Luke 20:27-38 · Bible study
Luke 20:27-38 Commentary: Study: Resurrection & the Age to Come
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection and what His answer reveals about eternal life.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus corrects the Sadducees, affirming the resurrection and revealing its transformed, deathless nature.
- Key words: anastasis (resurrection), isangeloi (like angels), egeirontai (are raised, present tense of certainty).
- Main debate: Whether marriage continues in the resurrection (Jesus says no; this age's institutions do not carry over).
- Theological theme: God's covenantal faithfulness guarantees life beyond death for those in relationship with Him.
- Best use: Defending the resurrection hope and comforting believers about the age to come.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
27Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.
28“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless.
30Then the second
31and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.
32And last of all, the woman died.
33So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
34Jesus answered, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.
36In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.
37Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
27Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
28They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother.
29There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
30The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
32Afterward the woman also died.
33Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
34Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
36For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
KJV King James Version 1769
27Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
32Last of all the woman died also.
33Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
27And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection;
28and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless;
30and the second:
31and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died.
32Afterward the woman also died.
33In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife.
34And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
27And certain of the Sadducees, who are denying that there is a rising again, having come near, questioned him,
28saying, `Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother may die, having a wife, and he may die childless--that his brother may take the wife, and may raise up seed to his brother.
29`There were, then, seven brothers, and the first having taken a wife, died childless,
30and the second took the wife, and he died childless,
31and the third took her, and in like manner also the seven--they left not children, and they died;
32and last of all died also the woman:
33in the rising again, then, of which of them doth she become wife? --for the seven had her as wife.'
34And Jesus answering said to them, `The sons of this age do marry and are given in marriage,
35but those accounted worthy to obtain that age, and the rising again that is out of the dead, neither marry, nor are they given in marriage;
36for neither are they able to die any more--for they are like messengers--and they are sons of God, being sons of the rising again.
37`And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
38and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
27And some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, coming up [to him],
28demanded of him saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother, who has a wife, die, and he die childless, his brother shall take the wife and raise up seed to his brother.
29There were then seven brethren: and the first, having taken a wife, died childless;
30and the second [took the woman, and he died childless];
31and the third took her: and in like manner also the seven left no children and died;
32and last of all the woman also died.
33In the resurrection therefore of which of them does she become wife, for the seven had her as wife?
34And Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage,
35but they who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among [the] dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36for neither can they die any more, for they are equal to angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37But that the dead rise, even Moses shewed in [the section of] the bush, when he called [the] Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob;
38but he is not God of [the] dead but of [the] living; for all live for him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
27And there came to him some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection: and they asked him,
28Saying: Master, Moses wrote unto us: If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he leave no children, that his brother should take her to wife and raise up seed unto his brother.
29There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife and died without children.
30And the next took her to wife: and he also died childless.
31And the third took her. And in like manner, all the seven: and they left no children and died.
32Last of all the woman died also.
33In the resurrection therefore, whose wife of them shall she be? For all the seven had her to wife.
34And Jesus said to them: The children of this world marry and are given in marriage:
35But they that shall be accounted worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead shall neither be married nor take wives.
36Neither can they die any more for they are equal to the angels and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37Now that the dead rise again, Moses also shewed at the bush, when he called the Lord: The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
38For he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 20:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jesus corrects two errors in the Sadducees' thinking: a misunderstanding of the resurrection state and a failure to let Scripture speak. Matthew Henry notes that the Sadducees 'endeavoured to subvert the fundamental principles of revealed religion' by mocking the resurrection with a hypothetical about a woman married seven times. Jesus first addresses the nature of the age to come: those counted worthy neither marry nor die, being 'like the angels', a unique New Testament word, isangeloi, as Vincent's Word Studies observes. Cambridge Bible notes that the present tense of 'are raised' in verse 37 carries 'eternal certainty.' Calvin points out that Jesus deliberately quotes from Moses (Exodus 3:6) because the Sadducees accepted only the Torah. The argument is covenantal: God calls Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob long after their deaths, which must mean they are alive to Him. Gill confirms that this shows God is not a God of the dead but of the living. The passage thus affirms both the reality of bodily resurrection and the transformed, deathless life that awaits the faithful.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus affirms the reality of the resurrection and teaches that the resurrected life is radically different from this age, characterized by immortality and direct relationship with God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage in the resurrection | All Christians affirm Jesus' teaching that marriage as an institution does not continue in the age to come. | Some traditions see this as a temporary ordinance for this age only; others emphasize that relationships continue in transformed form but not the marital bond. |
| Sadducees' canon | The Sadducees held the Torah in highest authority and denied the resurrection. | Some scholars argue they accepted the Prophets as well but gave primacy to Torah; others maintain they rejected everything except the Pentateuch. |
| Nature of the resurrected body | Christians believe in a bodily resurrection transformed to be immortal. | Precise nature: some emphasize physical continuity (the same body), others emphasize transformation to a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15). |
| 'Accounted worthy', grace or merit? | God's grace enables believers to share in the resurrection. | Some traditions interpret 'accounted worthy' as cooperative response to grace; others as pure gift without human merit. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Sadducees were a priestly aristocratic party in first-century Judaism, closely tied to the Temple and often collaborating with Roman authorities. They are described in Acts 23:8 as denying 'the resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit.' Unlike the Pharisees, they accepted only the Torah (the five books of Moses) as authoritative, rejecting later prophetic writings and oral traditions. Their theological materialism made them skeptical of any afterlife that could not be demonstrated by reason or experience.
The question they put to Jesus exploited the law of levirate marriage from Deuteronomy 25:5-6, which required a brother to marry his deceased brother's widow to preserve the family line. The Sadducees constructed an absurd scenario, seven brothers each marrying the same woman, all dying childless, to mock the idea of resurrection. They assumed that if resurrection existed, it would simply extend this life's social arrangements, leading to polyandry. The Cambridge Bible notes that in Matthew's account the wording suggests they may have been alluding to an actual known case.
Jesus' response does two things. First, He redefines the resurrection state: it is not a continuation of this age's structures but a new creation where marriage and death are obsolete. Second, He proves the resurrection from the very Torah the Sadducees prized, citing Exodus 3:6 where God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, centuries after their deaths. The argument is that God's covenant bond with these patriarchs cannot be broken by death; they must still exist in relationship with Him.
Textual Notes
The principal textual variant noted by the Cambridge Bible is the word order in verse 33: some manuscripts read 'the woman, therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become of the seven?' rather than the standard order. This does not affect the meaning. Overall the text is well-established with no significant variants that alter interpretation.
Reception History
Throughout church history this passage has been a foundation for the doctrine of the resurrection. Early Christian writers used it to argue against both Jewish and pagan denials of bodily resurrection. The phrase 'God of the living, not of the dead' became a key proof-text in debates about the immortality of the soul. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, the 'sons of the resurrection' language shapes iconography of the resurrection. Western medieval theologians like Thomas Aquinas cited it to discuss the cessation of marriage in the beatific vision. The passage remains a staple in funeral liturgy across denominations, offering hope that the dead are alive to God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sadducees' Trap: They used a ridiculous scenario to deny the resurrection, revealing a worldview limited to what is observable.
- Jesus' Correction of the Resurrection State: The age to come involves no marriage or death; believers become like angels, children of God.
- Jesus' Proof of the Resurrection from Scripture: God's covenant relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob proves they live to Him.
Five-point outline
- The Denial: Sadducees reject resurrection, angels, spirits (Acts 23:8).
- The Question: A levirate-marriage scenario designed to make resurrection look absurd.
- The Reorientation: Resurrection life is not an extension of this age; marriage and death cease.
- The Reason: No death means no need for procreation; believers are sons of God, sons of the resurrection.
- The Proof: Scripture itself, 'God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob', shows the patriarchs are alive to Him.
Illustration hooks
- A widow who has remarried wonders about family dynamics in heaven. How does this passage address her concern?
- Children ask whether we will eat, play, and have pets in the resurrection. How do we answer using Jesus' reorientation?
- Comparing an old, faded photograph of a loved one to a living, vibrant conversation, resurrection is not a return to the frozen past but a transformation into new life.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Will I be married to my spouse in heaven?
- Do we become angels when we die?
- How can I be certain there is a resurrection when I cannot see it?
Leading a Discussion
This encounter forces us to examine our assumptions about the afterlife. The Sadducees thought resurrection was absurd; Jesus shows it is both real and radically different from this life.
Discussion questions
- What assumptions about the world did the Sadducees have that led them to ask this question?
- Why does Jesus first correct their view of the resurrection state before proving the resurrection exists?
- What does Jesus mean when He says the resurrected are 'like the angels' and 'children of God'?
- How does the covenant formula 'God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' support the resurrection?
- In what ways does this passage challenge our own pictures of heaven or the afterlife?
- How does the hope of resurrection affect how you face the death of a loved one or your own mortality?
- What does it mean that 'to Him all are alive'? How should that shape our daily walk with God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 16:1 | The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. |
| Matthew 16:6 | Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” |
| Matthew 16:12 | Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. |
| Matthew 22:23 | On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him, |
| Matthew 22:33 | When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. |
| Mark 12:18 | Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying, |
| Mark 12:27 | He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.” |
| Acts 4:1 | As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke uses Jewish sources, including Josephus and the rabbinic Shemoth Rabba, to argue that belief in the resurrection and the soul's immortality was not strange among the Jews. He shows that they understood the righteous as living unto God, even after death, as the patriarchs do.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that Christ deliberately chose Moses' words because the Sadducees respected Moses more than the prophets. He also interprets "all live to him" as meaning that believers, after
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary stresses that the Sadducees approached Jesus with supercilious scorn, not deadly hatred, asking a worn-out materialistic riddle about marriage in the resurrection. Jesus answers with divine wisdom, explaining that the resurrected life is angelic and immortal, where marriage and death no longer apply, and proves this from Moses at the bush.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the resurrection has two outcomes: one to life for those made worthy through Christ, and one to damnation. For the righteous, there is no need for marriage because they cannot die, being equal to angels and children of God. The patriarchs live to God even now, proving the dead are raised.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jesus confronts the Sadducees by pointing to God's power and the Scriptures they neglect. Marriage ends because death itself is gone, and the resurrected become immortal like angels. God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob proves they remain alive in a conscious relationship with Him, for He is not the God of the dead.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that the Sadducees knew the resurrection only in its grossly sensuous, popular form and rejected that caricature. Jesus answers by revealing the resurrection life as spiritual and angelic, where marriage and death cease. His central argument from Exodus is not a proof-text but a deduction from God's covenant: the living God who calls Himself the God of patriarchs must give them eternal life
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the Sadducees as men of corrupt minds who mocked the resurrection despite its clear revelation in the Old Testament. He particularly notes that Christ's response here gives a fuller picture of the future state than in the parallel accounts.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek word for "equal unto the angels" appears only here in the New Testament. He further explains that "shewed"
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues that God calling Himself the God of Abraham proves the dead are raised, because God cannot be the God of extinguished spirits. Since the faithful are Abraham's children, the divine promise of being their God implies their continued existence and happiness. And because the body is essential to humanity, its resurrection is necessarily included.