Matthew 22:30 kjv
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
Matthew 22:30 nkjv
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
Matthew 22:30 niv
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Matthew 22:30 esv
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Matthew 22:30 nlt
For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.
Matthew 22 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mark 12:25 | For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. | Parallel account of Jesus' teaching on marriage and resurrection. |
| Luke 20:34-36 | Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” | Parallel account, adding detail about immortality and being "sons of God" and "equal to angels." |
| Gen 1:28 | And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth..." | Original command for marriage and procreation in this age. |
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. | Foundation of marriage institution in earthly existence. |
| Matt 19:4-6 | He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” | Jesus affirms the divine origin and nature of marriage for this life. |
| 1 Cor 7:29-31 | From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none... For the present form of this world is passing away. | The transient nature of earthly relationships in light of eternity. |
| 1 Cor 15:42-44 | So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption... It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. | Description of the qualitative transformation of the resurrected body. |
| 1 Cor 15:50 | I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. | The perishable nature of our current bodies incompatible with the imperishable kingdom. |
| 1 Cor 15:53-54 | For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” | The ultimate triumph over death, making earthly procreation obsolete. |
| Phil 3:20-21 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body... | Believers' future glorious, transformed bodies, like Christ's resurrected body. |
| 1 John 3:2 | Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him... | Future likeness to Christ, implying a state beyond current human understanding. |
| Isa 26:19 | Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise... | Prophetic insight into the reality of resurrection. |
| Dan 12:2 | And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting contempt and shame. | OT affirmation of resurrection to either life or judgment. |
| Psa 103:20 | Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! | Angels as spirit beings focused on God's will, not on earthly institutions. |
| Heb 1:14 | Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? | Angels as ministering spirits, serving God and humanity, not procreating. |
| Matt 25:31 | “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." | Angels accompany Christ in His glory, signifying their eternal nature. |
| Rev 21:3-4 | And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” | The ultimate state of the new creation, where former things (like death, mourning, which necessitate procreation) pass away. |
| Rev 22:3-5 | No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. | Direct, eternal communion with God in the New Jerusalem. |
| Luke 17:27 | They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark... | Marriage as an earthly institution preceding a divine judgment or new age. |
| Eph 5:31-32 | “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. | Marriage is a type and shadow of Christ's eternal relationship with the Church, not an end in itself. |
Matthew 22 verses
Matthew 22 30 Meaning
In the resurrection, humanity will experience a transformative state where the institution of marriage, as known and practiced on earth for procreation and companionship, will no longer exist. Relationships will transcend earthly forms, becoming like those of the angels of God in heaven, implying a spiritual existence not bound by procreation or the social structures of marriage, but centered on communion with God.
Matthew 22 30 Context
Matthew 22:30 is part of Jesus' series of public debates with Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem during the final week of His earthly ministry, preceding His crucifixion. Specifically, this verse is Jesus' response to the Sadducees, who attempt to trap Him with a hypothetical scenario about a woman married to seven brothers (following the Mosaic Law of Levirate marriage in Deut 25:5-10). The Sadducees, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, angels, or spirits (Acts 23:8). Their question (Matt 22:23-28) was designed to make the concept of resurrection appear absurd by forcing an earthly, social dilemma onto the spiritual reality of the afterlife. Jesus, however, highlights their misunderstanding by appealing to God's power and Scripture, revealing the qualitative difference of the resurrected state. The broader context of Matthew 22 demonstrates Jesus' divine authority and wisdom in confronting various challenges from those who opposed His teaching.
Matthew 22 30 Word analysis
- For: Greek gar (γὰρ). Introduces a reason or explanation for the preceding statement, in this case, why the Sadducees' premise about marriage in resurrection is flawed.
- in the resurrection: Greek en tē anastasei (ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει).
- Anastasis (ἀνάστασις): literally "a standing up again," commonly translated "resurrection." It implies a continuity of person but a transformation of being, a new, eternal state of existence beyond earthly limitations.
- they neither marry: Greek out gamousin (οὔτε γαμοῦσιν).
- Gamōsin (γαμοῦσιν): active voice of gameō ("to marry"), referring specifically to men taking wives. The double negative (out oute) strongly emphasizes absolute denial.
- nor are given in marriage: Greek oute gamiskontai (οὔτε γαμίσκονται).
- Gamiskontai (γαμίσκονται): passive voice of gamiskō (related to gameō), meaning "to be given in marriage," referring to women being given in marriage by their parents or guardians. The combined phrase covers both aspects of marital formation. This indicates a complete cessation of the institution.
- but are as the angels: Greek all’ hos angeloi (ἀλλ’ ὡς ἄγγελοι).
- All’ (ἀλλ’): "but," introducing a contrasting reality.
- Hos (ὡς): "as" or "like." This is a crucial point; it is a simile, a comparison of quality, not an assertion of identity. Resurrected humans do not become angels in essence.
- Angeloi (ἄγγελοι): "messengers" or "angels." These celestial beings are known to be spiritual, without gender as humans understand it, and do not procreate. They exist directly in God's presence, serving Him.
- of God: Greek tou theou (τοῦ θεοῦ). Specifies the origin and nature of the angels; they are divine beings, heavenly creatures of God.
- in heaven: Greek en tō ouranō (ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ). Designates the location and realm where this angelic existence and future human state occurs.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage": This phrase directly refutes the Sadducees' materialistic view of resurrection. It underscores that life in the resurrected state transcends earthly social structures, including marriage, which serves earthly purposes such as procreation and family formation within the context of mortality. In eternity, procreation is unnecessary because there is no death, and new spiritual realities prevail.
- "but are as the angels of God in heaven": This comparison explains why marriage ceases. Resurrected individuals will share a characteristic with angels: they are not involved in procreation or bound by the need for marital union. The essence of this "angelic" likeness is not that humans become genderless or exactly like angels, but rather that their glorified state will be spiritual, imperishable, and focused directly on God, for which marriage, as a terrestrial covenant, is no longer applicable. Their relationships will be transformed to a higher spiritual order, directly centered on God, the ultimate source of communion and completeness.
Matthew 22 30 Bonus section
- The telos (ultimate purpose or end) of marriage as an institution designed for mortality and this fallen world passes away in the eternal, perfect state. Its purposes are either fulfilled or superseded by the direct reality of God's presence.
- While marriage itself does not exist in heaven, the love shared between believers, whether between spouses or family, is purified and elevated, transformed into a higher, spiritual communion in God's presence. Personal identity, memory, and love persist but are perfected.
- This verse subtly underscores the vast qualitative difference between mortal life and resurrected eternal life. It challenges humans to not project their current limitations onto God's future glory.
- Jesus’ answer also reveals a lack of understanding by the Sadducees regarding the power of God, who is able to raise the dead and establish a radically different mode of existence for His children (as highlighted in the parallel Luke 20:36, where the resurrected "cannot die anymore").
Matthew 22 30 Commentary
Matthew 22:30 offers profound insight into the nature of resurrected life, directly confronting a fundamental misunderstanding of the Sadducees. Jesus clarifies that the resurrection is not merely an extension of earthly existence but a radical transformation. Marriage, instituted by God (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:4-6), serves crucial purposes in this mortal life: procreation, companionship, and reflecting the covenant between Christ and the Church (Eph 5:31-32). In the resurrection, the need for these functions ceases. There is no death, so procreation is irrelevant. The need for earthly companionship is transcended by perfected communion with God and with all saints in eternal glory. The "angelic" comparison indicates a quality of existence—one that is spiritual, immortal, and not defined by gender roles or reproductive capacities as they are on earth. This implies that while individuality and gender are retained in some sense (as resurrected bodies are described as glorified but recognizable), their primary significance regarding procreation and marital union becomes obsolete. The focus shifts entirely to direct relationship with God. This verse provides comfort for those who grieve over lost spouses, as ultimate fulfillment and connection are found in Christ alone in the New Creation, where every true bond will be fulfilled in a deeper, divinely perfect way.