Luke 20:28 Meaning and Explanation
“Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →The Sadducees cite Moses: if a man dies childless, his brother should marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
What Does Luke 20:28 Mean?
Their question stands on Deuteronomy 25:5-6, the law charging a man to marry his deceased brother's childless widow so that the dead man's name would not be blotted out of Israel. It was a statute of mercy, written for a world where death keeps breaking families and erasing futures.
There is a poignancy the questioners miss in their own citation: the law they quote is itself a protest against death — a God-given means of carrying a dead man's name forward in hope. They wield a statute born of hope against hope itself. Scripture quoted without Scripture's heart becomes a weapon; read with its heart, even this procedural law whispers that God does not intend the grave to have the final word over a family.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 20:28
What does Luke 20:28 mean?
The Sadducees cite Moses: if a man dies childless, his brother should marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.