Logos Bible Study

Matthew 22:24–28

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22:24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children28 for his brother.’2922:25Now 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. 22:26The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. 22:27Last30 of all, the woman died. 22:28In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”31

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Footnotes

  1. 28 Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).
  2. 29 A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1–12; , Yevamot; Josephus, 4.8.23 [4.254–256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5–10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.
  3. 30 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  4. 31 Grk “For all had her.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“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. 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. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second also, and the third, and so on to all seven. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”

NLTNew Living Translation

“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’ Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

saying, “Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and father descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first died after getting married, and because he did not have descendants, he left his wife to his brother. So also the second and the third, up to the seventh. And last of all the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her as wife.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 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: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.