Matthew 22:29 Meaning and Explanation
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Questions about life after death often press us toward familiar earthly arrangements. The Sadducees frame resurrection through a complicated case of marriage and death, assuming that resurrection would simply reproduce present conditions. Jesus answers at the deeper level. Sound hope requires attention to what God has spoken and confidence in his power to fulfill it.
Jesus says the Sadducees have gone wrong because they do not know the Scriptures or God's power. Their resurrection question rests on a limited reading of God's word and an inadequate view of what God can do.
The Context of Matthew 22:29
On the same day that Jesus answers the question about tribute, Sadducees come to him. Matthew identifies them as people who say there is no resurrection. They appeal to Moses' instruction concerning a deceased man's brother marrying his widow in order to raise up seed for him. Their imagined case involves seven brothers and one woman, ending with the question of whose wife she will be in the resurrection. Jesus' answer begins in verse 29, then addresses the transformed conditions of resurrection in verse 30. He grounds the reality of resurrection in God's words about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in verses 31-32. The multitude is astonished at his teaching.
What Does Matthew 22:29 Mean?
Jesus begins, "Ye do err," speaking plainly about the flaw in their argument. He identifies two joined causes: "not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Their difficulty reaches deeper than their seven-brother example. They have approached Scripture in a way that misses God's own testimony, and they have measured resurrection by the limits of present mortal life. Jesus does not dismiss their appeal to Moses. He soon directs them back to a word spoken by God concerning the patriarchs. The rebuke therefore calls for fuller, more attentive hearing of Scripture and for confidence that God's power reaches beyond the situations we can presently imagine.
The next verses explain Jesus' diagnosis. Resurrection life is not described as a continuation of every earthly arrangement in the same form. Jesus speaks of those raised as being like the angels of God in heaven with respect to marriage and being given in marriage. Then he turns to God's declaration, "I am the God of Abraham," Isaac, and Jacob. His argument treats God's own words as living testimony to God's relation with those patriarchs. The chapter thus joins careful reading with resurrection hope. Scripture is received as God's speech, and God's power is received as able to preserve life and fulfill his covenant purposes beyond death.
Jesus' answer carries particular weight because he himself will go toward death and resurrection. Matthew has already recorded his teaching that the Son of man would be raised the third day, and the Gospel later testifies that God raised Jesus. His correction of the Sadducees therefore belongs to his wider witness that death does not have final authority over God's purposes. The verse also guards us from building hope only from earthly analogy. God has revealed enough to anchor trust, while some features of the coming life remain beyond our full description. Faithful study lets God's words set the boundaries of our claims.
Bible Verses Related to Matthew 22:29
“Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
- Exodus 3:6
“I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
- Matthew 22:32
“And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?”
- Mark 12:24
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:20
Where Matthew 22:29 Echoes in Scripture
Mark 12:24 closely echoes Jesus' response to the Sadducees, preserving the same twofold diagnosis: error arises from failing to know the Scriptures and God's power. Mark places the saying within the same Jerusalem dispute and then records Jesus' appeal to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The repetition across the Gospels emphasizes that resurrection hope rests on God's revealed word and active power, rather than on a merely human reconstruction of future life.
How to Apply Matthew 22:29 Today
When Scripture raises questions that exceed our experience, this verse encourages patient and reverent study. We can bring real questions to God without forcing his promises into the shape of our assumptions. Reading the surrounding passage matters, since Jesus answers the Sadducees by following their question through to God's own words. We may also remember God's power when grief, aging, death, or unanswered questions make hope feel distant. Christian hope is more than an attractive possibility. It rests upon the God who speaks, remembers his covenant servants, and has power over death.
Reflection & Prayer
What assumption about God, Scripture, or the future may be narrowing the way we hear Jesus' words? We may ask for both clearer understanding and stronger trust. Suggested prayer: "God of the living, open our minds to thy Scriptures. Strengthen our confidence in thy power, especially where our knowledge is small and our hearts need hope."