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Selected Verse: Mark 12:27 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Mr 12:27	Strong Concordance	He is [2076] not [3756] the God [2316] of the dead [3498], but [235] the God [2316] of the living [2198]: ye [5210] therefore [3767] do [4105] greatly [4183] err [4105].
	King James	He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living--not "the God of dead but [the God] of living persons." The word in brackets is almost certainly an addition to the genuine text, and critical editors exclude it. "For all live unto Him" (Luk 20:38) --"in His view," or "in His estimation." This last statement--found only in Luke--though adding nothing to the argument, is an important additional illustration. It is true, indeed, that to God no human being is dead or ever will be, but all mankind sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him; but the "all" here means "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God which cannot be dissolved. (Compare Rom 6:10-11). In this sense our Lord affirms that for Moses to call the Lord the "GOD" of His patriarchal servants, if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if He had not prepared for them a city" (Heb 11:16). It was concluded by some of the early Fathers, from our Lord's resting His proof of the Resurrection on such a passage as this, instead of quoting some much clearer testimonies of the Old Testament, that the Sadducees, to whom this was addressed, acknowledged the authority of no part of the Old Testament but the Pentateuch; and this opinion has held its ground even till now. But as there is no ground for it in the New Testament, so JOSEPHUS is silent upon it; merely saying that they rejected the Pharisaic traditions. It was because the Pentateuch was regarded by all classes as the fundamental source of the Hebrew religion, and all the succeeding books of the Old Testament but as developments of it, that our Lord would show that even there the doctrine of the Resurrection was taught. And all the rather does He select this passage, as being not a bare annunciation of the doctrine in question, but as expressive of that glorious truth out of which the Resurrection springs. "And when the multitude heard this" (says Mat 22:23), "they were astonished at His doctrine." "Then," adds Luk 20:39-40, "certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said"--enjoying His victory over the Sadducees. "And after that they durst not ask Him any [question at all]"--neither party could; both being for the time utterly foiled. The Great Commandment (Mar 12:28-34). "But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together" (Mat 22:34).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living--not "the God of dead but [the God] of living persons." The word in brackets is almost certainly an addition to the genuine text, and critical editors exclude it. "For all live unto Him" (Luk 20:38) --"in His view," or "in His estimation." This last statement--found only in Luke--though adding nothing to the argument, is an important additional illustration. It is true, indeed, that to God no human being is dead or ever will be, but all mankind sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him; but the "all" here means "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God which cannot be dissolved. (Compare Rom 6:10-11). In this sense our Lord affirms that for Moses to call the Lord the "GOD" of His patriarchal servants, if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if He had not prepared for them a city" (Heb 11:16). It was concluded by some of the early Fathers, from our Lord's resting His proof of the Resurrection on such a passage as this, instead of quoting some much clearer testimonies of the Old Testament, that the Sadducees, to whom this was addressed, acknowledged the authority of no part of the Old Testament but the Pentateuch; and this opinion has held its ground even till now. But as there is no ground for it in the New Testament, so JOSEPHUS is silent upon it; merely saying that they rejected the Pharisaic traditions. It was because the Pentateuch was regarded by all classes as the fundamental source of the Hebrew religion, and all the succeeding books of the Old Testament but as developments of it, that our Lord would show that even there the doctrine of the Resurrection was taught. And all the rather does He select this passage, as being not a bare annunciation of the doctrine in question, but as expressive of that glorious truth out of which the Resurrection springs. "And when the multitude heard this" (says Mat 22:23), "they were astonished at His doctrine." "Then," adds Luk 20:39-40, "certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said"--enjoying His victory over the Sadducees. "And after that they durst not ask Him any [question at all]"--neither party could; both being for the time utterly foiled.

The Great Commandment (Mar 12:28-34).

"But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together" (Mat 22:34).

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Ye do greatly err An emphatic close, peculiar to Mark.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living - That is, (if the argument be proposed at length,) since the character of his being the God of any persons, plainly intimates a relation to them, not as dead, but as living; and since he cannot be said to be at present their God at all, if they are utterly dead; nor to be the God of human persons, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, consisting of souls and bodies, if their bodies were to abide in everlasting death; there must needs be a future state of blessedness, and a resurrection of the body to share with the soul in it.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
But the God of the living - Θεος, God, is left out by ABCDKL, and in more than forty others, Syriac, one Arabic, one Persic, Coptic, Armenian, Gothic, Saxon, Vulgate, Itala, and Origen. Griesbach has omitted it.

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³⁴ But [1161] when the Pharisees [5330] had heard [191] that [3754] he had put [5392] the Sadducees [4523] to silence [5392], they were gathered together [4863] [1909] [846].

²⁸ And [2532] one [1520] of the scribes [1122] came [4334], and having heard [191] them [846] reasoning together [4802], and perceiving [1492] that [3754] he had answered [611] them [846] well [2573], asked [1905] him [846], Which [4169] is [2076] the first [4413] commandment [1785] of all [3956]?
²⁹ And [1161] Jesus [2424] answered [611] him [846], The [3754] first [4413] of all [3956] the commandments [1785] is, Hear [191], O Israel [2474]; The Lord [2962] our [2257] God [2316] is [2076] one [1520] Lord [2962]:
³⁰ And [2532] thou shalt love [25] the Lord [2962] thy [4675] God [2316] with [1537] all [3650] thy [4675] heart [2588], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] thy [4675] soul [5590], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] thy [4675] mind [1271], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] thy [4675] strength [2479]: this [3778] is the first [4413] commandment [1785].
³¹ And [2532] the second [1208] is like [3664], namely this [3778] [846], Thou shalt love [25] thy [4675] neighbour [4139] as [5613] thyself [4572]. There is [2076] none [3756] other [243] commandment [1785] greater [3187] than these [5130].
³² And [2532] the scribe [1122] said [2036] unto him [846], Well [2573], Master [1320], thou hast said [2036] the [1909] truth [225]: for [3754] there is [2076] one [1520] God [2316]; and [2532] there is [2076] none [3756] other [243] but [4133] he [846]:
³³ And [2532] to love [25] him [846] with [1537] all [3650] the heart [2588], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] the understanding [4907], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] the soul [5590], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] the strength [2479], and [2532] to love [25] his neighbour [4139] as [5613] himself [1438], is [2076] more [4119] than all [3956] whole burnt offerings [3646] and [2532] sacrifices [2378].
³⁴ And [2532] when Jesus [2424] saw [1492] that [3754] he [846] answered [611] discreetly [3562], he said [2036] unto him [846], Thou art [1488] not [3756] far [3112] from [575] the kingdom [932] of God [2316]. And [2532] no man [3762] after that [3765] durst [5111] ask [1905] him [846] any question.

³⁹ Then [1161] certain [5100] of the scribes [1122] answering [611] said [2036], Master [1320], thou hast well [2573] said [2036].
⁴⁰ And [1161] after that [3765] they durst [5111] not [3765] ask [1905] him [846] any [3762] question at all.

²³ The same [1722] [1565] day [2250] came [4334] to him [846] the Sadducees [4523], which [3588] say [3004] that there is [1511] no [3361] resurrection [386], and [2532] asked [1905] him [846],

¹⁶ But [1161] now [3570] they desire [3713] a better [2909] country, that is [5123], an heavenly [2032]: wherefore [1352] God [2316] is [1870] not [3756] ashamed [1870] [846] to be called [1941] their [846] God [2316]: for [1063] he hath prepared [2090] for them [846] a city [4172].

¹⁰ For [3739] [1063] in that he died [599], he died [599] unto sin [266] once [2178]: but [1161] in that [3739] he liveth [2198], he liveth [2198] unto God [2316].
¹¹ Likewise [3779] reckon [3049] ye [5210] also [2532] yourselves [1438] to be [1511] dead [3498] indeed [3303] unto sin [266], but [1161] alive [2198] unto God [2316] through [1722] Jesus [2424] Christ [5547] our [2257] Lord [2962].

³⁸ For [1161] he is [2076] not [3756] a God [2316] of the dead [3498], but [235] of the living [2198]: for [1063] all [3956] live [2198] unto him [846].