Mark 12:19 Meaning and Explanation
“Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no 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 →They cite the law of Moses: if a man dies childless, his brother should marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
What Does Mark 12:19 Mean?
The Sadducees ground their puzzle in Deuteronomy 25:5-6, the law of levirate marriage. In a world where a family's name, its land, and a widow's protection all depended on offspring, the law charged a surviving brother to preserve his dead brother's line.
The law they quote was an instrument of mercy: it sheltered widows from destitution and kept a brother's name alive in Israel. But they wield it as a riddle, using a provision born of death's sorrows to argue that death has the final word. Scripture quoted without love for what it protects becomes a game piece; Jesus will shortly restore its true weight.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 12:19
What does Mark 12:19 mean?
They cite the law of Moses: if a man dies childless, his brother should marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.