Mark 12 20

Mark 12:20 kjv

Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

Mark 12:20 nkjv

Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.

Mark 12:20 niv

Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.

Mark 12:20 esv

There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring.

Mark 12:20 nlt

Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

Mark 12 verses

Mark 12 20 Meaning

Mark 12:20 initiates the Sadducees' elaborate hypothetical scenario presented to Jesus, challenging His belief in the resurrection of the dead. It describes the premise of a "first" of seven brothers who married a woman, died, and "left no children." This setup leverages the Old Testament law of Levirate marriage, creating a perceived dilemma designed to highlight the alleged absurdity or logistical impossibility of a bodily resurrection where earthly marital relations might continue, thereby undermining the concept of an afterlife. The verse simply states the starting point of their constructed problem, which centers on the inability of the deceased brother to produce an heir, thus triggering the Levirate requirement for his successive brothers.

Mark 12 20 Context

Mark 12:20 is embedded within a series of challenges to Jesus' authority during His final week in Jerusalem. Preceding this, the chief priests, scribes, and elders questioned His authority (Mark 11:27-33), and Jesus responded with the parable of the wicked tenants (Mark 12:1-12). Following this, the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Him regarding paying taxes to Caesar (Mark 12:13-17). Immediately after these attempts, the Sadducees, known for their denial of resurrection (Acts 23:8), present their specific scenario.

This verse sets up their most famous argument against resurrection: the case of the woman who was married successively to seven brothers according to the Levirate law. Their intention is not to seek understanding, but to corner Jesus into a logical absurdity by pressing a point of Mosaic Law onto the nature of the resurrection, which they consider non-existent. The scenario they construct is extreme and hypothetical, designed to show that if resurrection were real, it would lead to an absurd and unsolvable dilemma concerning marital rights and identity in the afterlife, effectively negating the idea of resurrection by rendering it impractical or unethical by human standards.

Mark 12 20 Word analysis

• Now (δέ, de): A conjunction serving as a transition or an introductory particle. Here, it marks a shift to a new challenging group and topic, moving from the political trap of the Pharisees/Herodians to the theological trap of the Sadducees. It indicates a continuation of the narrative, presenting the next group that comes to question Jesus.
• there were (ἦσαν, ēsan): Imperfect active indicative of eimi ("to be"). This verb describes a state or ongoing situation, indicating the existence of these brothers as the starting condition for the Sadducees' problem. It frames the hypothetical as if it were a common or straightforward scenario.
• seven (ἑπτὰ, hepta): The number seven, biblically often representing completeness or perfection, is used here to maximize the extremity and complexity of the Sadducees' hypothetical case. It amplifies the absurdity they intend to convey, as marrying seven brothers without issue would be highly improbable, yet technically possible under the Levirate law.
• brothers (ἀδελφοί, adelphoi): Refers to siblings by common parentage. The term is crucial as the Levirate law (Deut 25:5) specifically applies to brothers. This establishes the legitimacy of the proposed multiple marriages under Mosaic law.
• The first (ὁ πρῶτος, ho prōtos): Emphasizes the initial sequence of the scenario. It singles out the brother who began the sequence of deaths without heirs, setting in motion the requirement for his siblings to take the same wife.
• took a wife (ἔλαβεν γυναῖκα, elaben gynaika): A common idiom in Greek for "married." Literally "took a woman." This phrase highlights the formal act of marriage according to custom, confirming that she was legitimately wed to him.
• and dying (καὶ ἀποθανών, kai apothanōn): A participle indicating a completed action (aorist). The death of the first brother is the essential trigger for the Levirate law. The death without issue (see next phrase) is the crucial detail.
• left no children (οὐκ ἀφῆκε τέκνα, ouk aphēke tekna): The negative form of "did not leave children." This phrase is pivotal, directly referring to the purpose of the Levirate marriage law: to produce an heir for the deceased brother, ensuring his name and inheritance would continue in Israel. Without children (tekna), the next brother in line was obligated to marry the widow. The failure to leave children underscores the premise of the Sadducees' challenge.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Now there were seven brothers": This sets the stage for an extreme, albeit lawful, hypothetical situation, specifically crafted to challenge the resurrection. The number "seven" is exaggerated to underscore the perceived impossibility of the situation in a resurrected state, pushing the logical bounds.
• "The first took a wife, and dying left no children": This core clause describes the precise condition that invokes the Levirate law, creating the legal and ethical entanglement that the Sadducees believe Jesus cannot resolve within the framework of a resurrected reality. It immediately brings to mind Deut 25:5 and the primary purpose of that law: providing offspring for the deceased to maintain his name and inheritance. The Sadducees' point relies entirely on the premise that this scenario must somehow continue into the resurrection, thereby making the afterlife logically messy.

Mark 12 20 Bonus section

• The Sadducees, as a priestly and aristocratic group, only accepted the Torah (first five books of Moses) as authoritative Scripture, explaining why they appealed to Moses' writing concerning the Levirate law in Mark 12:19. They did not accept the prophetic books where clear teachings on resurrection appear (e.g., Dan 12:2). This limitation of their accepted canon directly informed their theological denial of the resurrection.
• The emphasis on "leaving no children" (ouk aphēke tekna) points directly to the patriarchal Israelite society's immense value placed on lineage and descendants. The Levirate law aimed to ensure that a deceased man's "name" would not be blotted out in Israel (Deut 25:6). The Sadducees' scenario intentionally pushes this cultural expectation to an absurd limit across multiple brothers.
• This passage serves as a powerful demonstration that our human understanding of complex social structures and obligations in the earthly realm often falls short when attempting to conceive of divine realities or the nature of eternity. Jesus' response reveals that God's plan for resurrection involves a transformation, not merely a perpetuation, of our present existence.

Mark 12 20 Commentary

Mark 12:20 provides the foundation of the Sadducees' attempted theological checkmate against Jesus concerning the resurrection. Their question isn't born of sincere inquiry but as a clever legalistic trap. By describing the specific tragic conditions of the first brother – his marriage and childless death – they accurately invoke the ancient Levirate law from Deuteronomy. This law was a protective measure for widows and an imperative for maintaining family lineage and property. However, the Sadducees' flaw lay in their literal, earthly interpretation of resurrection. They conceived of the afterlife as a mere extension of current human experience, including its social structures like marriage and family succession. Jesus, in His subsequent response, does not negate the validity of the Mosaic Law for this life but transcends their limited view, revealing a radically different reality for the resurrected state, one where human institutions like marriage are transformed, rendering their complex scenario moot. This verse, therefore, represents the Sadducees' worldview colliding with Jesus' profound revelation of heavenly truths.