Luke 11:17

17 And as he saw the thoughts of them, he said to them, Every realm parted against itself, shall be desolate, and an house shall fall on an house. [+Forsooth he, as he saw the thoughts of them, said to them, Every realm parted against itself, shall be desolated, and an house shall fall upon an 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 And some of them said, In Beelzebub, prince of devils, he casteth out devils.
16 And others tempting asked of him a token from heaven.
17 And as he saw the thoughts of them, he said to them, Every realm parted against itself, shall be desolate, and an house shall fall on an house. [+Forsooth he, as he saw the thoughts of them, said to them, Every realm parted against itself, shall be desolated, and an house shall fall upon an house.]
18 And if Satan be parted against himself, how shall his realm stand? For ye say, that I cast out fiends in Beelzebub.
19 And if I in Beelzebub cast out fiends, in whom cast out your sons [in whom your sons cast out]? Therefore they shall be your doomsmen.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.