Luke 20:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.

NIV: Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless.

NASB: So then, there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

CSB: Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.

NLT: Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

KJV: There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.

NKJV: Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.

The Sadducees are trying to discredit Jesus and His teachings, using what they see as an absurd implication of belief in resurrection (Luke 20:27). They base this on the idea of levirate marriage. In their scenario, a woman marries the oldest of several brothers, but he dies with no children. As the Mosaic law dictates (Deuteronomy 25:5–6), she marries the next youngest brother, who is obligated to provide her with a son who will inherit his brother's place in the family. But he dies as well. This repeats over and over, until she has married seven brothers before herself passing away.

The Sadducees pose the question of which brother will be the woman's husband after the resurrection. It's not really a "question," but a claim that the situation is ridiculous. The thought of a woman with seven husbands is unfathomable, as is the thought of a man sharing his wife with his six brothers. In their minds, this proves that Jesus' teaching about the resurrection is silly, so they shouldn't follow Him.

Like other critics before them (Luke 20:1–26), these men are trying to pull the common people away from Jesus. Too many are starting to follow Him. The Sadducees are so wrapped up in their sectarian and cultural beliefs that they can't see a simple truth that destroys their argument: that there is no marriage in heaven.

Luke 20:27–40 records the Sadducees trying to discredit Jesus' authority to teach. They plan to present a paradox about marriage and the resurrection of the dead. Leaders of other religious sects have already failed to embarrass Jesus regarding the law and civil responsibilities (Luke 20:19–26). Jesus easily explains away the Sadducees' argument using the very text which their sect reveres: the Torah. He continues with proof that the Christ has authority over David and warns the people to be wary of the scribes' hypocrisy (Luke 20:41–47). This debate is also recorded in Matthew 22:23–33 and Mark 12:18–27.

After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus find Himself in conflict with the city's religious leaders. Elders, priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees all attempt to discredit Him. This comes mostly in challenging Jesus with trick questions. Jesus deftly handles those challenges without falling into the trap. He provides several teachings about His role as the Son of God and directly warns the Jewish people against their generation of scribes, who are arrogant and pretentious.

Luke 20 is a chiasm about authority. Jesus has entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (Luke 19:28–46). Now, the priests and teachers attack Jesus' authority in religion, law, and doctrine; Jesus defends Himself and shows their sinful lifestyles disqualify them for authority. After holding up a widow as a better role model (Luke 21:1–4), Jesus warns His disciples about the challenges they will face in the coming years, including the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:5–38). The events in Luke 20 are also discussed in Matthew 21—23 and Mark 11—12.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.