Luke 11:17

17 But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house.

Luke 11:17 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 11:17

But he knowing their thoughts
Being God omniscient,

said unto them;
the following parables, as they are called in ( Mark 3:23 ) or proverbial expressions, very pertinent to the purpose, and sufficient to set aside the base calumnies of the Pharisees:

every kingdom divided against itself, is brought to desolation;
in process of time, division will end in destruction; and as it does in the kingdoms of the world, of which there have been fatal instances, so it would in the kingdom of Satan, was there in it a division, which the calumny of the Pharisees supposes:

and an house divided against an house, falleth.
The Persic version renders it, "an house divided from the foundation, falls"; the sense is, a family, in which one part is opposed to the other, issues in the ruin of both; (See Gill on Matthew 12:25), (See Gill on Mark 3:24), (See Gill on Mark 3:25).

Luke 11:17 In-Context

15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

16 Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven.

17 But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house.

18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul.

19 Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.