Matthew 22:26 (KJV)

Passage

Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:24 Saying, Master, 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, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:

Matthew 22:26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

Matthew 22:27 And last of all the woman died also.

Matthew 22:28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "Now there were with us seven brethren..." into verse 27's "And last of all the woman died...", so "likewise" and "second" 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 "likewise" and "second" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.