Mark 12:22 (ASV)

Passage

and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.

Nearby Context

Mark 12:20 There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed;

Mark 12:21 and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise:

Mark 12:22 and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.

Mark 12:23 In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

Mark 12:24 Jesus said unto them, Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seven", "left", "seed", "last", "woman", and "died". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seven" and "left", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "and the second took her and died..." into verse 23's "In the resurrection whose wife shall she...", so "seven" and "left" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "seven" and "left" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.