Acts 23:8

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

King James Version (1611)
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither Angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confesse both.

King James Version
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

English Standard Version
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

New American Standard Bible
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

New Century Version
(The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that people will rise from the dead. But the Pharisees believe in them all.)

Amplified Bible
For the Sadducees say that there is no [such thing as a] resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees [speak out freely and] acknowledge [their belief in] them all.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

Berean Standard Bible
For the Sadducees say there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

Contemporary English Version
The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that the dead will rise to life. But the Pharisees believe in all of these,

Complete Jewish Bible
For the Tz'dukim deny the resurrection and the existence of angels and spirits; whereas the P'rushim acknowledge both.

Darby Translation
For Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but Pharisees confess both of them.

Easy-to-Read Version
(The Sadducees believe that after people die, they will not live again as an angel or as a spirit. But the Pharisees believe in both.)

Geneva Bible (1587)
For the Sadduces say that there is no resurrection, neither Angel, nor spirit: but the Pharises confesse both.

George Lamsa Translation
For the Sad''du-cees say there is no resurrection, neither angels nor soul: but the Phar''i-sees believe in them.

Good News Translation
(For the Sadducees say that people will not rise from death and that there are no angels or spirits; but the Pharisees believe in all three.)

Lexham English Bible
(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

Literal Translation
For the Sadducees indeed say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. But Pharisees confess both.

American Standard Version
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

Bible in Basic English
For the Sadducees say that there is no coming back from the dead, and no angels or spirits: but the Pharisees have belief in all these.

Hebrew Names Version
For the Tzedukim say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Perushim confess all of these.

International Standard Version
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there is no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all those things.Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For the Zadukoyee say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor spirit; but the Pharishee confess all these.

Murdock Translation
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor a spirit: but the Pharisees confess all these.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the saducees say, that there is no resurrection, neither Angel, nor spirite: But the pharisees confesse both.

English Revised Version
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

World English Bible
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For the Saducees say, there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

Weymouth's New Testament
For the Sadducees maintain that there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge the existence of both.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Saduceis seien, that no `rysing ayen of deed men is, nether aungel, nether spirit; but Fariseis knowlechen euer eithir.

Update Bible Version
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

New English Translation
(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

New King James Version
For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection--and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

New Living Translation
for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these.

New Life Bible
The one religious group believes that no one is raised from the dead. Also, they do not believe in angels or spirits. But the other religious group, the proud religious law-keepers, believe that people are raised from the dead and that there are angels and spirits.

New Revised Standard
(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, Sadducees, say, there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, whereas, Pharisees, confess them both.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

Revised Standard Version
For the Sad'ducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For ye Saduces saye that ther is no resurreccio nether angell nor sprete. But the Pharisayes graunt bothe.

Young's Literal Translation
for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for the Saduces saye that there is no resurreccion, nether angell, ner sprete: but the Pharises graute both.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for the Sadducees maintain, there is neither resurrection, nor angel, or spirit, whereas the Pharisees acknowledge both: the clamour was great,

Simplified Cowboy Version
The Sadducees didn't believe in life after death (or angels or spirits), and the Pharisees did.

Contextual Overview

⁶ Paul, knowing some of the council was made up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided to exploit their antagonism: "Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It's because of my Pharisee convictions—the hope and resurrection of the dead—that I've been hauled into this court." ⁷The moment he said this, the council split right down the middle, Pharisees and Sadducees going at each other in heated argument. Sadducees have nothing to do with a resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can't see it, they don't believe it. Pharisees believe it all. And so a huge and noisy quarrel broke out. Then some of the religion scholars on the Pharisee side shouted down the others: "We don't find anything wrong with this man! And what if a spirit has spoken to him? Or maybe an angel? What if it turns out we're fighting against God?" ¹⁰ That was fuel on the fire. The quarrel flamed up and became so violent the captain was afraid they would tear Paul apart, limb from limb. He ordered the soldiers to get him out of there and escort him back to the safety of the barracks. ¹¹ That night the Master appeared to Paul: "It's going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best. You've been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now you're going to be my witness in Rome!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Acts 4:1, Matthew 22:23, Mark 12:18, Luke 20:27

Reciprocal: Psalms 104:4 - Who maketh Matthew 16:12 - but John 1:24 - were of John 12:29 - An angel Acts 23:9 - if 1 Corinthians 15:13 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 23:1
Sarah lived 127 years. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept.

Genesis 23:3
Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites: "I know I'm only an outsider here among you, but sell me a burial plot so that I can bury my dead decently."

1 Kings 2:17
"Ask King Solomon—he won't turn you down—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."

Hebrews 7:26
So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God's presence in heaven itself. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn't have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He's done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice. The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right. But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,.... Of the dead, being ignorant of the Scriptures, and the power of God; see Matthew 22:23.

neither angel nor spirit; the Ethiopic version reads, "nor Holy Spirit": but the sense seems to be, that they did not believe any such species of beings as angels, nor indeed any spirits whatever, which were immaterial or immortal; for as for the spirit or soul of man, they took that to be only the temperament of the body, and that it died with it, and did not exist in any separate state after this life: for so Josephus x says, that they deny the permanence of the soul, and rewards and punishments in the invisible state. And, according to the Talmudic y writers, they denied that there was any other world than this:

but the Pharisees confess both; the resurrection of the dead, and that there are spirits, both angels and the souls of men, which are immortal. Josephus, in the place before referred to, says, that they hold that every soul is incorruptible or immortal; and that they held the resurrection of the dead, is manifest from the Talmud z, and other writings of theirs; the Syriac version renders it, "the Pharisees confess all these things"; to which agree the Arabic and Ethiopic versions.

x De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 10. sect. 19. y T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 54. 1. & Gloss. in ib. & Pirke Abot R. Nathan, c. 5. z T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 90. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the Sadducees say - They believe.

No resurrection - Of the dead. By this doctrine they also understood that there was no future state, and that the soul did not exist after death. See the notes on Matthew 22:23.

Neither angel - That there are no angels. They deny the existence of good or bad angels. See the notes on Matthew 3:7.

Nor spirit - Nor soul. That there is nothing but matter. They were materialists, and supposed that all the operations which we ascribe to mind could be traced to some modification of matter. The Sadducees, says Josephus (Jewish Wars, book ii. chapter 8, section 14), “take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades.” “The doctrine of the Sadducees is this,” says he (Antiq., book 18, chapter 1, section 4), “that souls die with the bodies.” The opinion that the soul is material, and that there is nothing but matter in the universe, has been held by many philosophers, ancient and modern, as well as by the Sadducees.

Confess both - Acknowledge, or receive both as true; that is, that there is a future state, and that there are spirits distinct from matter, as angels, and the disembodied souls of people. The two points in dispute were:

1. Whether the dead would be raised and exist in a future state; and,
2. Whether mind was distinct from matter. The Sadducees denied both, and the Pharisees believed both. Their belief of the Latter point was, that spirits existed in two forms - that of angels, and that of souls of people distinct from the body.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 23:8. The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection — It is strange, since these denied a future state, that they observed the ordinances of the law; for they also believed the five books of Moses to be a revelation from God: yet they had nothing in view but temporal good; and they understood the promises in the law as referring to these things alone. In order, therefore, to procure them, they watched, fasted, prayed, c., and all this they did that they might obtain happiness in the present life. See the account of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Matthew 3:7; Matthew 16:1.