ἐπιγαμβρεύω (epigambreuō)
epigambreuō
to marry
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb epigambreuō describes a specific type of marriage: taking the widow of a deceased relative as one’s own wife. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Matthew 22:24, where it is used in a hypothetical question posed to Jesus about the resurrection.
The word combines a prefix meaning "upon" or "after" with a root related to kinship by marriage. This construction highlights the legal and familial continuity involved. The speaker in the passage imagines a scenario where seven brothers successively marry the same woman, each dying without children, a situation rooted in the levirate custom described in the Old Testament.
By using this precise term, the text underscores the complexity of the law’s application beyond death. It forces a confrontation with how ancient family structures and marital bonds translate into the age to come, moving the discussion from legal technicalities to the nature of eternal life itself.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word epigambreuō appears only once in the New Testament, nestled in a question posed to Jesus about the resurrection. It refers to the levirate custom where a man marries his deceased brother’s widow to continue the family line. This specific term highlights the deep legal and familial ties that bound ancient Israelite society together.
When the Sadducees present this scenario to Jesus, they are testing His understanding of eternal life. They imagine a complex situation where seven brothers marry the same woman, each dying without children. The word underscores how intricate human relationships can become when viewed through the lens of earthly law and duty.
Jesus’ response shifts the focus from legal technicalities to the nature of the age to come. He explains that in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage. This teaches us that our ultimate hope is not found in resolving every earthly puzzle, but in trusting God’s power over life and death. It invites us to look beyond the complexities of this world to the simplicity of eternal communion with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will marry1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπιγαμβρεύσει1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 22:24
saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
This verse uses epigambreuō to describe the levirate marriage custom, setting up the Sadducees' hypothetical challenge regarding the resurrection.