Matthew 22:25-28

22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. 22:26 The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. 22:27 Last ¹  of all, the woman died. 22:28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” ² 

Luke 20:29-33

20:29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman ³  and died without children. 20:30 The second ⁴  20:31 and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. 20:32 Finally the woman died too. 20:33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? ⁵  For all seven had married her.” ⁶ 

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn Grk “For all had her.”

³ tn Grk “took a wife” (an idiom for marrying a woman).

⁴ tc Most mss (A W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) have the words, “took the wife and this one died childless” after “the second.” But this looks like a clarifying addition, assimilating the text to Mark 12:21. In light of the early and diverse witnesses that lack the expression (א B D L 0266 892 1241 co), the shorter reading should be considered authentic.

⁵ sn The point is a dilemma. In a world arguing a person should have one wife, whose wife will she be in the afterlife? The question was designed to show that (in the opinion of the Sadducees) resurrection leads to a major problem.

⁶ tn Grk “For the seven had her as wife.”