Bible Strands
Matthew 22:32
‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the Sadducees, who had just questioned Him about the resurrection, by quoting God’s declaration at the burning bush. He speaks this to correct their misunderstanding and to establish the reality of the dead being raised.
The words — ἐγώ (egō) means “I myself” and εἰμί (eimi) means “am,” forming the emphatic declaration “I am.” These words anchor the statement in God’s present, unbroken identity rather than a past or departed relationship.
The thread — Jesus quotes this declaration from Exodus 3:6, which Mark 12:26 and Luke 20:37 also cite to support the same point about the dead rising. The passage consistently appears in the Synoptic Gospels as the foundational proof for resurrection.
Why it lands — The text states that God’s covenant relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remains active, proving He is not a God of the dead but of the living. A reader must accept that God’s promises extend beyond physical death and require a posture of trust in His power to sustain life.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Exodus 3:6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- Mark 12:26 But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
- Luke 20:37 Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
- Acts 7:32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
- Exodus 3:15 God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
- Hebrews 11:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.