What is the meaning of Luke 20:31? And the third married the widow • This phrase continues the Sadducees’ hypothetical rooted in Deuteronomy 25:5–6, where a brother is commanded to marry his deceased brother’s widow to raise offspring. • The mention of “the third” underscores the literal succession of brothers, showing that the scenario is not random but follows God-given levirate law (see Genesis 38:8; Ruth 4:5). • By accepting each marriage as legitimate, Jesus affirms the historical reality and authority of the Mosaic command. • Cross reference: Matthew 22:24 reminds us the question is built on Scripture itself, not on human invention. And in the same way all seven died • The repetition (“in the same way”) highlights the completeness of the sequence—every brother obeys the law, and every brother dies. • Their deaths emphasize human mortality (Hebrews 9:27) and set up the Sadducees’ real agenda: challenging belief in the resurrection (Acts 23:8). • The literal pattern of obedience followed by death reinforces the idea that earthly relationships are temporary (Romans 7:2). Leaving no children • The absence of offspring means the levirate purpose remains unfulfilled; no heir exists to carry on the family name (Genesis 48:5). • This detail intensifies the Sadducees’ riddle: without a child, marital bonds seem unresolved, so whose wife will she be? • The childlessness underscores the limitation of human effort and points ahead to God’s power to raise the dead (John 11:25–26). summary Luke 20:31 stacks one orderly, literal detail upon another—third brother, all seven brothers, no children—to expose the Sadducees’ skepticism. By affirming each step, Jesus shows the authority of Scripture and sets the stage for His teaching that resurrection life transcends earthly marriage. The passage reminds believers that while God’s commands govern life here, our ultimate hope rests in His promise of eternal life where death and earthly roles no longer bind us (Luke 20:35–36). |
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