Mark 12:23

23 When the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her."

Mark 12:23 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 12:23

In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise
This last clause, "when they shall rise", is omitted in two copies of Beza's, and in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, because, perhaps, it might be thought superfluous; but this is agreeably to the way of speaking and writing with the Jews: so in the Targum on ( Zechariah 3:7 ) : (Knyxa aytym twyxab) , "in the quickening of the dead I will quicken thee"; or, in the resurrection of the dead I will raise thee. The question put on supposition of a resurrection, and that these seven brethren, and the wife they all had should rise, then is,

whose wife shall she be of them?
of the seven brethren;

for the seven had her to wife.
She was, according to law, the lawful wife of all seven; what particular and special claim could one have to her above the rest? (See Gill on Matthew 22:28).

Mark 12:23 In-Context

21 The second one got married to the widow. He also died and left no child. It was the same with the third one.

22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.

23 When the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her."

24 Jesus replied, "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God.

25 When the dead rise, they won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven.