Luke 11:17

17 But he, knowing what they were thinking, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, with one house collapsing on another.

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, "It is by Ba`al-Zibbul" -- the ruler of the demons -- "that he expels the de mons."

16 And others, trying to trap him, demanded from him a sign from Heaven.

17 But he, knowing what they were thinking, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, with one house collapsing on another.

18 So if the Adversary too is divided against himself, how can his kingdom survive? I'm asking because you claim it is by Ba`al-Zibbul that I drive out the demons.

19 If I drive out demons by Ba`al-Zibbul, by whom do your people drive them out? So, they will be your judges!