Luke 11:17

17 ¹But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.

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, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

17 But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.

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

19 "And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.

Cross References

• 1. Luke 11:17-22: {Matthew 12:25-29; Mark 3:23-27}

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "every"
• [b] Lit "a house"