Mark 12:18-27 · Bible study
Mark 12:18-27 Commentary: Resurrection and the Power of God
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How Jesus refutes Sadducees on the resurrection, using Exodus 3 to prove God is God of the living.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus proves the resurrection by showing that God’s covenant relationship with the patriarchs demands they are alive, and describes the resurrection as a non-marital, angel-like existence.
- Key words: anastasis (resurrection), planaō (err/wander from truth), dunamis (power), graphē (Scripture), zōntōn (living).
- Main debate: How precisely does the Exodus text prove bodily resurrection? Some emphasize the present tense “I am”; others see it as proving the soul’s immortality, leaving bodily resurrection inferred from God’s covenant faithfulness.
- Theological theme: God’s power over death; the resurrection body transcends earthly relationships; the Scriptures testify consistently to life beyond the grave.
- Best use: Answering skepticism about the afterlife, strengthening hope at funerals, correcting overly earthly views of heaven, and grounding resurrection hope in the Old Testament.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:
19“Teacher, 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.
20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
21Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.
22In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died.
23In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
24Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
26But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
WEB World English Bible 2000
18Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying,
19“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
20There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.
21The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;
22and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
23In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife.”
24Jesus answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God?
25For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
26But about the dead, that they are raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moses about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”
KJV King James Version 1769
18Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
20Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
26And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
18And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
20There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed;
21and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise:
22and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.
23In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24Jesus said unto them, Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?
25For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven.
26But as touching the dead, that they are raised; have ye not read in the book of Moses, in the place concerning the Bush, how God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: ye do greatly err.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
18And the Sadducees come unto him, who say there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying,
19`Teacher, Moses wrote to us, that if any one's brother may die, and may leave a wife, and may leave no children, that his brother may take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
20`There were then seven brothers, and the first took a wife, and dying, he left no seed;
21and the second took her, and died, neither left he seed, and the third in like manner,
22and the seven took her, and left no seed, last of all died also the woman;
23in the rising again, then, whenever they may rise, of which of them shall she be wife--for the seven had her as wife?'
24And Jesus answering said to them, `Do ye not because of this go astray, not knowing the Writings, nor the power of God?
25for when they may rise out of the dead, they neither marry nor are they given in marriage, but are as messengers who are in the heavens.
26`And concerning the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the Book of Moses (at The Bush), how God spake to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
27he is not the God of dead men, but a God of living men; ye then go greatly astray.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
18And Sadducees come to him, that say there is no resurrection; and they demanded of him saying,
19Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if any one's brother die, and leave a wife behind, and leave no children, that his brother shall take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
20There were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying did not leave seed;
21and the second took her and died, and neither did he leave seed; and the third likewise.
22And the seven [took her and] did not leave seed. Last of all the woman also died.
23In the resurrection, when they shall rise again, of which of them shall she be wife, for the seven had her as wife?
24And Jesus answering said to them, Do not ye therefore err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God?
25For when they rise from among [the] dead they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels [who are] in the heavens.
26But concerning the dead that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, in [the section of] the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, I [am] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27He is not the God of [the] dead, but of [the] living. Ye therefore greatly err.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
18And there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection. And they asked him, saying:
19Master, Moses wrote unto us that if any man's brother die and leave his wife behind him and leave no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up seed to his brother.
20Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife and died leaving no issue.
21And the second took her and died: and neither did he leave any issue. And the third in like manner.
22And the seven all took her in like manner and did not leave issue. Last of all the woman also died.
23In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise again, whose wife shall she be of them? For the seven had her to wife.
24And Jesus answering, saith to them: Do ye not therefore err, because you know not the scriptures nor the power of God?
25For when they shall rise again from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be married, but are as the angels in heaven.
26And as concerning the dead that they rise again have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke to him, saying: I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?
27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You therefore do greatly err.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 12:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this passage delivers Jesus’ most direct proof of the resurrection. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Sadducees’ challenge rested on a carnal notion that life after death would be a mere copy of earthly existence. Vincent’s Word Studies points out that Jesus traces their error to two sources: ignorance of the Scriptures and ignorance of the power of God. First he addresses their misunderstanding of the resurrection state, marriage ceases because the risen are “like angels” (v.25), a point both Matthew Henry and Lange emphasize as a correction to materialist assumptions. Then he pivots to a positive proof from Exodus 3: God’s words to Moses at the burning bush. As Wesley and Gill both argue, the present-tense statement “I am the God of Abraham” would be meaningless if Abraham were annihilated; God is not the God of the dead but of the living. The conclusion, unique to Mark, is the sharp closing: “You are therefore badly mistaken” (v.27). Across traditions, this passage is seen as a definitive scriptural grounding for bodily resurrection grounded in God’s covenantal faithfulness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus affirms the reality of the resurrection, teaches that marriage does not continue in the age to come, and grounds his proof in God’s self-identification in Exodus 3, showing that the patriarchs are alive to God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of the resurrection body | Christians agree that the resurrected body is transformed, not a mere resuscitation; marriage does not continue in heaven. | Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant traditions affirm that resurrected persons retain their individual identity and relationships (though not marriage), while some Protestants emphasize a more radical discontinuity with earthly existence. |
| The strength of Jesus' argument from Exodus 3 | All traditions see this as a valid scriptural proof that the patriarchs are alive to God and will rise. | Some read it as proving the resurrection of the body directly (the bodiless soul is not the full person); others see it primarily as proof of the soul's immortality, with bodily resurrection supported elsewhere. |
| Sadducee beliefs and authority | Sadducees denied resurrection, angels, and spirits; they held only the Pentateuch as authoritative. | Some historians argue they were not strict materialists but denied the afterlife for theological-political reasons related to temple control; others see them as rationalists akin to later deists. |
| The phrase 'like angels' in verse 25 | All agree it means the resurrected do not marry and do not die. | Some traditions affirm that humans become angels (e.g., certain sects); historic Christian orthodoxy insists humans remain human, but with a glorified, immortal nature similar to angels in their non-marital state. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Sadducees were a powerful Jewish sect centered in Jerusalem, often associated with the temple aristocracy. The Cambridge Bible describes them as “few, rich, and dignified.” Unlike the Pharisees, they accepted only the five books of Moses as authoritative and rejected beliefs not explicitly taught there, including resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). They were the theological skeptics of the day, and their question to Jesus was meant to expose the resurrection as absurd by applying the logic of levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5) to an extreme hypothetical.
Levirate law was designed to preserve a deceased man’s name and inheritance: his brother was to marry the widow, and the first son counted as the dead brother’s offspring. The Sadducees invent a story of seven brothers who each die childless, leaving the same woman a widow seven times. “In the resurrection therefore,” they ask, “whose wife will she be?” (v.23). The question assumes that resurrection life is simply an extension of earthly social structures, which would create absurd entanglements.
Jesus first corrects that assumption. The risen life is not a resumption of earthly marriage; people will be “like angels in heaven” (v.25). Then he turns to their own accepted Scriptures, quoting Exodus 3:6, where God says to Moses from the burning bush, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Since God “is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (v.27), the patriarchs must still exist, and will one day be raised. The power of God is not limited by death; the covenant relationship is not broken by the grave.
Textual Notes
The supplied textual notes, from Adam Clarke and Gill, mention two variants. First, in verse 23 the clause “when they shall rise” is absent from several early manuscripts (including B, D, L, Syriac, Coptic) and Griesbach leaves it doubtful. Second, in verse 27 the word “God” in “He is not the God of the dead” is omitted by a large number of witnesses (ABCDKL, over forty mss, plus early versions including Syriac and Vulgate). Modern critical editions (such as NA28 and UBS5) include “God” in brackets, indicating the shorter reading may be original. The overall sense is unaffected. No other significant textual issues are raised by the supplied sources.
Reception History
This passage has been a cornerstone of Christian resurrection hope since the early church. Irenaeus and Tertullian used Jesus’ words to counter Gnostic denials of the body’s salvation. In the medieval period, Thomas Aquinas cited verse 25 to argue that the glorified body is not subject to the functions of earthly life. The Reformers, Calvin and Luther, drew on the Exodus argument to affirm that Old Testament believers shared the same hope of resurrection as Christians. In modern evangelical preaching, this text often serves as a funeral or Easter sermon foundation, emphasizing that God’s covenant love is stronger than death. Across traditions, the passage is read as both a correction of naive views of heaven and a strong affirmation that the resurrection is taught in the Torah itself.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Expose the error: The Sadducees’ question reveals ignorance of Scripture and of God’s power (v.24). They treat the afterlife as a mere extension of this life.
- Correct the state: In the resurrection, people do not marry; they are like the angels, which shows the new creation is not a repeat of the old (v.25).
- Prove from the text: God’s words to Moses at the bush demonstrate that the patriarchs are alive to God. Therefore the resurrection is woven into the Torah itself (vv.26, 27).
Five-point outline
- The Sadducees’ test: A group that denies resurrection invents an absurd scenario using levirate marriage (vv.18, 23).
- The root of the error: Not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God (v.24).
- The resurrection life described: No marriage, no death, life like the angels (v.25).
- The proof from Moses: God identifies with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the present tense, centuries after their deaths (v.26).
- The decisive conclusion: God is the God of the living; the dead are not lost. You err greatly (v.27).
Illustration hooks
- A wedding and a funeral: How do we act when both happen in the same week? The resurrection changes our sense of finality. The Sadducees saw only an endless cycle of weddings; Jesus sees a new creation.
- A family dispute over an inheritance: People sometimes debate who “deserves” what after a death, as if earthly categories settle eternal matters. Jesus says God’s power redefines every relationship.
- The photograph of a grandparent: You look at it and say “that’s Grandma.” But a believer also says “Grandma is alive.” The present tense of “I am the God of Abraham” turns memory into relationship.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Will we know each other in heaven? If marriage ends, how will family relationships work?
- Why did Jesus pick such an obscure Old Testament verse to prove the resurrection? Couldn’t he have used something clearer?
- Does this mean widows and widowers shouldn’t remarry? Or is it only about the age to come?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to reconsider what we think we know about life after death. The Sadducees assumed the afterlife would reproduce earthly structures. Jesus dismantles that assumption, not by dismissing their question, but by taking them deeper into the Scriptures they claimed to honor.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What do we learn about the Sadducees from this passage and from Acts 23:8? Why does the Cambridge Bible call them “few, rich, and dignified”?
- Interpretation: Jesus says they err because they do not know the Scriptures or the power of God (v.24). Which of these two errors is more dangerous in our own day?
- Interpretation: Why did Jesus answer the question about marriage first, before giving the proof from Exodus? What does verse 25 tell us about the resurrection state?
- Interpretation: How does the argument from Exodus 3 work? Read verse 26 carefully: God says “I am” not “I was.” Why does the present tense matter for the resurrection?
- Application: If marriage ends at the resurrection, what does that mean for how we view marriage now? Should it make our earthly marriages more precious or less?
- Application: The Sadducees limited God’s power to what they could imagine. When have you been tempted to limit God because a certain outcome seemed impossible?
- Application: Jesus uses a passage his opponents accept to correct them. How can we better use the Bible to challenge our own wrong assumptions?
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 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. |
| Luke 20:27 | Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection. |
| Luke 20:40 | They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions. |
| Acts 4:1 | As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, |
| Acts 4:2 | being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. |
| Acts 23:6 | But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” |
| Acts 23:9 | A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!” |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to textual variations in this passage, noting that the phrase about rising from the dead is missing from many ancient manuscripts. He also observes that the word "God" is absent from a large number of early copies, suggesting uncertainty about the original wording.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible highlights that Jesus answers the Sadducees by appealing to the very scripture they trusted. God's self-revelation as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be meaningless if the patriarchs had ceased to exist. Thus Jesus proves they are still living, awaiting resurrection, and corrects their ignorance of both Scripture and God's power.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that Jesus refutes the Sadducees by appealing to Moses himself, showing from the burning bush that God is the God of the living. The patriarchs are still alive in God's covenant, proving the resurrection. The Sadducees are deceived because they know neither Scripture nor the power of God.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the Sadducees' question about marriage in the resurrection shows they knew neither the Scriptures nor God's power. He notes that in the resurrection, human relationships like marriage no longer apply, as people become like angels. Jesus proves resurrection from Exodus, showing God is God of the living patriarchs, not the dead.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that Jesus built his resurrection argument not on a passing detail but on God's covenant relationship with the patriarchs, which cannot hold if they are dead. Marriage ends because death ends, and God is the God of living persons in conscious relation to Him. Jesus deliberately chose the foundational books of Moses to silence the Sadducees.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent emphasizes that Jesus' phrase "in the bush" does not mean God spoke from within a burning bush, but rather refers to a specific section of the Pentateuch, as the Jews named scripture portions by their key content. He also notes that "err" literally means to wander off the path, and that "therefore" actually points forward to the cause of the Sadducees' error, not backward.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues from God's title as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: since God is the God of the living, he cannot be their God at all if they are utterly dead. Therefore the patriarchs must now be alive and will be raised bodily to share in future blessedness.