Mar 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry,
Mar 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
Alternative: Since whenever they might be awaken from the dead, they neither marry nor a given in marriage but they exist just as envoys in the universe.
Hidden meaning:The verb "rise up" is in the subjective mood. This is a form of future tense where something may or may not happen at least at a certain time. The use of the "whenever" clause as a conditional also makes the timing of the resurrection seem uncertain.
The two forms of "marry" are also interesting because one indicates a choice and the other a command. Using both indicates that the option just doesn't exist.
Rather than the phase "angels in heaven," which carries a lot of cultural baggage unknown in Christ's time, we go the original meaning of the word, "envoys in the universe." Not, there is not vocabulary for "which are." The original Greek is simply the word which means "in" or "by."
Thematically and Linguistically Related Verse(s): Mat 22:30 is the parallel verse in Matthew, which also mentions resurrection.
Vocabulary:
"When" is from hotan (hotan), which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)."
"For" comes from gar (gar) which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for," "since," and "as." In an abrupt question it means "why" and "what."
"Shall rise" is from anistêmi (anistemi), which means "to make stand up," "to raise up," "to raise from sleep," "to wake up," "to raise from the dead," "to rouse to action," "to put up for sale," "to make people rise," "to emigrate," "to transplant," and "to rise and leave the sanctuary."
"Dead" is from nekros (nekros), which specifically means "a corpse" as well as "the dead."
"Marry" is from gameô (gameo), which mean "to marry" and "to take a wife." For a woman, it means "to give yourself in marriage." It can also mean to "take a lover."
"Given in marriage" is from gamizô (gamizo), which means "to give a daughter in marriage. "
"Are" is from eimi (eisi), which means "to be,""to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible."
"As" is from hôs (hos), which means to "thus," "as," "how," "when," "where," "like," "just as," "so far as," "as much as can be," "that," "in order that," "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that."
"Angels" is from aggelos, (aggelos) which means "messenger" and "envoy."
"Heaven" is from the Greek ouranos (ouranos), which means "heaven as in the vault of the sky," "heaven as the seat of the gods," "the sky," "the universe," and "the climate."
