Mark 12:20

20 Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children.

Mark 12:20 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 12:20

Now there were seven brethren
In a certain family, at a certain place; perhaps at Jerusalem, who were brethren by the father's side; for such only were reckoned so, and such only did this law oblige:

and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed:
no child: hence it is clear that the ancient Jews used the word seed, of a single person, as these Sadducees did; though modern ones deny such an use of it in our present controversies with them about the sense of ( Genesis 3:15 ) ( 22:18 ) ; (See Gill on Matthew 22:25).

Mark 12:20 In-Context

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

19 "Teacher, Moses wrote this law for us: "If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man's brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children.'

20 Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children.

21 Then the second one married the woman, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother,

22 and then to the rest: all seven brothers married the woman and died without having children. Last of all, the woman died.