Question 1

What does Luke 20:34 mean?

Accepted Answer

Luke 20:34 records Jesus explaining that people who belong to "this world" (meaning ordinary, earthly life) marry and are given in marriage. He is making a distinction between life as people know it now and something different about life in the age to come. Jesus is speaking to a group of religious leaders called the Sadducees, who are questioning him about resurrection and what happens after death. In this verse, Jesus begins his answer by describing how marriage is a normal part of earthly life, setting up a contrast with what he will say next about life after resurrection.

Question 2

The Greek behind Luke 20:34

Accepted Answer

κόσμος (kosmos, G165): Translated here as "world," this word often means the present age or the current order of human life. Jesus is pointing to the way things work in everyday human society, not necessarily the physical planet. γαμέω (gameō, G1060) and γαμίζω (gamizō, G1548): Both words refer to marrying and being given in marriage. The first is used for men marrying, and the second for women being given in marriage, reflecting the customs of the time.

Question 3

Why Luke 20:34 matters

Accepted Answer

This verse clarifies that Jesus sees a real difference between earthly life and the life to come, especially regarding marriage and social customs. It helps explain the context for Jesus' teaching about resurrection, showing that the Sadducees' question is based on assumptions about life that do not apply after resurrection. Understanding this verse helps readers follow Jesus' argument in the wider passage, where he challenges common ideas about life after death.

Luke 20:34 (KJV)