For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
- BSB He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”
- NKJV For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”
- NASB Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.”
- NLT So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God is the God of the living, not the dead, for all the faithful are alive to Him.
Overview
Since God remains in covenant relationship with the patriarchs, they must live in His presence, awaiting bodily resurrection. The covenant bond God makes is not severed by death. This assures believers that in Christ, who conquered death, their life with God is unending.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- John 11:25–26Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
- Col 3:3–4For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
- Rom 6:10–11For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
- Rom 14:7–9For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
- John 14:19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
- 2 Cor 13:4For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
- 2 Cor 6:16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- Ps 145:1–2I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
- Rev 7:15–17Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
- Rom 6:22–23But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
- Ps 22:23–26Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
- Ps 16:5–11The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
- Rev 22:1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
- Heb 11:16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
- John 6:57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 20:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.