Luke 20:29

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

There were {G2258} therefore {G3767} seven {G2033} brethren {G80}: and {G2532} the first {G4413} took {G2983} a wife {G1135}, and died {G599} without children {G815}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless,

Berean Standard Bible

Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless.

American Standard Version

There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless;

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 20:29 introduces the opening premise of a complex hypothetical scenario presented by the Sadducees to Jesus. This verse sets the stage for their challenge regarding the resurrection, detailing the initial condition of seven brothers, the first of whom marries and subsequently dies without producing any offspring, thereby triggering the levirate marriage obligation and laying the foundation for their convoluted question about the woman's marital status in the afterlife.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is an integral part of the larger pericope in [Luke 20:27-40](/luke/20-27-40 "Luke 20:27-40 - The Sadducees Question About the Resurrection"), where Jesus encounters various Jewish factions attempting to trap Him with difficult questions. Immediately preceding this, Jesus deftly answers a question about paying taxes to Caesar, demonstrating His wisdom and discernment ([Luke 20:20-26](/luke/20-20-26 "Luke 20:20-26 - Paying Taxes to Caesar")). The Sadducees, known for their rejection of the resurrection, angels, and spirits ([Acts 23:8](/acts/23-8 "Acts 23:8 - Sadducees and Pharisees")), then approach Jesus with a scenario designed to expose what they perceived as the absurdity of resurrection theology. Verse 29 begins their detailed hypothetical, which will unfold through [Luke 20:30-32](/luke/20-30-32 "Luke 20:30-32 - The Seven Brothers Marry the Same Woman") before culminating in their direct question in [Luke 20:33](/luke/20-33 "Luke 20:33 - The Sadducees' Question"). Jesus' profound response, beginning in [Luke 20:34](/luke/20-34 "Luke 20:34 - Jesus' Answer on the Resurrection"), directly addresses their flawed premise.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Sadducees' challenge is rooted in the Old Testament law of levirate marriage, specifically found in [Deuteronomy 25:5-10](/deuteronomy/25-5-10 "Deuteronomy 25:5-10 - The Law of Levirate Marriage"). This law stipulated that if a man died childless, his brother was obligated to marry the widow to "raise up offspring for his brother," ensuring the deceased's name and inheritance continued within the family line. This practice was vital in ancient Israelite society for maintaining family lineage, property rights, and social stability. The Sadducees, being strict literalists of the Pentateuch and rejecting oral traditions or later theological developments, used this specific law to construct a seemingly unanswerable dilemma for Jesus, believing it would expose the illogical nature of a bodily resurrection where earthly institutions like marriage would presumably persist in their current form.

* **Key Themes:** This verse, as part of the Sadducees' challenge, contributes to several key themes within the Gospel of Luke and broader biblical theology. It highlights the **misconception of the afterlife** held by the Sadducees, who projected earthly realities and legalistic interpretations onto the transformed state of resurrection. Their scenario also underscores the **tension between literalistic legal interpretation and theological understanding**, demonstrating how a rigid adherence to the letter of the law, without grasping its spirit or ultimate purpose, can lead to profound theological error. Furthermore, by setting the stage for Jesus' response, it implicitly introduces the theme of **Jesus' supreme wisdom and authority** in interpreting Scripture and revealing divine truth, particularly concerning eschatological realities. His subsequent teaching in [Luke 20:34-38](/luke/20-34-38 "Luke 20:34-38 - Jesus' Teaching on the Resurrection") profoundly corrects their flawed assumptions about the nature of the resurrection.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **brethren (Greek, _adelphós'_):** From a root suggesting "of the same womb," this term literally means "brother" but can also extend to close relatives or fellow countrymen. In this context, it refers to biological brothers, emphasizing the familial relationship that triggers the levirate marriage law. The Sadducees' scenario hinges on this specific kinship.
* **took (Greek, _lambánō'_):** This verb signifies "to take," "to receive," or "to grasp." Here, it is used in the sense of "to take a wife," indicating the act of marriage. The use of this verb highlights the active choice of the first brother to enter into the marital covenant, which then sets in motion the subsequent events of the hypothetical.
* **without children (Greek, _áteknos'_):** A compound word formed from a negative particle ("a-") and "child" (_teknon_), meaning "childless." This is the crucial condition that activates the levirate marriage law. The Sadducees emphasize this point, as the absence of offspring is the specific trigger for the subsequent brothers' obligations, making the hypothetical situation possible and, in their view, problematic for a resurrection doctrine.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"There were therefore seven brethren:"** This opening clause immediately establishes the premise of the Sadducees' hypothetical. The number "seven" is often used biblically to denote completeness or perfection, suggesting a comprehensive or exhaustive scenario designed to leave no room for alternative interpretations. The "therefore" (_oûn_) links this statement to the Sadducees' intention to present a logical consequence or a derived conclusion from their understanding of the law and the concept of resurrection.
* **"and the first took a wife,"** This introduces the initial action within the hypothetical. The "first" brother's marriage is the starting point of the chain of events. The phrase "took a wife" is a common idiom for marriage, signifying the formal establishment of the marital covenant. This detail is essential for the Sadducees' argument, as it grounds their scenario in a legitimate, biblically recognized institution.
* **"and died without children."** This final clause provides the critical condition that sets the entire levirate marriage sequence in motion. The death of the first brother is significant, but his death *without children* is the specific trigger for the subsequent brothers' obligation to marry the widow. This detail is central to the Sadducees' attempt to create an insoluble problem for Jesus regarding the nature of marriage and family in a resurrected state.

#### Literary Devices
The Sadducees' presentation in [Luke 20:29](/luke/20-29 "Luke 20:29 - The Sadducees' Hypothetical") employs several literary devices to construct their challenge. Primarily, they use a **Hypothetical Narrative** to create a seemingly irrefutable logical dilemma. By detailing a specific, multi-stage scenario, they attempt to force Jesus into a corner, believing that any answer affirming the resurrection would expose the absurdity of earthly institutions like marriage continuing into eternity. The repetition of the "seven brothers" and the "same wife" through the subsequent verses creates a sense of **Cumulative Effect**, building the complexity of the problem. There is also an element of **Irony**, as the Sadducees, who claim to uphold the Law, use a specific legal provision ([Deuteronomy 25:5](/deuteronomy/25-5 "Deuteronomy 25:5 - Levirate Marriage Law")) to argue against a fundamental theological truth (the resurrection) that is implicitly supported elsewhere in the Law and Prophets. Their argument is a form of **Reductio ad Absurdum**, aiming to reduce the concept of resurrection to an absurd conclusion based on their flawed premise.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 20:29, though a mere setup, underscores the profound chasm between human, earthly understanding and divine, eternal realities. The Sadducees' error lay in their inability to conceive of a transformed existence beyond the confines of their current experience and legalistic interpretations. They assumed that the purposes and structures of earthly life, such as procreation and familial lineage, would persist unchanged in the resurrection, thereby limiting God's power and the nature of the resurrected state. This passage implicitly teaches that God's future plans are not bound by human logic or present institutions, but transcend them into a new, glorious reality.

* [Matthew 22:23-33](/matthew/22-23-33 "Matthew 22:23-33 - Jesus and the Sadducees on the Resurrection")
* [Mark 12:18-27](/mark/12-18-27 "Mark 12:18-27 - The Sadducees' Question to Jesus")
* [1 Corinthians 15:35-58](/1_corinthians/15-35-58 "1 Corinthians 15:35-58 - The Nature of the Resurrected Body")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Luke 20:29, as the opening to the Sadducees' challenge, serves as a powerful reminder that our understanding of God's future kingdom and eternal realities should not be constrained by our present earthly experiences or human logic. Just as the Sadducees struggled to imagine a transformed existence beyond the confines of marriage and procreation, we too can fall into the trap of limiting God's power and wisdom by our own finite perspectives. This verse calls us to cultivate a posture of humility and openness to divine revelation, recognizing that God's plans for eternity are far grander and more glorious than we can fully comprehend. It encourages us to trust in God's transformative power, knowing that while earthly institutions serve important purposes in this life, they are ultimately temporary and will be superseded by the perfect and eternal realities of His kingdom. Our hope is not in the perpetuation of earthly structures, but in the radical newness that God brings through resurrection.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How might my own assumptions about the future or eternal life be limited by my present earthly experiences?**
* **In what areas of my faith do I tend to apply human logic or legalistic interpretations rather than trusting in God's transcendent power and wisdom?**
* **How does understanding the temporary nature of earthly institutions, like marriage, deepen my appreciation for the eternal realities promised in Christ?**

### FAQ
**Why did the Sadducees choose this specific hypothetical scenario involving seven brothers and levirate marriage?**

Answer: The Sadducees chose this scenario because it was based on a specific Old Testament law they accepted ([Deuteronomy 25:5-10](/deuteronomy/25-5-10 "Deuteronomy 25:5-10 - The Law of Levirate Marriage")) and they believed it exposed an inherent contradiction or absurdity in the concept of bodily resurrection. They reasoned that if people were resurrected with their earthly bodies and relationships, a woman who had been married to seven brothers in succession (due to the levirate law) would create an impossible marital dilemma in the afterlife. Their intention was to ridicule the resurrection doctrine by demonstrating its perceived logical inconsistencies when applied to earthly institutions.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Luke 20:29 describes a hypothetical scenario designed to trap Jesus, it ultimately serves to highlight the profound truth that only Christ can reveal about the nature of the resurrection and the life to come. The Sadducees' flawed premise, rooted in a misunderstanding of God's power and the transformed reality of eternity, sets the stage for Jesus' authoritative teaching. In His response, Jesus declares that in the resurrection, people "neither marry nor are given in marriage" ([Luke 20:34-35](/luke/20-34-35 "Luke 20:34-35 - Jesus on Marriage in the Resurrection")), but are "like angels" and "sons of God, being sons of the resurrection" ([Luke 20:36](/luke/20-36 "Luke 20:36 - The Resurrected Are Like Angels")). This teaching reveals Christ as the ultimate authority on eschatological matters, correcting human misconceptions and unveiling the glory of God's future kingdom. Furthermore, Jesus' subsequent argument from the burning bush ([Luke 20:37-38](/luke/20-37-38 "Luke 20:37-38 - God of the Living"))—"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living"—underscores that God's covenant faithfulness, fully embodied in Christ, guarantees a future resurrection for His people, a hope secured by Christ's own victory over death and His resurrection as the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" ([1 Corinthians 15:20](/1_corinthians/15-20 "1 Corinthians 15:20 - Christ, the Firstfruits")). Thus, this passage, though seemingly about an earthly legal dilemma, ultimately points to the transformative power of Christ's resurrection and His revelation of eternal life.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 22:30

Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man [that] shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Leviticus 20:20

And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.