Luke 20:34
And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
Original Language Analysis
καὶ
And
G2532
καὶ
And
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
1 of 14
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἀποκριθεὶς
answering
G611
ἀποκριθεὶς
answering
Strong's:
G611
Word #:
2 of 14
to conclude for oneself, i.e., (by implication) to respond; by hebraism (compare h6030) to begin to speak (where an address is expected)
αὐτοῖς
unto them
G846
αὐτοῖς
unto them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
4 of 14
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 14
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
G2424
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
Strong's:
G2424
Word #:
6 of 14
jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites
Οἱ
G3588
Οἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 14
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
υἱοὶ
The children
G5207
υἱοὶ
The children
Strong's:
G5207
Word #:
8 of 14
a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
9 of 14
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
αἰῶνος
world
G165
αἰῶνος
world
Strong's:
G165
Word #:
10 of 14
properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity (also past); by implication, the world; specially (jewish) a messianic period (present or future)
Cross References
Luke 16:8And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.Luke 17:27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.Hebrews 13:4Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Historical Context
In Jewish and Greco-Roman society, marriage was the expected norm for adults—remaining single was rare and sometimes suspect. Marriage secured family alliances, economic stability, and legitimate heirs. Jesus's teaching that resurrection life transcends marriage would have been revolutionary to his hearers, contradicting assumptions about the eternality of family structures.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus's teaching challenge the idolatry of marriage and family that pervades Christian culture?
- What does it mean that institutions you hold dear (marriage, family) are 'of this age' rather than eternal?
- How should Jesus's words comfort those who are single, widowed, or whose earthly marriages were painful?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage (οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου γαμοῦσιν καὶ γαμίσκονται, hoi hyioi tou aiōnos toutou gamousin kai gamiskontai)—Jesus begins by distinguishing this age (αἰών, aiōn) from the age to come. The phrase 'children of this world/age' doesn't mean 'worldly people' but humans living in the present temporal order.
Marriage belongs to this age—it's a good, God-ordained institution for the present creation, serving procreation, companionship, and family structure. But Jesus will reveal it's not an eternal necessity. The verbs γαμέω (marry) and γαμίσκω (give in marriage) describe both male initiative and parental arrangement, the full pattern of matrimonial practice.