Matthew 22:32 (ASV)

Passage

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not [the God] of the dead, but of the living.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven.

Matthew 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not [the God] of the dead, but of the living.

Matthew 22:33 And when the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Matthew 22:34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "abraham", "isaac", "jacob", "dead", and "living". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "abraham" and "isaac", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 31's "But as touching the resurrection of the..." into verse 33's "And when the multitudes heard it they...", so "abraham" and "isaac" 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 "abraham" and "isaac" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.