The Widow's Offering
In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died. Mark 12:22 · Berean Standard Bible
All seven brothers married her and died without children. Finally, the woman herself died too.
The Sadducees have laid out the most extreme version of this scenario possible. Now comes their big 'gotcha' question.
The Sadducees finish setting up their scenario.
Seven husbands, no children, everyone dead. The Sadducees think they've created a problem even God couldn't sort out. They're about to find out they're wrong.
The scenario reaches its extreme conclusion: all seven brothers and then the woman die, maximizing the complexity of the resurrection question.
The completeness of the scenario — seven marriages, no children, universal death — is designed to leave no loophole in the anti-resurrection argument.
The Sadducees complete the details of their hypothetical scenario.
With all seven brothers and the woman dead, the Sadducees believe they have constructed a perfect logical trap from which resurrection theology cannot escape.
20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
21Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.
22In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died.
23In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
24Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
Read all of Mark 12 — Trick questions from every direction, a scribe who almost gets it, and a poor widow who gives everything — two small coins that outweigh them all.
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