Luke 11:17
in Luke 11Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against a house will fall.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Luke 11
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
The connection between these verses and those which immediately precede them, is striking and instructive. In the preceding verses, our Lord Jesus Christ had been showing the power and importance of prayer. In the verses before us, he delivers a man from a 'mute' devil. The miracle is evidently intended to throw fresh light on the lesson. The same Savior who encourages us to pray — is the Savior who destroys Satan's power over our members, and restores our tongues to their proper use.
This site's exposition
Every kingdom divided against itself
on Luke 11:17-18
Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste states a principle of ordinary politics. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand shows the charge defeating itself. Casting out a demon works against Satan’s own interest.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 80 · Written before 444.
proposed
And what said Christ to these things? First, indeed, He proves Himself to be God, by knowing even that which was secretly whispered among them: for He knew their thoughts. And it is an act that altogether belongs to God, to be able to know what is in the mind and heart, and even what is spoken anywhere by men secretly. ... Very wisely therefore, omitting these things, He proceeds to arguments, drawn indeed from common things, but which have the force of truth in them; "For every kingdom," He says, "divided against itself, becomes desolate; and every house against a house, falls: and if Satan be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?" For that which establishes kingdoms is the fidelity of subjects, and the obedience of those under the royal sceptre: and houses are established when those who belong to them in no way whatsoever thwart one another, but, on the contrary, accord both in will and deed. And so I suppose it would establish the kingdom too of Beelzebub, had he determined to abstain from every thing contrary to himself. How then does Satan cast out Satan? It follows then that devils do not depart from men of their own accord, but retire unwillingly. Satan, He says, does not fight with himself. He does not rebuke his own satellites. He does not permit himself to injure his own armour-bearers. On the contrary, he aids his kingdom. It remains, therefore for you to understand, that I crush Satan by divine power.
(Hom. 41. in Matt.) The suspicion of the Pharisees being utterly without reason, they dared not divulge it for fear of the multitude, but pondered it in their minds. Hence it is said, But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation.
The Medieval Church3 voices
But he, when he saw their thoughts, said to them. After the expression of the Jewish fraud, there is here subjoined the refutation of the fraud expressed. In refuting falsehood, he proceeds in this order: first he leads to a manifest impossibility, second he brings …
But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall upon house. He responded not to what was said, but to what was thought, so that they might be compelled to believe in his power, …
He answered not their words but their thoughts, that so at least they might be compelled to believe in His power, who saw into the secrets of the heart. The kingdom also of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is not divided, because it is sealed with an eternal stability. Let then the Arians cease to say that the Son is inferior to the Father, but the Holy Spirit inferior to the Son, since whose kingdom is one, their power is one also.
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
The Lord says to them: how is it possible for a demon to cast out another demon? This would already be the destruction of his kingdom. For if they place their kingdom and rest in dwelling within people, and their own prince casts them out, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Now, if Satan should thus be divided against himself, he would hasten his own overthrow, which you cannot suppose an enemy to do that acts so subtlely for his own establishment, and is so solicitous to have his kingdom stand." 2.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
But he knowing their thoughts,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The connection between these verses and those which immediately precede them, is striking and instructive. In the preceding verses, our Lord Jesus Christ had been showing the power and importance of prayer. In the verses before us, he delivers a man from a 'mute' devil. The miracle is evidently intended to throw fresh light on the lesson. The same Savior who encourages us to pray — is the Savior who destroys Satan's power over our members, and restores our tongues to their proper use. Let us notice, firstly, in these verses — the variety of ways in which Satan exhibits his desire to injure man. We read of a 'mute' devil. Sometimes in the Gospel we are told of an "unclean" devil. Sometimes we are told of a raging and violent devil. Here we are told of one under whose influence the unhappy person possessed by him became mute. Many are the devices of Satan. It is foolish to suppose that he always works in the same manner. One thing alone is the common mark of all his operations — he delights to inflict injury and do harm! There is something very instructive in the case before us. Do we suppose, because bodily possession by Satan is not so glaringly manifest as it once was — that the great enemy is less active in doing mischief than he used to be? If we think so — then we have much to learn. Do we suppose that there is no such thing as the influence of a mute devil in the present day? If we do, we had better think again. What shall we say of those who never speak to God, who never use their tongues in prayer and praise, who never employ that organ which is a man's "glory," in the service of Him who made it? What shall we say, in a word, of those who can speak to everyone but God? What can we say, but that Satan has stripped them of the truest use of a tongue? What ought we to say, but that they are possessed with a mute devil?
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| αὐτὸς | autos | He himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἰδὼς | eidos | knowing | ||
| αὐτῶν | auton | their | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διανοήματα | dianoemata | thoughts | G1270 → | |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| αὐτοῖς· | autois | to them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πᾶσα | pasa | Every | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| βασιλεία | basileia | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| ἐφ᾽ | eph᾽ | against | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἑαυτὴν | he'auten | itself | G1438 → | 322 times |
| διαμερισθεῖσα | diameristheisa | having been divided | G1266 → | 11 times |
| ἐρημοῦται, | eremoutai | is brought to desolation, | G2049 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἶκος | oikos | a house | G3624 → | 112 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | against | G1909 → | 883 times |
| οἶκον | oikon | a house | G3624 → | 112 times |
| πίπτει. | piptei | falls. | G4098 → | 90 times |
αὐτὸςHe himself
autosG846 →5565 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
εἰδὼςknowing
eidos
αὐτῶνtheir
autonG846 →5565 times
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
διανοήματαthoughts
dianoemataG1270 →
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
αὐτοῖς·to them;
autoisG846 →5565 times
πᾶσαEvery
pasaG3956 →1235 times
βασιλείαkingdom
basileiaG932 →162 times
ἐφ᾽against
eph᾽G1909 →883 times
ἑαυτὴνitself
he'autenG1438 →322 times
διαμερισθεῖσαhaving been divided
diameristheisaG1266 →11 times
ἐρημοῦται,is brought to desolation,
eremoutaiG2049 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἶκοςa house
oikosG3624 →112 times
ἐπὶagainst
epiG1909 →883 times
οἶκονa house
oikonG3624 →112 times
πίπτει.falls.
pipteiG4098 →90 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
4 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 2:25He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
it leads to
- John 13:11
For He knew who would betray Him. That is why He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
- Matthew 9:4
But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?
- John 6:64
However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)
- John 6:61
Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?
- John 13:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
On this verse
About Luke
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 11; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 80; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.