Mark 12:21 (LSB)

Passage

And the second one married her, and died leaving behind no seed; and the third likewise;

Nearby Context

Mark 12:19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up a seed for his brother.

Mark 12:20 There were seven brothers; and the first married a wife, and died leaving no seed.

Mark 12:21 And the second one married her, and died leaving behind no seed; and the third likewise;

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

Mark 12:23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "second", "married", "died", "leaving", "behind", "seed", "third", and "likewise". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "second" and "married", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "There were seven brothers and the first..." into verse 22's "and so all seven left no seed...", so "second" and "married" 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 "second" and "married" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.