Luke 11:17

But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17-23) But he, knowing their thoughts.—St. Luke seems here to bring together into one narrative two incidents which in St. Matt. (Matthew 9:32; Matthew 12:22) appear as separated. The points of resemblance, the dumbness in both cases, both followed by the whisper that Jesus cast out devils by Beelzebub, may have easily led one who collected the facts some years after they occurred to regard the two as identical. On the general tenor of the passage, see Notes on Matthew 12:24-30.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:14-26 Christ's thus casting out the devils, was really the destroying of their power. The heart of every unconverted sinner is the devil's palace, where he dwells, and where he rules. There is a kind of peace in the heart of an unconverted soul, while the devil, as a strong man armed, keeps it. The sinner is secure, has no doubt concerning the goodness of his state, nor any dread of the judgment to come. But observe the wonderful change made in conversion. The conversion of a soul to God, is Christ's victory over the devil and his power in that soul, restoring the soul to its liberty, and recovering his own interest in it and power over it. All the endowments of mind of body are now employed for Christ. Here is the condition of a hypocrite. The house is swept from common sins, by a forced confession, as Pharaoh's; by a feigned contrition, as Ahab's; or by a partial reformation, as Herod's. The house is swept, but it is not washed; the heart is not made holy. Sweeping takes off only the loose dirt, while the sin that besets the sinner, the beloved sin, is untouched. The house is garnished with common gifts and graces. It is not furnished with any true grace; it is all paint and varnish, not real nor lasting. It was never given up to Christ, nor dwelt in by the Spirit. Let us take heed of resting in that which a man may have, and yet come short of heaven. The wicked spirits enter in without any difficulty; they are welcomed, and they dwell there; there they work, there they rule. From such an awful state let all earnestly pray to be delivered.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 12:22-30.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Lu 11:14-36. Blind and Dumb Demoniac Healed—Charge of Being in League with Hell, and Reply—Demand of a Sign, and Reply.

(See on [1635]Mt 12:22-45.)

14. dumb—blind also (Mt 12:22).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 11:15"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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, Mark 3:24, Mark 3:25.

Geneva Study Bible

{4} But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

(4) The true way to know the true Christ from the false is this, that the true Christ has no harmony or agreement with Satan: and once we know him it is left for us to acknowledge him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 11:17-23. The Beelzebub theory (Matthew 12:25-30, Mark 3:23-27).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. their thoughts] Rather, their machinations.

Every kingdom divided against itself &c.] More briefly and graphically in St Mark “How can Satan cast out Satan?”

and a house divided against a house falletli] The words may also be rendered ‘and (in that case) house falleth against house.’

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 11:17. Οἶκος, a house, or family).—ἐπὶ οἶκον, upon the house [super domum]) That is to say, A house divided upon (against) itself falleth, Mark 3:25.[108] The noun is put for the reciprocal or reflexive pronoun, ἑαυτόν. Matthew 12:26; Acts 3:16; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:18, where see the note. LXX. Leviticus 14:15; Numbers 10:29.

[108] Vulg. translates, Regnum in se ipsum (or Cod. Amiat. ipso) divisum desolatur, et domus supra domum cadet (cadit).—ED. and TRANSL.

Luke 11:17

Vincent's Word Studies

Thoughts (διανοήματα)

Only here in New Testament. Primarily with a sense of intent, purpose.

A house divided against itself falleth (οἶκος ἐπὶ οἶκον πίπτει)

Some make this an enlargement on the previous sentence - a more detailed description of the generals brought to desolation, and render house falleth upon house. So Rev., margin. It might be taken metaphorically: the divided kingdom is brought to desolation, and its families and households in their party strifes are brought to ruin. Wyc., and an house shall fall on an house. Tynd., one house shalt fall upon another.