Mark 12:19

“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.’

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Other translations

WEBBE

“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’

BSB

“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.

KJV

Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

ASV

Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

BBE

Master, in the law Moses says, If a man's brother comes to his end, and has a wife still living and no child, it is right for his brother to take his wife, and get a family for his brother.

Original Greek

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διδάσκαλε didaskale Teacher G1320 Μωϋσῆς Mōusēs Moses G3475 ἔγραψεν egrapsen wrote G1125 ἡμῖν hēmin for us G3165 ὅτι hoti that G3754 ἐάν ean if G1437 τινος tinos of anyone G5100 ἀδελφὸς adelphos a brother G80 ἀποθάνῃ apothanē shall die G599 καὶ kai and G2532 καταλίπῃ katalipē he may leave behind G2641 γυναῖκα gunaika a wife G1135 καὶ kai and G2532 μὴ mē not G3361 ἀφῇ aphēa may leave G863 τέκνον teknon child G5043 ἵνα ina that G2443 λάβῃ labē shall take G2983 ὁ ho the G3588 ἀδελφὸς adelphos brother G80 αὐτοῦ autou of him G846 τὴν tēn the G3588 γυναῖκα gunaika wife G1135 αὐτοῦ autou of him G846 καὶ kai and G2532 ἐξαναστήσῃ exanastēsē may raise up G1817 σπέρμα sperma seed G4690 τῷ tō for the G3588 ἀδελφῷ adelphō brother G80 αὐτοῦ autou of him G846

The early church

(ubi sup.) And fitly do they frame such a fable in order to prove the madness of those who assert the resurrection of the body. Such a thing however might really have happened at some time or other among them.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
A certain heretical sect of the Jews called Sadducees denied the resurrection, and said that there was neither angel nor spirit. These then coming to Jesus, craftily proposed to Him a certain tale, in order to show that no resurrection should take place, or had taken place; and therefore there is added, And they asked him, saying, Master. And in this tale they lay down that seven men had married one woman, in order to make men draw back from belief in the resurrection.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
But in a mystical sense: what can this woman, leaving no seed of seven brothers, and last of all dying, mean except the Jewish synagogue, deserted by the seven-fold Spirit, which filled those seven patriarchs, who did not leave to her the seed of Abraham, that is, Jesus Christ? For although a Son was born to them, nevertheless He was given to us Gentiles. This woman was dead to Christ, nor shall she be joined in the resurrection to any patriarch of the seven; for by the number seven is meant the whole company of the faithful. Thus it is said contrariwise by Isaiah, Seven women shall take hold of one man; (Is. 4:1) that is, the seven Churches, which the Lord loves, reproves, and chastises, adore Him with one faith. Wherefore it goes on: And Jesus answering, said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, not knowing the Scripture, neither the power of God?
Pseudo-Jerome · d. 9999Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 18–27

A right knowledge of the Scripture, as the fountain whence all revealed religion now flows, and the foundation on which it is built, is the best preservative against error. Christ put aside the objection of the Sadducees, who were the scoffing infidels of that day, by setting the doctrine of the future state in a true light. The relation between husband and wife, though appointed in the earthly paradise, will not be known in the heavenly one. It is no wonder if we confuse ourselves with foolish errors, when we form our ideas of the world of spirits by the affairs of this world of sense. It is absurd to think that the living God should be the portion and happiness of a man if he is for ever dead; and therefore it is certain that Abraham's soul exists and acts, though now for a time separate from the body. Those that deny the resurrection greatly err, and ought to be told so. Let us seek to pass through this dying world, with a joyful hope of eternal happiness, and of a glorious resurrection.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 12 →

Parallel passages

3

The same words or events elsewhere, including Old Testament passages quoted in the New.

Deuteronomy 25:5Matthew 22:23–24Luke 20:27–28

Cross-references

5

People & places

Moses

Topics

Quotations And AllusionsMarriageBrother

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.