Matthew 22:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After them all, the woman died.

NIV: Finally, the woman died.

NASB: Last of all, the woman died.

CSB: Last of all, the woman died.

NLT: Last of all, the woman also died.

KJV: And last of all the woman died also.

NKJV: Last of all the woman died also.

This is part of a challenge posed to Jesus by the Sadducees. This highly political sect of Judaism did not believe that human beings will be resurrected from the dead. In fact, they did not believe in an afterlife or spirit world. What they are proposing to Jesus is a hypothetical scenario to illustrate what they see as an absurd theological idea: resurrection (Matthew 22:15–26).

Deuteronomy 25:5–10 defines a practice called Levirate marriage. This required the brother of a childless married man who has died to take the widow for his own wife. His duty was to have a son with his brother's widow in his brother's name and raise that son as the heir of his brother.

The Sadducees have imagined a group of seven brothers who each die childless, leaving the same widow to one brother after another until all of them have died. This would mean the woman was married to each of the seven brothers in turn. Now in this verse, the woman herself dies. The following verse reveals the point the Sadducees have been building to: their view that the resurrected woman now has seven men with claims to be her husband. Jesus will need to correct their mistaken assumptions in His response (Matthew 22:29–32).

Matthew 22:23–33 contains another challenge for Jesus. This one comes from the Sadducees: a Jewish religious group that did not believe in an afterlife. Attempting to prove their view, they describe a hypothetical situation based on a requirement from the Law of Moses. A woman is married to seven brothers, one after another, as each dies and passes her on. Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? Jesus replies that the question is flawed: there is no marriage in the resurrection. He then references Scripture to show that the Lord is God of the living, including faithful patriarchs such as Abraham and Jacob. Parallel accounts are recorded in Mark 12:18–27 and Luke 20:27–40.

Continuing a dialogue with hostile religious leaders, Jesus tells a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast which ends up being attended by those not initially invited. He answers trick questions about taxes, marriage, resurrection, and the Law of Moses. These responses are the source of common English idioms such as "render to Caesar…" and "many are called but few are chosen." Finally, Jesus asks how the Messiah can be both the son of David and the Lord of David. None can answer Him, so they stop challenging Him in public.

This chapter extends an exchange between Jesus and several groups of religious leaders in the temple. The previous chapter concluded with two parables about the failures of the religious leaders. This chapter begins with a third parable, about chosen guests who refuse to attend a wedding feast. Jesus then fields questions from several religious groups, who fail in their attempts to trip Him up. His wise and profound answers silence all of them. At this point, Jesus launches into a full-throated condemnation of the Pharisees in chapter 23.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.