Matthew 22:25 (ASV)

Passage

Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first married and deceased, and having no seed left his wife unto his brother;

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:23 On that day there came to him Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection: and they asked him,

Matthew 22:24 saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Matthew 22:25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first married and deceased, and having no seed left his wife unto his brother;

Matthew 22:26 in like manner the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

Matthew 22:27 And after them all, the woman died.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seven", "brethren", "first", "married", "deceased", "having", "seed", and "left". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seven" and "brethren", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "saying Teacher Moses said If a man..." into verse 26's "in like manner the second also and...", so "seven" and "brethren" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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