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
There came then his brethren and his mother ,.... At the same time he was speaking to the Scribes, who seem to be different persons from his friends and kinsmen, Mark 3:21 , and standing without ; for Christ was within, in the house, talking with the Scribes and Pharisees, and preaching to the people; and the crowd being so great, that they could not get into the house; they sent unto him, calling him : they not only sent one in to let him know who they were, and that they were... read more
And the multitude sat about him ,.... In a circle, all around him, to hear him preach; so that there was no such thing as the messenger coming near him; but the message being whispered from one to another, it came to those who sat nearest him: and they said unto him, behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee : in five of Beza's ancient copies, and in his most ancient one, are added, and thy sisters: agreeably, Christ hereafter makes mention of sister, as well as mother... read more
And he answered them ,.... The multitude that sat about him, and informed him of his mother and brethren being without, and desirous of speaking with him: saying, who is my mother, or my brethren ? which is said not through ignorance or contempt, but either, as displeased with the interruption given him; or with a view to take an opportunity from hence of expressing his superior value to his spiritual relations; which looks with no favourable aspect on the superstitious notions, and... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 3:24
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