Matthew 22:26

KJV

Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

KJV (with Strong's)

Likewise {G3668} the second {G1208} also {G2532}, and {G2532} the third {G5154}, unto {G2193} the seventh {G2033}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third, and finally to all seven.

Berean Standard Bible

The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh.

American Standard Version

in like manner the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 22:26 serves as a crucial detail within the Sadducees' elaborate hypothetical scenario, presented to Jesus as a theological trap concerning the resurrection. This verse specifically enumerates the continuation of the levirate marriage pattern, describing how "likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh" brother married the same woman, all dying childless. It meticulously builds the premise for their climactic question, aiming to expose what they perceived as an absurdity in the doctrine of resurrection, thereby challenging Jesus' authority and wisdom.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Matthew 22:26 is embedded within a direct confrontation between Jesus and the Sadducees, meticulously recorded in [Matthew 22:23-33](/matthew/22-23-33 "Matthew 22:23-33 - Jesus Debates the Sadducees on the Resurrection"). Following the Pharisees' failed attempt to trap Jesus (Matthew 22:15-22), the Sadducees, known for their rejection of the resurrection, step forward. Their challenge begins with a detailed hypothetical situation in [Matthew 22:25](/matthew/22-25 "Matthew 22:25 - The Sadducees' Hypothetical Scenario"), outlining a man who dies childless, leading his brother to marry the widow according to the law of levirate marriage. Matthew 22:26 then meticulously extends this scenario, emphasizing the sequential nature of seven brothers marrying the same woman, each dying without issue. This verse is not a standalone theological statement but a narrative device, building the foundation for the Sadducees' intended "gotcha" question about whose wife she would be in the resurrection, which Jesus masterfully refutes in [Matthew 22:29-32](/matthew/22-29-32 "Matthew 22:29-32 - Jesus' Response to the Sadducees").
* **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 first five books of Moses) as authoritative, rejecting oral traditions, the existence of angels, and, most notably, the resurrection of the dead and the concept of an afterlife. Their question to Jesus was rooted in the Mosaic law of levirate marriage, found in [Deuteronomy 25:5-10](/deuteronomy/25-5-10 "Deuteronomy 25:5-10 - The Law of Levirate Marriage"), which mandated that if a man died childless, his brother should marry the widow to "raise up seed unto his brother," ensuring the deceased's name and lineage continued. By constructing a scenario involving seven brothers and one woman, the Sadducees aimed to expose what they believed was an inherent absurdity in the resurrection doctrine, assuming that resurrected life would merely be an extension of earthly social structures and marital obligations.
* **Key Themes:** Matthew 22:26, as part of this pivotal exchange, contributes to several significant themes within Matthew's Gospel and broader New Testament theology. Firstly, it highlights **the Sadducees' profound misunderstanding of the afterlife**, revealing their limited, earthly-bound conception of God's power and the nature of resurrected existence. They project human institutions and limitations onto divine realities. Secondly, it sets the stage for **Jesus' authoritative teaching on the nature of the resurrection**, where He clarifies that in the resurrection, people "neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" ([Matthew 22:30](/matthew/22-30 "Matthew 22:30 - Jesus on the Nature of Resurrection")). This reveals a transformed, spiritual reality that transcends earthly concerns. Thirdly, the passage underscores **Jesus' divine wisdom and unparalleled authority** in handling theological challenges, demonstrating His ability to expose the flawed logic of His adversaries and elevate the discussion to profound spiritual truths, even appealing to the Torah itself to prove the resurrection ([Matthew 22:31-32](/matthew/22-31-32 "Matthew 22:31-32 - God of the Living")). Finally, it implicitly affirms **the reality and importance of the resurrection**, a foundational doctrine of Christian faith, despite the Sadducees' attempts to discredit it.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Likewise (Greek, _homoíōs'_):** This adverb signifies "in the same manner" or "similarly." In Matthew 22:26, its use emphasizes the repetitive and consistent nature of the hypothetical situation. Each successive brother follows the same pattern of marrying the widow and then dying childless, meticulously building the Sadducees' case for an absurd outcome in the resurrection. It underscores the methodical construction of their theological trap.
* **Second (Greek, _deúteros'_):** As an ordinal number, "second" simply denotes the position in a sequence. Here, it marks the commencement of the enumerated succession of brothers after the first. Its inclusion, alongside "third" and "seventh," highlights the Sadducees' detailed, step-by-step presentation of their scenario, intending to leave no room for ambiguity or alternative interpretations of their convoluted example.
* **Seventh (Greek, _heptá'_):** This cardinal number, "seven," is significant. In biblical numerology, seven often symbolizes completion, perfection, or fullness. In this context, it marks the culmination of the Sadducees' extreme hypothetical. By extending the scenario to the seventh brother, they aim to maximize the perceived absurdity of the situation, believing that such an extensive chain of levirate marriages would undeniably expose a flaw in the concept of resurrection, as the woman would have an impossibly complex marital status in the afterlife.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Likewise the second also":** This phrase immediately follows the mention of the first brother dying childless (Matthew 22:25). "Likewise" (G3668, _homoíōs_) indicates that the pattern of marriage and subsequent death without offspring is repeated. The "second also" (G1208, _deúteros_) explicitly names the next brother in the sequence, underscoring the methodical and sequential nature of the Sadducees' hypothetical situation. It sets the precedent for the repeated failure of the levirate marriage to produce an heir.
* **"and the third":** This continues the enumeration, adding the third brother to the tragic sequence. The simple conjunction "and" (G2532, _kaí_) maintains the direct, unembellished narrative of the Sadducees, who are laying out their case in a matter-of-fact manner. Each addition to the chain of brothers dying childless strengthens their argument for the perceived absurdity of a resurrection that would perpetuate such earthly dilemmas.
* **"unto the seventh":** This climactic phrase (using G2193, _héōs_, meaning "until" or "unto," and G2033, _heptá_, "seventh") signifies the completion of the Sadducees' extreme scenario. By extending the pattern to the seventh brother, they present the most convoluted possible situation under the levirate law. The implication is that all seven brothers, one after another, married the same woman and all died without issue, thus maximizing the perceived problem of "whose wife" she would be in the resurrection, which they believed would logically disprove the resurrection itself.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 22:26, while brief, is an integral part of a larger **Hypothetical Scenario** crafted by the Sadducees. This scenario, designed to trap Jesus, relies on an extreme and convoluted application of the levirate marriage law. The verse employs **Enumeration** and **Repetition** ("the second... and the third, unto the seventh") to emphasize the systematic and exhaustive nature of the Sadducees' premise. This meticulous detailing serves to heighten the perceived dilemma, making the subsequent question about the woman's marital status in the resurrection seem unanswerable from an earthly perspective. There is also an underlying **Irony** in the Sadducees' attempt: by using the very Law they strictly adhered to, they inadvertently set the stage for Jesus to reveal a deeper, more spiritual truth that transcends their limited, literalistic understanding.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 22:26, though a descriptive detail in a challenging question, opens a profound theological window when viewed in the context of Jesus' subsequent response. It highlights the vast chasm between human, earthly understanding and divine, eternal realities. The Sadducees, confined by their literal interpretation of the Torah and their rejection of spiritual truths like the resurrection, could only conceive of an afterlife as a mere continuation of physical existence and social institutions. Jesus' response, prompted by this very verse, elevates the discussion, revealing that God's power and the nature of resurrected life transcend human limitations, including earthly marriage. This passage, therefore, serves as a powerful reminder that our finite minds cannot fully grasp the infinite wisdom and power of God, and that His plans for eternity are far grander and more transformative than our present experiences can imagine.

* [Mark 12:25](/mark/12-25 "Mark 12:25 - Like Angels in Heaven")
* [1 Corinthians 15:42-44](/1_corinthians/15-42-44 "1 Corinthians 15:42-44 - The Nature of the Resurrected Body")
* [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8-9 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts are Higher")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 22:26, as part of the Sadducees' misguided challenge, serves as a potent reminder of the dangers of limiting God to our human frameworks and expectations. Just as the Sadducees struggled to conceive of an existence beyond the physical and its societal structures, we too can fall into the trap of projecting our earthly understanding onto divine truths. This passage encourages us to cultivate a posture of humility and openness to God's revelation, recognizing that His ways are infinitely higher than our own. It calls us to trust in the transformative power of the resurrection, not merely as a resuscitation of our current bodies, but as a glorious, spiritual renewal that transcends the limitations and complexities of our present life. Ultimately, it directs our hope towards an eternal reality where our relationship with God will be perfected, and earthly concerns will give way to a new, spiritual existence in His presence.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways do I, like the Sadducees, sometimes limit God's power or understanding to my own human logic and experiences?**
* **How does the biblical teaching on the resurrection, as clarified by Jesus in this passage, shape my hope and perspective on the future?**
* **What earthly concerns or institutions do I tend to project onto eternal realities, and how might I adjust my thinking to align more with God's revealed truth?**
* **How can I cultivate a deeper trust in God's wisdom, even when His ways seem to transcend my comprehension?**

### FAQ
**Why did the Sadducees choose this specific scenario involving seven brothers and one woman?**

Answer: The Sadducees chose this scenario to create what they believed was an irresolvable dilemma for Jesus, thereby disproving the concept of resurrection. They based their hypothetical on the Mosaic law of [levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)](/deuteronomy/25-5-10 "Deuteronomy 25:5-10 - The Law of Levirate Marriage"), which required a brother to marry his deceased, childless brother's widow. By extending this to seven brothers, all of whom die childless after marrying the same woman, they maximized the perceived absurdity. Their logic was that if there were a resurrection, this woman would have seven husbands, creating an impossible marital situation in the afterlife, which they believed would render the idea of resurrection illogical and therefore false. They assumed resurrected life would simply be a continuation of earthly social structures.

**What does Jesus' response in this passage teach us about marriage in the resurrection?**

Answer: Jesus' response, particularly in [Matthew 22:30](/matthew/22-30 "Matthew 22:30 - Jesus on the Nature of Resurrection"), clarifies that "in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." This does not necessarily mean that earthly relationships are nullified or that love ceases to exist, but rather that the institution of marriage, as we know it on earth (which includes procreation and the continuation of family lines), will be transformed or transcended. Our resurrected state will be spiritual and eternal, focused on our direct relationship with God, rather than the earthly bonds that serve a purpose in this temporal life. It suggests a higher, more perfect state of being where the need for earthly institutions like marriage is fulfilled in a new, divine reality.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 22:26, as part of the Sadducees' challenge, ultimately serves to highlight the profound Christ-centered truth of the resurrection. The Sadducees, by denying the resurrection, denied the very power of God and, by extension, the future reality of Christ's triumph over death. Jesus' response to their convoluted scenario not only corrects their theological error but also implicitly points to His own identity as the Lord of life and the Resurrection itself. When Jesus declares that God is "not the God of the dead, but of the living" ([Matthew 22:32](/matthew/22-32 "Matthew 22:32 - God of the Living")), He foreshadows His own impending victory over the grave. His resurrection, the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament hopes, would definitively prove the reality of life beyond death and establish Him as the "firstfruits of those who are asleep" ([1 Corinthians 15:20](/1_corinthians/15-20 "1 Corinthians 15:20 - Christ, the Firstfruits")). The Sadducees' limited, earthly understanding is shattered by the reality of Christ, who embodies the new creation where earthly institutions are transcended and eternal life in fellowship with God is fully realized. Through Him, we are promised a transformed existence, where the limitations of this world give way to the glorious, incorruptible reality of God's eternal kingdom, as beautifully envisioned in [Revelation 21:3-4](/revelation/21-3-4 "Revelation 21:3-4 - God Dwells with His People").

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.