Matthew 22:24

KJV

Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

KJV (with Strong's)

Saying {G3004}, Master {G1320}, Moses {G3475} said {G2036}, If {G1437} a man {G5100} die {G599}, having {G2192} no {G3361} children {G5043}, his {G846} brother {G80} shall marry {G1918} his {G846} wife {G1135}, and {G2532} raise up {G450} seed {G4690} unto his {G846} brother {G80}.

Complete Jewish Bible

"Rabbi, Moshe said, `If a man dies childless, his brother must marry his widow and have children to preserve the man's family line.'

Berean Standard Bible

“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.

American Standard Version

saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 22:24 records the Sadducees' calculated attempt to entrap Jesus by presenting a theological conundrum rooted in the Old Testament law of levirate marriage. Their question, posed as a challenge to the concept of resurrection, describes a hypothetical scenario involving a woman married successively to seven brothers, all of whom die childless. Through this intricate setup, the Sadducees sought to expose what they perceived as the logical absurdity of an afterlife that included earthly institutions like marriage, thereby undermining belief in the resurrection itself.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a series of intense confrontations between Jesus and various Jewish religious factions in Jerusalem during the final days before His crucifixion. Following His triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple, Jesus is repeatedly challenged on His authority and teachings. Prior to this encounter with the Sadducees, Jesus has already parried questions from the chief priests and elders regarding His authority ([Matthew 21:23-27](/matthew/21-23-27 "Matthew 21:23-27 - Jesus' Authority Questioned")), and delivered parables that condemn the religious leaders' rejection of God's Son, such as the Parable of the Two Sons ([Matthew 21:28-32](/matthew/21-28-32 "Matthew 21:28-32 - Parable of the Two Sons")) and the Parable of the Wedding Feast ([Matthew 22:1-14](/matthew/22-1-14 "Matthew 22:1-14 - Parable of the Wedding Feast")). Immediately before the Sadducees' challenge, the Pharisees and Herodians attempted to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar ([Matthew 22:15-22](/matthew/22-15-22 "Matthew 22:15-22 - Paying Taxes to Caesar")). The Sadducees' question is thus another strategic maneuver in a broader campaign to discredit Jesus publicly and undermine His influence among the people.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Sadducees were a prominent Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, primarily composed of aristocratic priests and wealthy landowners. Unlike the Pharisees, they accepted only the written Torah (the Pentateuch) as authoritative Scripture and rejected many oral traditions. Crucially, they denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and the concept of a future life or judgment, as recorded in [Acts 23:8](/acts/23-8 "Acts 23:8 - Sadducees' Beliefs"). Their worldview was largely materialistic and focused on the present life. The law they cite in Matthew 22:24 is the practice of **levirate marriage**, derived from [Deuteronomy 25:5-6](/deuteronomy/25-5-6 "Deuteronomy 25:5-6 - The Law of Levirate Marriage"). This ancient Israelite custom mandated that if a married man died childless, his brother was obligated to marry the widow and produce an heir who would be legally considered the son of the deceased. This practice served vital social and economic functions: it preserved the deceased man's name and lineage, ensured the continuation of his inheritance, and provided for the widow, who would otherwise be vulnerable in a patriarchal society. The Sadducees' elaborate hypothetical scenario of seven brothers marrying the same woman was designed to push this law to its logical extreme, thereby highlighting what they believed was an insurmountable problem for the doctrine of resurrection.

* **Key Themes:** This passage contributes to several key themes within the Gospel of Matthew and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores the **conflict between Jesus and the religious establishment**, highlighting their theological disagreements and their persistent attempts to undermine His authority. Secondly, it brings to the forefront the critical doctrine of the **resurrection of the dead**, a central tenet of Christian faith that the Sadducees vehemently denied. Their question reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the resurrected life, projecting earthly realities onto heavenly ones. Thirdly, the passage implicitly touches upon the theme of **Scriptural interpretation**; the Sadducees, despite being experts in the Law, misinterpret its spirit and purpose, failing to grasp the deeper truths about God's power and the eternal realm. Jesus' subsequent response in [Matthew 22:29](/matthew/22-29 "Matthew 22:29 - Jesus' Rebuke of the Sadducees") directly addresses their error, stating, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God." This highlights the importance of understanding both the written word and the divine power that transcends human limitations.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Master (Greek, _didáskalos'_):** This term, meaning "an instructor" or "teacher," is used by the Sadducees to address Jesus. While seemingly respectful, their use of "Master" here is ironic, as their intent is not to learn but to trap and expose what they believe to be Jesus' ignorance or error concerning the Law and the afterlife. It acknowledges His public reputation as a teacher, even as they seek to diminish it.
* **marry (Greek, _epigambreúō'_):** This specific verb, derived from "upon" and "marriage," denotes the act of forming affinity with, specifically in a levirate way. It precisely captures the unique legal and social obligation of the brother-in-law to take his deceased brother's widow as his wife, as prescribed by the Mosaic Law. The Sadducees use this term to accurately frame their hypothetical scenario within the bounds of the Old Testament custom.
* **seed (Greek, _spérma'_):** Literally meaning "something sown," "seed" in this context refers to offspring or descendants. Its inclusion highlights the primary purpose of levirate marriage: to "raise up seed" for the deceased brother, ensuring the continuation of his lineage and inheritance. This term underscores the earthly, genealogical focus of the Sadducees' argument, which Jesus will later contrast with the non-procreative nature of resurrected life.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Saying, Master, Moses said,"**: The Sadducees initiate their challenge by formally addressing Jesus as "Master" (didáskalos), a common title for a respected teacher. They immediately invoke the authority of Moses, the revered lawgiver, to lend weight to their argument and frame it within the undisputed bounds of the Torah. This sets the stage for their question as a matter of Mosaic Law.
* **"If a man die, having no children,"**: This clause establishes the specific condition under which the levirate marriage law applies. The critical point is the absence of children, particularly male heirs, which would leave the deceased's name and inheritance vulnerable to extinction within the Israelite patrilineal system. This scenario is the trigger for the subsequent obligation.
* **"his brother shall marry his wife,"**: This is the core command of the levirate law. If the deceased man left no children, his surviving brother was legally and morally obligated to take the widow as his wife. This was not a matter of personal choice but a duty rooted in the preservation of the family line and the welfare of the widow.
* **"and raise up seed unto his brother."**: This final clause articulates the explicit purpose of the levirate marriage: to produce an heir (seed) who would be legally considered the child of the deceased brother, thereby perpetuating his name and ensuring his inheritance within the community. This highlights the earthly, genealogical, and property-focused nature of the law, which the Sadducees then project onto the afterlife.

#### Literary Devices
The Sadducees' presentation in Matthew 22:24 employs several literary devices. Primarily, there is **Intertextuality**, as they directly quote and refer to the Mosaic Law concerning levirate marriage found in [Deuteronomy 25:5-6](/deuteronomy/25-5-6 "Deuteronomy 25:5-6 - The Law of Levirate Marriage"). This demonstrates their reliance on the authoritative texts they accept, but also sets up their misinterpretation of those texts. There is also a strong element of **Rhetoric**, as their question is not a genuine inquiry but a carefully constructed **Trap** or **Dilemma**. They present a hypothetical scenario designed to force Jesus into a corner, believing that any answer He gives will either contradict the Law or expose the supposed absurdity of the resurrection. Finally, there is **Irony** in their address of Jesus as "Master." While seemingly respectful, their true intention is to discredit Him, revealing their own spiritual blindness even as they claim to uphold the Law.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 22:24 serves as a pivotal moment in Jesus' teaching on the resurrection, exposing the Sadducees' profound theological error which stemmed from a literalistic and limited understanding of God's power and the nature of the afterlife. Their inability to conceive of a resurrected existence beyond earthly societal structures, particularly marriage, reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the spiritual realities that transcend the physical. This passage underscores the truth that God's plan for eternity is not merely an extension of earthly life but a transformed existence, where human relationships and institutions are reordered in light of divine glory. The Sadducees' focus on the "seed" for the deceased brother, while valid for earthly lineage, misses the greater spiritual "seed" of Abraham, which culminates in Christ and His eternal kingdom.

* [Deuteronomy 25:5-6](/deuteronomy/25-5-6 "Deuteronomy 25:5-6 - The Law of Levirate Marriage")
* [Acts 23:8](/acts/23-8 "Acts 23:8 - Sadducees' Beliefs")
* [Luke 20:34-36](/luke/20-34-36 "Luke 20:34-36 - Jesus' Teaching on Resurrection Marriage")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The Sadducees' challenge in Matthew 22:24, despite its intent to trap Jesus, ultimately serves to illuminate profound truths about the nature of God's kingdom and the resurrected life. Their error was not in quoting the Law, but in their failure to grasp the spirit and ultimate purpose of God's revelation, projecting their limited earthly understanding onto eternal realities. For us today, this passage serves as a vital reminder that our understanding of God and His future plans must not be confined by our current experiences or human logic. We are called to trust in God's power, which transcends our comprehension, and to interpret Scripture with a heart open to its deeper, spiritual truths, rather than a rigid, literalistic approach that misses the forest for the trees. It encourages us to cultivate a vision of eternity that is not merely an extension of earthly life, but a glorious transformation, where our relationships with God and one another will be perfected in ways we can only begin to imagine. Our hope is not in the perpetuation of earthly lineages or institutions, but in the eternal life offered through Christ, which brings a new, spiritual family and an imperishable inheritance.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How might our own earthly experiences or cultural norms sometimes limit our understanding of God's eternal truths?**
* **In what ways do we, like the Sadducees, sometimes approach Scripture with preconceived notions rather than an open heart to God's revelation?**
* **How does the concept of a transformed, non-marrying resurrected life challenge or expand your understanding of ultimate joy and fulfillment in God's presence?**
* **What does Jesus' response to the Sadducees teach us about the importance of knowing both the "Scriptures" and the "power of God"?**

### FAQ

**What was the purpose of levirate marriage in ancient Israel?**

Answer: Levirate marriage was a custom mandated by Mosaic Law ([Deuteronomy 25:5-6](/deuteronomy/25-5-6 "The Law of Levirate Marriage")) that required a man to marry his deceased brother's widow if the brother died childless. The primary purpose was to preserve the deceased man's name and lineage, ensuring that his family line did not die out and that his inheritance remained within the family. The first son born of this union would be legally considered the heir of the deceased brother. It also provided social and economic security for the widow, who would otherwise be vulnerable.

**Why did the Sadducees choose this particular law to challenge Jesus?**

Answer: The Sadducees, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in the resurrection of the dead ([Acts 23:8](/acts/23-8 "Sadducees' Beliefs")). They used the law of levirate marriage to create a complex hypothetical scenario (a woman married to seven brothers) that they believed logically disproved the resurrection. Their argument was that if there were a resurrection, such a situation would create an absurd dilemma regarding whose wife the woman would be, thereby demonstrating the impossibility of an afterlife where earthly marriage continued. They sought to trap Jesus and discredit His teaching on the resurrection.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Matthew 22:24 presents an Old Testament legal custom and a challenge to the resurrection, its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment is found in Jesus' subsequent response, which reorients our understanding of life beyond the grave and the nature of God's kingdom. Jesus' teaching reveals that the resurrected life transcends earthly institutions like marriage, which are designed for a mortal existence and procreation. In the resurrection, believers will be "like angels in heaven" ([Matthew 22:30](/matthew/22-30 "Jesus' Teaching on Resurrection")), not bound by earthly needs or relationships, but fully devoted to God. This points to Christ as the ultimate "seed" and the source of true, eternal lineage. Through His own resurrection, Jesus conquered death and inaugurated a new creation, where believers are no longer defined by their earthly family lines but by their spiritual adoption as "sons of God" ([Luke 20:36](/luke/20-36 "Sons of God in the Resurrection")) through faith in Him. The focus shifts from preserving a human name to being part of God's eternal family, with Christ as the firstborn of many brethren ([Romans 8:29](/romans/8-29 "Christ, the Firstborn")). The Sadducees' question, rooted in a limited view of God as the God of the dead, is powerfully countered by Jesus' declaration that God is "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," implying that these patriarchs are alive with God ([Matthew 22:32](/matthew/22-32 "God of the Living")). This reveals that the covenant God is a God of life, and His ultimate purpose is not merely the continuation of earthly lines, but the eternal fellowship of His redeemed people in Christ, where all things are made new ([Revelation 21:5](/revelation/21-5 "New Creation")).

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

Deuteronomy 25:5

¶ If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

Deuteronomy 25:10

And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

Luke 20:28

Saying, 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.

Mark 12:19

Master, 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.

Genesis 38:8

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Luke 6:46

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Ruth 1:11

And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? [are] there yet [any more] sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?