12:25a

When the dead rise: The phrase When the dead rise refers to the time when God will cause people who have died to live again.

the dead: The phrase the dead refers to dead people in general, whether they were good or bad.

12:25b

they will neither marry nor be given in marriage: Jesus’ statement here indicates that people whom God causes to live again will not marry one another. No one in that future life will get married. The statement has two parts:

(a) they will neither marry, which means that men will not seek wives or marry them,

(b) nor be given in marriage, which means that women will not be given to men to marry.

These two parts have almost the same meaning. In some languages it may be good to state the meaning only once. For example:

they…will not marry (Good News Bible)
-or-
they don’t marry (God’s Word)

be given in marriage: This phrase refers to a custom that was common in Jewish culture. A father arranged a marriage for his daughter. If a man had other female relatives who were dependent on him, he could also arrange marriages for them.

In cultures where this custom is well known, there may be a special way to speak about it. Consider whether you can use this way in your translation.

The phrase be given in marriage is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to make it active. For example:

no one will give his daughter to anyone to marry.
-or-
women will not marry.

12:25c

Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven: A literal translation of the Greek here is: “but they are like angels in the heavens.” The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead is often translated as “but,” as in the Revised Standard Version. It connects this part of the verse with 12:25b. This connection implies that the angels do not marry. They are not like people on earth who do marry. (The context in the parallel passage in Luke 20:35–36 seems to imply a broader meaning: the people who live again will be like the angels because neither they nor the angels will die or marry.) Express the connection in a natural way in your language. See the General Comment on 12:25b–c for examples.

angels in heaven: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels in heaven means “messengers from heaven” or “messengers who live in heaven.” The word angels refers here to spirit beings who serve God. The word heaven refers to the place where God lives. See heaven, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

Sometimes God sends an angel to tell a message to human beings. He also sends angels to serve him in other ways. Some ways to translate this term are:

• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:

messengers from heaven/God
-or-
good/holy spirit-beings who are in heaven

• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.

• Use a loan word from a major language. If the meaning of the word is not well-known, you may want to indicate the meaning in some way. For example:

angelos messengers in heaven
-or-
sacred angelos spirits from God

See how you translated this word in 1:13c. See also angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

If you use a descriptive phrase such as “messengers from God,” make sure that it contrasts with terms that are similar in meaning, like “prophet” or “apostle.” A “prophet” is also God’s messenger, and “apostle” literally means “one who is sent.” Each one of these words should have a unique term in your language.

General Comment on 12:25b–c

Verse 25 tells about people who live again after they die. 12:25b says that these people do not marry. 12:25c says that they are like the angels. This implies that the angels do not marry.

Here are some ways to translate this connection:

When the dead come back to life, they don’t marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven. (God’s Word)
-or-
When dead people live again, they will be like the angels in heaven, who do not marry.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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