And if a kingdom be divided against itself ,.... Any of the kingdoms of this world, and the kingdom of "Satan": that kingdom cannot stand : not long; its internal broils and divisions will, soon bring it to desolation; See Gill on Matthew 12:25 . read more
And if a house be divided against itself ,.... Any family, small or great, that house cannot stand ; its contentions and discords will soon bring it down from a comfortable and flourishing situation, to a very distressed one; See Gill on Matthew 12:25 . read more
And if Satan rise up against himself ,.... As he must do in such a case as this, if devils are cast out by Beelzebub, the prince of devils: and be divided ; one devil against another, as the above calumny supposes; he cannot stand, but hath an end : his kingdom cannot stand long, but must soon come to an end; his power and authority will soon be destroyed, both over his own species, and among men; See Gill on Matthew 12:26 . read more
No man can enter into a strong man's house ,.... This is properly a parable; the other seem to be proverbs, or sayings, that were commonly used to show the ill consequences of discords, factions, and divisions, as is explained in the note on See Gill on Matthew 12:29 . read more
Verily I say unto you ,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, who had not only blasphemed him, but the Spirit of God also: all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme ; God; or the Son of God, angels, and men, and that through the blood of Christ, and when brought to a sense of the evil of them; for though pardon is procured before, it is not applied till then; See Gill on Matthew 12:31 . read more
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost ,.... Against his person, and the works performed by him, by ascribing them to diabolical power and influence, as the Scribes did, hath never forgiveness : there is no pardon provided in the covenant of grace, nor obtained by the blood of Christ for such persons, or ever applied to them by the Spirit; but is in danger of eternal damnation . The Vulgate Latin reads it, and so it is read in an ancient copy of Beza's, guilty of an... read more
Because they, said, he hath an, unclean spirit. They charged Christ with having a devil, and his miracles with being wrought by the help of the devil; when, at the same time, they knew in their own consciences they were works which were wrought by the finger and Spirit of God, and so were guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost; the unpardonable sin, for which there is no remission: and this is mentioned as a reason why our Lord said what he did concerning that sin; because they had been... read more
Into a house - As Christ was now returned to Capernaum, this was probably the house of Peter, mentioned Mark 2:1 . read more
Eat bread - Had no time to take any necessary refreshment. read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 3:23
And he called them unto him ,.... The Jerusalem Scribes, to come nearer to him, and attend to what he had to say in defence of his character and miracles: and said unto them in parables : similitudes, and proverbial expressions, as the following seem to be, how can Satan cast out Satan ? or one devil cast out another? how unreasonable is it to suppose it? can it ever be thought that such, whose interest it is to unite, would ever oppose and dispossess one another? if therefore, as if... read more