Mark 12:18
New International Version
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

New Living Translation
Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question:

English Standard Version
And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:

Berean Literal Bible
And Sadducees, who say there is not a resurrection, come to Him. And they began questioning Him, saying,

King James Bible
Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

New King James Version
Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:

New American Standard Bible
Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,

NASB 1995
Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,

NASB 1977
And some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him, and began questioning Him, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,

Amplified Bible
Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him, and began questioning Him, saying,

Christian Standard Bible
Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and questioned him:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him: “

American Standard Version
And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Contemporary English Version
The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus and said:

English Revised Version
And there come unto him Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,

Good News Translation
Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus and said,

International Standard Version
Then some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him,

Majority Standard Bible
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:

NET Bible
Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked him,

New Heart English Bible
There came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
Then come to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Weymouth New Testament
Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.

World English Bible
Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the Sadducees come to Him, who say there is not a resurrection, and they questioned Him, saying,

Berean Literal Bible
And Sadducees, who say there is not a resurrection, come to Him. And they began questioning Him, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
And the Sadducees come unto him, who say there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the Sadducees come to him, who say there is no rising up; and they asked him, saying,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him, saying:

New American Bible
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and put this question to him,

New Revised Standard Version
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the Sadducees came to him, those who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and they were asking him and they were saying:
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him, and put a question to him, saying:

Godbey New Testament
And the Sadducees come to Him, who say there is no resurrection; and asked Him, saying;

Haweis New Testament
And the Sadducees come to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they put a question to him, saying,

Mace New Testament
Then the Saducees, who deny the resurrection, came and asked him,

Weymouth New Testament
Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.

Worrell New Testament
And there come to Him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they were asking Him, saying,

Worsley New Testament
Then come the sadducees to Him, who say there is no resurrection;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
17Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him. 18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him: 19“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.…

Cross References
Matthew 22:23-33
That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. / “Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. / Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. ...

Luke 20:27-40
Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him. / “Teacher,” they said, “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. / Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died childless. ...

Acts 23:6-8
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” / As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. / For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

Exodus 3:6
Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Deuteronomy 25:5-10
When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. / The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. / But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.” ...

Genesis 38:8
Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”

Numbers 16:1-3
Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted / a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. / They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

1 Kings 2:24-25
And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!” / So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

2 Samuel 14:7
Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”

Job 19:25-27
But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. / Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. / I will see Him for myself; my eyes will behold Him, and not as a stranger. How my heart yearns within me!

Isaiah 26:19
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead.

Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Hosea 6:2
After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.

Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.

Psalm 16:10
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.


Treasury of Scripture

Then come to him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

come.

Matthew 22:23
The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

Luke 20:27
Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

say.

Acts 4:1,2
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, …

Acts 23:6-9
But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question…

1 Corinthians 15:13-18
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: …

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Mark 12
1. Jesus tells the parable of the tenants
13. He avoids the snare of the Pharisees and Herodians about paying tribute to Caesar;
18. convicts the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection;
28. resolves the scribe, who questioned of the first commandment;
35. refutes the opinion that the scribes held of the Christ;
38. bidding the people to beware of their ambition and hypocrisy;
41. and commends the poor widow for her two mites, above all.














Then the Sadducees
The Sadducees were a Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, known for their aristocratic status and priestly connections. They held significant power in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees accepted only the written Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) as authoritative and rejected oral traditions. Their influence was primarily in the Temple and among the wealthy elite.

who say there is no resurrection
The Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead, a belief that set them apart from the Pharisees, who affirmed it. This denial was rooted in their strict adherence to the Torah, where they found no explicit mention of resurrection. This theological stance is significant because it highlights their materialistic worldview and their focus on the present life rather than the afterlife. The belief in resurrection is a central theme in Christian doctrine, as seen in passages like Daniel 12:2 and Isaiah 26:19, and is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

came to Jesus
The Sadducees approached Jesus with the intent to challenge Him. This encounter took place in Jerusalem, likely in the Temple courts, during the final week of Jesus' earthly ministry. Their approach was not to seek truth but to trap Jesus in a theological debate, hoping to discredit Him in front of the people. This reflects the growing tension between Jesus and the religious leaders, as they perceived Him as a threat to their authority.

and questioned Him:
The Sadducees' questioning was a common rabbinic practice used to test one's knowledge and understanding of the law. However, their question was not sincere; it was designed to ridicule the concept of resurrection by presenting a hypothetical scenario. This method of questioning was typical of the Sadducees, who often engaged in debates to assert their doctrinal positions. Jesus' response to their question would not only address their misunderstanding but also affirm the truth of the resurrection, as seen in His subsequent teaching in Mark 12:24-27.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Sadducees
A Jewish sect during the time of Jesus known for their denial of the resurrection, angels, and spirits. They held significant power in the Sanhedrin and were often in conflict with the Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection.

2. Jesus
The central figure of the New Testament, the Son of God, who is approached by the Sadducees in this passage to be tested on His teachings about the resurrection.

3. Moses
Although not directly present in this passage, Moses is referenced by the Sadducees as they cite the law he delivered regarding levirate marriage, which is found in the Torah.

4. Levirate Marriage
A practice from the Mosaic Law where a man is required to marry his deceased brother's widow to produce offspring in his brother's name, as described in Deuteronomy 25:5-10.

5. Resurrection
The central theological issue in this passage, which the Sadducees deny and Jesus affirms, pointing to the power of God and the reality of life after death.
Teaching Points
Understanding the Resurrection
Jesus' response to the Sadducees emphasizes the reality of the resurrection and the power of God. Believers are encouraged to have faith in the promises of eternal life.

The Authority of Scripture
Jesus uses Scripture to correct the Sadducees' misunderstanding, highlighting the importance of knowing and correctly interpreting the Word of God.

The Nature of God
Jesus points to the nature of God as the God of the living, not the dead, encouraging believers to trust in His eternal nature and promises.

Engaging with Skeptics
Jesus' interaction with the Sadducees provides a model for engaging with those who question or deny core Christian beliefs, using wisdom and Scripture.

Hope in Eternal Life
The passage reassures believers of the hope and assurance of eternal life, encouraging them to live with an eternal perspective.(18-27) Then come unto him the Sadducees.--See Notes on Matthew 22:15-22.

Verses 18-23. - And there come unto him Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection. Josephus states that in the time of Judas Maceabaeus there were three sects of the Jews, differing amongst themselves, namely, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The Hebrew word Zadoc, from which the Sadducees derive their name, means "just." or" righteous." These Sadducees accepted the Pentateuch, and probably more than the Pentateuch; but they rejected any oral tradition. They were known in the time of our Lord as denying those doctrines which connect us more immediately with another world, such as the existence of spirits and of angels, and the resurrection of the body. They altogether denied fate, affirming that all things are in our own power. They heard Christ preach the resurrection, and by means of it persuade men to repentance and a holy life. They therefore proposed to him a question which appeared to them to be fatal to the doctrine of a future state and a resurrection. The case supposed is that of seven brethren, who, in compliance with the Law of Moses, one after another, as each died in succession, took the same woman to wife. It is probable that such a case may actually have occurred; at any rate, it was a possible case. And the question founded upon it by the Sadducees was this - Whose wife would she be of them in the resurrection? Here, then, they hoped to entangle him, and to show that the doctrine of the resurrection was absurd. For if our Lord should say that in the resurrection she would be the wife of one only, the other brethren would have been excited to envy and continual strife. Nor could he have said that she would be common to the seven brothers. Such were the absurdities which, as they intimated, would flow out of his doctrine of the resurrection, if it could be proved. But our Lord scatters to the winds all this foolish reasoning, by adding one clause omitted by them, and overlooked by men of mere earthly minds, namely, that in the world to come this widow would be the wife of none of the seven brethren.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[some] Sadducees,
Σαδδουκαῖοι (Saddoukaioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4523: Probably from Sadok; a Sadducaean, or follower of a certain heretical Israelite.

who
οἵτινες (hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

say
λέγουσιν (legousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

there is
εἶναι (einai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

no
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

resurrection,
ἀνάστασιν (anastasin)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 386: A rising again, resurrection. From anistemi; a standing up again, i.e. a resurrection from death (its author), or a recovery.

came
ἔρχονται (erchontai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

questioned
ἐπηρώτων (epērōtōn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1905: To interrogate, question, demand of. From epi and erotao; to ask for, i.e. Inquire, seek.

Him:
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: Mark 12:18 There came to him Sadducees who say (Mar Mk Mr)
Mark 12:17
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