, even if there is no note on them in the commentary.

20. ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ ἦσαν. The is example is framed so as to make resurrection appear ridiculous; πλάττουσι τὴν διήγησιν ταύτην. Mt. inserts παρʼ ἡμῖν, and [2863] has παρʼ ἡμῖν in Mk; but it is not likely that such a case had occurred. The Sadducees perhaps insinuated that the Levirate law showed that Moses did not believe in a resurrection. Christ produces evidence that Moses must have believed in it.

[2863] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

ἀποθνήσκων. “In dying,” “at his death.” Here again, and throughout in all three, nothing is said about a son; it is “leaving no seed,” or “being childless.”

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.