-
Greek Lessons
-
Category
Tag Archives: Matthew 22:28
Resurrection and Possession: A Grammatical Riddle in Matthew 22:28
Ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει τίνος τῶν ἑπτὰ ἔσται ἡ γυνή; πάντες γὰρ ἔσχον αὐτήν. (Matthew 22:28)
In the resurrection, then, of which of the seven will the woman be? For all had her.
The Syntax of a Trick QuestionThis verse arises in the context of the Sadducees testing Jesus with a hypothetical scenario involving levirate marriage. The Greek sentence itself is deliberately constructed to reflect the rhetorical trap. The clause ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει (“in the resurrection, then”) is a prepositional phrase using ἐν + dative. The particle οὖν functions inferentially, pointing back to the elaborate scenario and introducing the logical consequence of their story.… Learn Koine Greek