Luke 20 33

Luke 20:33 kjv

Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

Luke 20:33 nkjv

Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife."

Luke 20:33 niv

Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

Luke 20:33 esv

In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."

Luke 20:33 nlt

So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!"

Luke 20 verses

Luke 20 33 Meaning

Luke 20:33 presents the Sadducees' concluding question in their challenge to Jesus about the resurrection. They posit a complex hypothetical scenario based on Levirate marriage law, where a woman consecutively marries seven brothers who all die childless. Their question, "Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she?", highlights their disbelief in a physical resurrection by attempting to expose what they perceive as absurd social and relational complications if such a state existed, rooted in an earthly understanding of marriage and identity.

Luke 20 33 Context

Luke 20:33 is part of a series of confrontations between Jesus and various Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, beginning in Luke 19:47. Immediately preceding this verse (Luke 20:27-40), the Sadducees approach Jesus, not seeking truth, but aiming to discredit Him publicly. They were an influential aristocratic Jewish sect primarily comprising priests. Unlike the Pharisees, they accepted only the Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses) as authoritative Scripture and rejected key doctrines not explicitly stated there, notably the resurrection of the dead, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). Their question invokes the Mosaic law of Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), which required a brother to marry his deceased, childless brother's widow to ensure the deceased's name and inheritance continued. The Sadducees apply this earthly institution to the resurrection state, presuming that life in the resurrection would simply be a continuation of current earthly existence, complete with its social and familial structures. Their elaborate scenario of seven brothers highlights the absurdity they perceived if resurrection were true, thus seeking to undermine Jesus' teaching on it. Jesus' subsequent answer directly corrects their misunderstanding of both Scripture and the power of God concerning the nature of the age to come.

Luke 20 33 Word analysis

• Therefore (οὖν - oun): Connective particle, often implying a logical conclusion or a summary based on the preceding information. Here, it marks the Sadducees' decisive question derived from their complex hypothetical case.
• in the resurrection (ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει - en tē anastasei):
  • ἀναστάσει (anastasei): From anastasis, meaning "a standing up again" or "resurrection." This is the core doctrine the Sadducees denied. The phrase highlights their explicit focus on challenging this concept. It refers to the raising of the dead, a concept fully accepted by Pharisees and central to Jesus' teachings.
• whose wife (τίνος γυνὴ - tinos gynē):
  • τίνος (tinos): "whose," interrogative pronoun, emphasizes the core question of relational ownership and identity in their earth-bound worldview.
  • γυνὴ (gynē): "wife" or "woman." Simple in itself, but the use here highlights their understanding of marriage as an unchanging earthly institution continuing into the afterlife. They saw a problem in the identity and ownership of the woman.
• of them (αὐτῶν - autōn): "of them," referring to the seven brothers. This further anchors their question in a human-centric, familial framework, attempting to apply earthly possessiveness to a heavenly state.
• is she (ἔσται αὕτη - estai hautē):
  • ἔσται (estai): Future tense of "to be," "will be." This emphasizes their expectation of earthly continuity into the future state.
  • αὕτη (hautē): "she." Points directly to the woman in their elaborate scenario.
• for (γάρ - gar): Causal conjunction, meaning "for" or "because." It introduces the premise or justification for their question.
• seven (ἑπτά - hepta): "seven." This specific number is used to intensify the supposed absurdity and unsolvable dilemma. Seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in biblical thought, implying that this hypothetical situation represents the most comprehensive and difficult case.
• had her to wife (ἔσχον αὐτὴν γυναῖκα - eschon autēn gynaika):
  • ἔσχον (eschon): Past tense of ἔχω (echō), "to have" or "to possess." This refers to the completed earthly acts of marriage, establishing the factual basis of their premise.
  • αὐτὴν γυναῖκα (autēn gynaika): "her as wife." Indicates the legal and social status she held concerning each of the seven brothers on earth.

Word Group Analysis:

• "Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she?": This phrase encapsulates the Sadducees' entire challenge. It reflects their fundamental theological error: imposing earthly structures and limitations onto the transformed reality of God's power and the resurrected state. Their question presupposes a continuation of the physical, procreative, and societal aspects of marriage, revealing their limited understanding of both the power of God and the nature of eternal life.
• "for seven had her to wife": This provides the intricate hypothetical case meant to stump Jesus. The "seven" brothers maximize the perceived absurdity and irresolvability of the situation according to their human, earthly logic. It underlines their reductionist view of human relationships and existence as solely governed by physical and social laws.

Luke 20 33 Bonus section

The Sadducees' error in Luke 20:33 stemmed from a critical oversight: failing to recognize that the purpose and nature of human existence, including relationships, change drastically in the presence of God's eternal Kingdom. Marriage, in the present age, serves dual purposes: procreation (Gen 1:28) and companionship (Gen 2:18). In the resurrected state, procreation becomes irrelevant as individuals become immortal ("no longer die," Lk 20:36), and companionship takes on a new, direct relationship with God and all fellow saints, superseding the earthly confines of marital unions. Their question reflected a deep spiritual shortsightedness, unable to conceive of a reality greater than the one they experienced, or to trust in God's capacity to establish new and perfect order beyond human constructs. It reminds believers that future glory is not just an enhanced version of current life but a radical, transformative elevation beyond earthly limitations.

Luke 20 33 Commentary

Luke 20:33 encapsulates the Sadducees' limited, earthly perspective on spiritual realities. Their question reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God's power and the nature of life after death. They presumed the resurrected state would be merely an extension of earthly existence, including marriage, procreation, and social customs, which led them to create an extreme scenario designed to invalidate the doctrine of resurrection.

Jesus' subsequent response (Lk 20:34-38) clarifies that the resurrected do not marry or reproduce, as they become like angels, children of God, and partake in a different, transformed existence. They are sustained by God directly, without the need for procreation. The core of their error, as Jesus identifies, was their ignorance of both the Scriptures (which implied resurrection) and the power of God (who can transform existence beyond human comprehension). This verse, therefore, highlights the danger of forcing divine realities into a purely human, material framework. It points to a profound truth: the future life with God transcends the needs and structures of the current age, offering a gloriously transformed existence focused not on perpetuating lineage, but on fellowship with God Himself.