Matthäus 12:25

25 Da er aber ihre Gedanken wußte, sprach er zu ihnen: Jedes Reich, das wider sich selbst entzweit ist, wird verwüstet; und jede Stadt oder jedes Haus, das wider sich selbst entzweit ist, wird nicht bestehen.

Matthäus 12:25 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 12:25

And Jesus knew their thoughts
He not only heard their blasphemous words, but was privy to their secret thoughts; he knew their vile malicious intentions and designs, with what view they expressed themselves in this manner, on purpose to reproach him, and set the people against him, contrary to the inward light of their minds, and dictates of their consciences; who must, and did know the contrary of what they said: and regarding the inward frame of their minds, as well as their words, and which is a proof of his omniscience, and so of his deity, and consequently of his Messiahship,

said unto them
the following parables, as Mark calls them, ( Mark 3:23 ) or proverbial expressions:

every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation;
a government, in which there is a disagreement between the chiefs of it, and the body of the people, or where one part is opposed to the other, or in which a civil and intestine war is begun and prosecuted, cannot continue in any comfortable situation, and flourishing state, but must come to nothing: this is a maxim that has been so often fatally verified, that no one will doubt the truth of it; and the same holds true of lesser communities, of cities, and families:

and every city, or house, divided against itself, shall not stand.
If citizens fall out with their magistrates, or one with another, and turn out, and disfranchise each other; and if the heads of families, and the respective branches thereof, quarrel with, and divide from one another, a dissolution of the whole must ensue; and the same may be said of the kingdom and government of Satan. These, it is very likely, were common sayings among the Jews, and they might be very easily understood by them; and are very appropriately produced by Christ to illustrate the present case, and confute the vile and blasphemous suggestions of the Pharisees: a proverbial expression, much like to these, is to be read in the writings of the Jews, (brxyl wpwo tqwlxm wb vyv tyb lk) , "every house, in which there is a division, at the end shall come to desolation" ^F21.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F21 Derech Eretz, c. 5.

Matthäus 12:25 In-Context

23 Und es erstaunten alle die Volksmengen und sagten: Dieser ist doch nicht etwa der Sohn Davids?

24 Die Pharisäer aber sagten, als sie es hörten: Dieser treibt die Dämonen nicht anders aus, als durch den Beelzebub, den Obersten der Dämonen.

25 Da er aber ihre Gedanken wußte, sprach er zu ihnen: Jedes Reich, das wider sich selbst entzweit ist, wird verwüstet; und jede Stadt oder jedes Haus, das wider sich selbst entzweit ist, wird nicht bestehen.

26 Und wenn der Satan den Satan austreibt, so ist er wider sich selbst entzweit; wie wird denn sein Reich bestehen?

27 Und wenn ich durch Beelzebub die Dämonen austreibe, durch wen treiben eure Söhne sie aus? Darum werden sie eure Richter sein.