Mark 12 21

Mark 12:21 kjv

And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

Mark 12:21 nkjv

And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise.

Mark 12:21 niv

The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.

Mark 12:21 esv

And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.

Mark 12:21 nlt

So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her.

Mark 12 verses

Mark 12 21 Meaning

Mark 12:21 continues the hypothetical scenario presented by the Sadducees to Jesus regarding resurrection, building upon the initial case of the first brother who died childless. This verse details that the second brother also took the widow in Levirate marriage but similarly died without leaving any offspring to perpetuate the deceased brother's name. It then briefly states that the third brother followed the exact same pattern, setting the stage for the Sadducees to expand their increasingly complex and seemingly absurd riddle concerning seven brothers and one woman. The verse serves to illustrate the Sadducees' premise, intending to expose what they perceived as an inherent contradiction in the concept of resurrection.

Mark 12 21 Context

Mark 12:21 is situated within the broader narrative of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, leading up to His crucifixion. During this time, various Jewish leaders challenged Jesus' authority and sought to trap Him with questions. Specifically, Mark 12:18-27 records the encounter with the Sadducees. The Sadducees were a prominent Jewish sect known for their adherence only to the Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses) and, crucially, their denial of resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8).

They presented Jesus with a hypothetical case based on the Mosaic law of Levirate marriage (Deut 25:5-10), which required a brother to marry his deceased, childless brother's widow to raise up an heir for the dead man's name. The Sadducees fabricated an exaggerated scenario involving seven brothers successively marrying the same woman, each dying childless. Mark 12:21 describes the second and third brothers' deaths, mirroring the first, to intensify the "problem" for a resurrection belief. Their intent was not to genuinely understand, but to ridicule the concept of resurrection by proposing what they considered an absurd matrimonial dilemma in the afterlife: whose wife would she be? This context highlights Jesus' wisdom in addressing not just their question, but their foundational misunderstanding of Scripture and God's power.

Mark 12 21 Word analysis

• And (καὶ - kai): A simple conjunction connecting this verse to the preceding one, indicating a continuation of the narrative flow of the Sadducees' story. It signifies sequential progression.
• the second (ὁ δεύτερος - ho deuteros): Identifies the specific brother in the sequence. It is part of a series (first, second, third, etc.) emphasizing the ongoing, cyclical nature of their hypothetical deaths without issue.
• took her (ἔλαβεν αὐτήν - elaben autēn): Elaben (from lambanō) means "he took" or "he received." In this context, it unequivocally refers to taking her in marriage, specifically according to the Levirate law where the brother was obligated to take the widow as his wife. This act underscores compliance with the perceived duty.
• and died (καὶ ἀπέθανεν - kai apethanen): Apethanen (from apothnēskō) means "he died." This phrase continues the grim pattern for each successive brother, emphasizing the repeated failure to establish a lineage. The tragic repetition is key to the Sadducees' setup.
• neither left he any seed (καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν σπέρμα - kai ouk aphēken sperma): This is a critical legal and theological point.
  • Ouk aphēken (from aphiēmi) means "he did not leave/abandon."
  • Sperma (σπέρμα) here translates to "seed," but in this context means "offspring" or "descendants." It directly relates to the purpose of the Levirate law: to produce an heir (seed) for the deceased brother, preventing his name from being "cut off" in Israel (Deut 25:6). The persistent failure of "seed" generation drives the Sadducees' intended dilemma.
• and the third likewise (καὶ ὁ τρίτος ὡσαύτως - kai ho tritos hōsautōs):
  • Ho tritos refers to "the third" brother.
  • Hōsautōs (ὡσαύτως) means "likewise" or "similarly." This adverb indicates that the fate and actions of the third brother mirrored the previous two: he married the woman and also died without producing any seed. This efficiently communicates the ongoing pattern without repeating all the details. It intensifies the absurdity of their setup.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the second took her, and died,": This phrase marks the next iteration of the Sadducees' challenge, establishing the second in a sequence of brothers who fulfill the Levirate obligation. The brevity conveys the repetitive failure to establish a family line.
• "neither left he any seed:": This clause is crucial as it directly relates to the underlying purpose of the Levirate law. The persistent failure to produce an heir is the point for the Sadducees, as it escalates their question about whose wife she would be in the resurrection, given the original intent of the law. It highlights the problem of lineage perpetuation, which the resurrection supposedly complicates for them.
• "and the third likewise.": This phrase, brief and to the point, uses the adverb "likewise" to convey the same outcome and failure as the first two brothers, making the narrative even more exaggerated and absurd in its repetition. It is an efficient way to progress the Sadducees' scenario towards their ultimate theological trap, emphasizing the unfulfilled purpose of the marriage multiple times.

Mark 12 21 Bonus section

• The Sadducees' question in Mark 12 (and parallels) uses hyperbole by proposing seven brothers. This number often signifies completeness or totality in Jewish thought, making the hypothetical situation the "complete" or "perfect" absurd scenario in their eyes. Such exaggerated examples were a common rabbinic method of debate, often to test a legal or theological principle to its breaking point.
• The entire premise of the Sadducees' question misunderstands the very nature of resurrection as a divine work, projecting human limitations and societal norms onto God's eternal plan. This verse contributes to building that misunderstanding brick by brick.
• While Levirate marriage primarily focused on the continuation of the family line, it also served as a form of social security for the widow in ancient Israel, ensuring her integration and protection within the deceased husband's family rather than being left destitute. However, the Sadducees twist this benevolent law to construct their theological attack.

Mark 12 21 Commentary

Mark 12:21 is not an isolated statement but an integral part of the Sadducees' elaborate and cynical trap laid for Jesus. By detailing the consecutive deaths of the second and third brothers, each without leaving offspring as required by the Levirate law, the verse meticulously constructs the groundwork for their larger "resurrection dilemma." The repetition of the pattern of taking the widow and dying childless emphasizes the utter failure of these marriages in their primary legal purpose (to perpetuate the name of the deceased brother). This escalating scenario highlights the Sadducees' literal and carnal understanding of resurrection, reducing an eternal reality to a question of earthly legal complexities and marital property rights. They assumed the conditions of this world, including its social structures like marriage and family inheritance, would rigidly persist into the resurrection, thereby creating an unresolvable predicament in their minds. The verse perfectly frames their misunderstanding, setting up Jesus' profound answer which reveals their ignorance of both the Scriptures' true teaching and the boundless power of God to create a new, transcendent reality beyond earthly limitations.