LUKE 20:28 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. λέγοντες
2. legō
3. saying
4. -
5. 30040
6. VPPA·NMP
7. saying
8. saying
9. -
10. Y33; R57610
11. 57622
1. Διδάσκαλε
2. didaskalos
3. Teacher
4. 255\x*“Teacher
5. 13200
6. N····VMS
7. Teacher
8. Teacher
9. VD
10. Y33
11. 57623
1. Μωϋσῆς
2. mōusēs
3. Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh)
4. -
5. 34750
6. N····NMS
7. Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh)
8. Moses
9. U
10. Person=Moses; Y33
11. 57624
1. ἔγραψεν
2. grafō
3. wrote
4. wrote
5. 11250
6. VIAA3··S
7. wrote
8. wrote
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57625
1. ἡμῖν
2. egō
3. to us
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1D·P
7. ˱to˲ us
8. ˱to˲ us
9. -
10. Y33; R57610
11. 57626
1. Ἐάν
2. ean
3. If
4. -
5. 14370
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. B
10. Y33
11. 57627
1. τινός
2. tis
3. of anyone
4. anyone's
5. 51000
6. R····GMS
7. ˱of˲ anyone
8. ˱of˲ anyone
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57628
1. ἀδελφός
2. adelfos
3. brother
4. -
5. 800
6. N····NMS
7. brother
8. brother
9. -
10. Y33; F57632; F57635; F57644
11. 57629
1. ἀποθάνῃ
2. apothnēskō
3. may die off
4. -
5. 5990
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ die_off
8. ˓may˒ die_off
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57630
1. ἄτεκνος
2. ateknos
3. -
4. -
5. 8150
6. S····NMS
7. childless
8. childless
9. -
10. -
11. 57631
1. ἔχων
2. eχō
3. having
4. -
5. 21920
6. VPPA·NMS
7. having
8. having
9. -
10. Y33; R57629
11. 57632
1. γυναῖκα
2. gunē
3. +a wife
4. -
5. 11350
6. N····AFS
7. ˓a˒ wife
8. ˓a˒ wife
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57633
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57634
1. οὗτος
2. houtos
3. this one
4. -
5. 37780
6. R····NMS
7. this ‹one›
8. this ‹one›
9. -
10. Y33; R57629
11. 57635
1. ἄτεκνος
2. ateknos
3. childless
4. -
5. 8150
6. S····NMS
7. childless
8. childless
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57636
1. ᾖ
2. eimi
3. -
4. -
5. 15100
6. VSPA3··S
7. may_be
8. may_be
9. -
10. -
11. 57637
1. ἦν
2. eimi
3. -
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIIA3··S
7. was
8. was
9. -
10. -
11. 57638
1. ἀποθάνῃ
2. apothnēskō
3. -
4. -
5. 5990
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ die_off
8. ˓may˒ die_off
9. -
10. -
11. 57639
1. ἵνα
2. hina
3. in order that
4. -
5. 24430
6. C·······
7. in_order_that
8. in_order_that
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57640
1. λάβῃ
2. lambanō
3. may take
4. -
5. 29830
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ take
8. ˓may˒ take
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57641
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57642
1. ἀδελφός
2. adelfos
3. brother
4. -
5. 800
6. N····NMS
7. brother
8. brother
9. -
10. Y33; F57648; F57653
11. 57643
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R57629
11. 57644
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. his
8. his
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57645
1. γυναῖκα
2. gunē
3. wife
4. -
5. 11350
6. N····AFS
7. wife
8. wife
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57646
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57647
1. ἐξαναστήσῃ
2. exanistēmi
3. may raise up
4. -
5. 18170
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ raise_up
8. ˓may˒ raise_up
9. -
10. Y33; R57643
11. 57648
1. ἐξαναστήσει
2. exanistēmi
3. -
4. -
5. 18170
6. VIFA3··S
7. ˓will_be˒ raising_up
8. ˓will_be˒ raising_up
9. -
10. -
11. 57649
1. σπέρμα
2. sperma
3. seed
4. -
5. 46900
6. N····ANS
7. seed
8. seed
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57650
1. τῷ
2. ho
3. to the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DMS
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57651
1. ἀδελφῷ
2. adelfos
3. brother
4. -
5. 800
6. N····DMS
7. brother
8. brother
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57652
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R57643
11. 57653

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 20:27–40: Sadducees asked Jesus a trick question about the resurrection

The Jewish leaders continued to challenge Jesus’ authority and the things that he was teaching. In this section some Sadducees asked Jesus a question to try to show that his teaching was wrong. Like the Pharisees, the Sadducees were another group of Jewish leaders with certain religious beliefs. Many of the Sadducees were priests. They did not believe that God would cause anyone who had died to live again.

Jesus taught that God does cause people who have died to live again. The Sadducees tried to use this belief to trick Jesus in 20:27–40. They told a story to ridicule these beliefs that Jesus taught. The story was not true, but they used it to ask a question. They thought that if a person believed that people who died could live again, there was no sensible answer to the question.

The Sadducees based their story on the custom that is described in Deuteronomy 25:5–6. This scripture teaches that if an Israelite woman did not have any children by her husband before he died, her husband’s brother should marry her. Their first child would have the name of his dead brother and would be the heir of the dead brother.This custom was called levirate marriage. Jewish people considered the first son that the widow bore after marrying the brother of her dead husband to be the son of her dead husband, not the son of the man who was now her husband. This meant that this son and his descendants would carry on the dead man’s family and family name through future generations. Any sons born after this to the woman and her living husband would carry on the name of the living husband for future generations. In that way, the dead man’s family and family name could continue through future generations. Since the Scripture taught this custom, the Sadducees believed that they could prove from Scripture that Jesus was wrong.

Examples of headings for this section are:

The Question about Rising from Death (GNT)

Do the dead rise again?

The Sadducees challenged Jesus on people rising from death

Parallel passages for this section are found in Matthew 22:23–33 and Mark 12:18–27.

20:28a

“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that

saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote that we^(incl) must follow a certain custom:
They said to him, “Sir, when Moses wrote God’s laws for us^(incl) Jews, he told us

“Teacher,” they said: The BSB places the words they said after the word Teacher. In Greek, the word that the BSB translates as they said occurs at the beginning of 20:28a. Place the words they said where it is natural in your language.

If you begin 20:28a with they said you may want to use a word or phrase to show the connection between 20:28a and 20:27b. For example:

So they said to him

With this in mind , they said to him

For help in translating Teacher, see the note on 20:21a.

Moses wrote for us: This phrase introduces a specific law that God gave the Jews. Moses wrote this law for them in Deuteronomy 25:5–10. The word us here includes Jesus, because he also was a Jew.

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that what Moses wrote was a law. It may also be necessary to clarify that the phrase for us refers to the Jews in general. It does not refer only to the Sadducees of Jesus’ time. One way to clarify these things is:

Our^(incl) law that Moses wrote says

Moses wrote this law for us Jews:

In some languages it may be more natural to refer to this particular law as a custom. For example:

Moses wrote that we Jews should follow this custom

Moses: Moses was one of the greatest leaders of the Jews. He lived long before Jesus was born. He wrote God’s laws for the Jews. That is why the first five books of the Old Testament are often called “the Law of Moses.”

20:28b

if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children,

If a man’s married brother dies without having any children,
what a man should do when his brother marries but dies before he fathers a child.

if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children: This clause describes the situation that Moses gave instructions about in Deuteronomy 25:5–10. It is a situation that might happen. A married man might die without having any children. Moses wrote a law that would apply to the wife and the man’s brother in this situation.

Languages have different ways to begin a description like this. Another way to do this in English is:

He told us what a man should do when his married brother dies without having any children.

In some languages it may be more natural to begin by talking about the brother who died. For example:

If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man’s brother must marry the widow

Use a natural way in your language to begin describing this situation.

a man’s brother: The Greek word that the BSB translates as brother could refer to an older or younger brother. The verses in Deuteronomy do not indicate whether one brother was older or younger than the other. However, if you must be specific, you can specify that the older brother died. It is more likely that an older brother would marry and die before his younger brother.

20:28c

the man is to marry his brother’s widow

then the man must marry the widow
That man should marry his dead brother’s widow

the man is to marry his brother’s widow: This clause tells what a man must do in the situation described in 20:28b. It is the Jewish law and custom for that situation.

the man: The Greek word that the BSB translates as the man refers to the surviving brother. Refer to him in the way that is most natural in your language.

widow: A widow is a woman whose husband has died. If she remarries, she is no longer a widow. However, she would still be considered the widow of her deceased husband.

20:28d

and raise up offspring for him.

and have a son for that brother.
and have a child who will be considered the dead man’s child.
and father an heir for his brother.

raise up offspring for him: The Greek word that the BSB translates as offspring is literally “seed.” Here it refers to a son and that son’s descendants. When the brother and the widow had their first son, that son would inherit the dead brother’s name and land. Through this son, the dead brother would then have descendants and his family could continue.

You may want to make explicit in your translation that only the first child would be considered the child of the dead brother. For example:

Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother. (CEV)

…his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will be the brother’s heir. (NLT96)

Consider if it would be helpful to have a footnote briefly explaining this custom. For example:

In ancient Israel there was a custom that if a man married and then died childless, one of his brothers should marry his widow. The first son that the widow bore in her new marriage would legally be the son of her first husband. He would be the heir of the first husband’s name and property. See Deuteronomy 25:5–10.

for him: In this context the phrase for him means “in his brother’s name” or “to keep alive his brother’s family line.” Other ways to translate the phrase for him are:

who will carry on the brother’s name (NLT)

who will be considered the dead man’s child

who will be his brother’s heir

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

λέγοντες

saying

Luke could mean that one Sadducee spoke on behalf of the whole group, and you could indicate that as UST does. If you decide to do that, it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [One of them said to Jesus]

Διδάσκαλε

Teacher

Teacher is a respectful title. You can translate it with an equivalent term that your language and culture would use.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

Μωϋσῆς ἔγραψεν ἡμῖν

Moses wrote ˱to˲_us

These Sadducees are describing Moses giving this instruction in the law by association with the way that he wrote it down. Alternate translation: [Moses instructed us in the law]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμῖν

˱to˲_us

Here, the word us would be inclusive, if your language marks that distinction. The Sadducces mean “us Jews,” and they are speaking to Jesus, who is also a Jew.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

ἐάν τινος ἀδελφὸς ἀποθάνῃ ἔχων γυναῖκα, καὶ οὗτος ἄτεκνος ᾖ, ἵνα

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγοντες Διδάσκαλε Μωϋσῆς ἔγραψεν ἡμῖν Ἐάν τινός ἀδελφός ἀποθάνῃ ἔχων γυναῖκα καί οὗτος ἄτεκνος ἵνα λάβῃ ὁ ἀδελφός αὐτοῦ τήν γυναῖκα καί ἐξαναστήσῃ σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ)

Alternate translation: [if a man’s brother dies who is married but who does not have children,]

λάβῃ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα

˓may˒_take the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγοντες Διδάσκαλε Μωϋσῆς ἔγραψεν ἡμῖν Ἐάν τινός ἀδελφός ἀποθάνῃ ἔχων γυναῖκα καί οὗτος ἄτεκνος ἵνα λάβῃ ὁ ἀδελφός αὐτοῦ τήν γυναῖκα καί ἐξαναστήσῃ σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ)

Alternate translation: [that man should marry his dead brother’s widow]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐξαναστήσῃ σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ

˓may˒_raise_up seed ˱to˲_the brother ˱of˲_him

The Sadducees assume that Jesus will know that this law specified that if the widow had children by her late husband’s brother, those children would be considered the children of her late husband. Alternate translation: [and have children who will be considered his brother’s descendants]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

σπέρμα

seed

See how you translated this figurative sense of the word seed in [1:55](../01/55.md). Alternate translation: [descendants]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. saying
2. -
3. 30040
5. legō
6. V-PPA·NMP
7. saying
8. saying
9. -
10. Y33; R57610
11. 57622
1. Teacher
2. 255\x*“Teacher
3. 13200
4. VD
5. didaskalos
6. N-····VMS
7. Teacher
8. Teacher
9. VD
10. Y33
11. 57623
1. Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh)
2. -
3. 34750
4. U
5. mōusēs
6. N-····NMS
7. Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh)
8. Moses
9. U
10. Person=Moses; Y33
11. 57624
1. wrote
2. wrote
3. 11250
5. grafō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. wrote
8. wrote
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57625
1. to us
2. -
3. 14730
5. egō
6. R-···1D·P
7. ˱to˲ us
8. ˱to˲ us
9. -
10. Y33; R57610
11. 57626
1. If
2. -
3. 14370
4. B
5. ean
6. C-·······
7. if
8. if
9. B
10. Y33
11. 57627
1. brother
2. -
3. 800
5. adelfos
6. N-····NMS
7. brother
8. brother
9. -
10. Y33; F57632; F57635; F57644
11. 57629
1. of anyone
2. anyone's
3. 51000
5. tis
6. R-····GMS
7. ˱of˲ anyone
8. ˱of˲ anyone
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57628
1. may die off
2. -
3. 5990
5. apothnēskō
6. V-SAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ die_off
8. ˓may˒ die_off
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57630
1. having
2. -
3. 21920
5. eχō
6. V-PPA·NMS
7. having
8. having
9. -
10. Y33; R57629
11. 57632
1. +a wife
2. -
3. 11350
5. gunē
6. N-····AFS
7. ˓a˒ wife
8. ˓a˒ wife
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57633
1. and
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57634
1. this one
2. -
3. 37780
5. houtos
6. R-····NMS
7. this ‹one›
8. this ‹one›
9. -
10. Y33; R57629
11. 57635
1. childless
2. -
3. 8150
5. ateknos
6. S-····NMS
7. childless
8. childless
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57636
1. in order that
2. -
3. 24430
5. hina
6. C-·······
7. in_order_that
8. in_order_that
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57640
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57642
1. brother
2. -
3. 800
5. adelfos
6. N-····NMS
7. brother
8. brother
9. -
10. Y33; F57648; F57653
11. 57643
1. of him
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R57629
11. 57644
1. may take
2. -
3. 29830
5. lambanō
6. V-SAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ take
8. ˓may˒ take
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57641
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AFS
7. his
8. his
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57645
1. wife
2. -
3. 11350
5. gunē
6. N-····AFS
7. wife
8. wife
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57646
1. and
2. -
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57647
1. may raise up
2. -
3. 18170
5. exanistēmi
6. V-SAA3··S
7. ˓may˒ raise_up
8. ˓may˒ raise_up
9. -
10. Y33; R57643
11. 57648
1. seed
2. -
3. 46900
5. sperma
6. N-····ANS
7. seed
8. seed
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57650
1. to the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····DMS
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57651
1. brother
2. -
3. 800
5. adelfos
6. N-····DMS
7. brother
8. brother
9. -
10. Y33
11. 57652
1. of him
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R57643
11. 57653

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.