And they said, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother must take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother’ (Deut. 25:5).”
The Sadducees begin their question with the Law of Moses, recalling the commandment known as the levirate law (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). According to that law, if a man died without a child, his brother was obligated to marry his widowed wife, so that the brother’s name would continue and his inheritance would not be lost. This law aimed to preserve tribal inheritance and the honor of the family. The Sadducees, however, use this commandment not as an expression of faith, but as a tool for dispute, trying to prove that the resurrection is impossible, because it would create legal and family inconsistencies. They appeal to Holy Scripture to defend their view, but in reality they demonstrate their unbelief. This verse shows how a person can turn God’s word into an object of debate when the heart is closed to faith.