Matthew 12:26

Matthew 12:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
• New International Version (NIV)If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
• New King James Version (NKJV)If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

Context of Matthew 12:26

24The Pharisees also heard about what had happened. They said, ‘This man can send bad spirits out of people only because Beelzebul gives him authority. That is Satan, the one who rules all the bad spirits.’ 25Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, ‘If armies in a country fight each other, then they will destroy their own country. If people in one city or in one family fight each other, then they will destroy their own city or family. So Satan would not try to destroy himself. If Satan fights against himself, that would be the end of his own kingdom. 27Some of your disciples can also send bad spirits out of people. You would not say that it is Satan's power that helps them. So your own disciples show that you are wrong about this. 28I do send bad spirits out of people. I use the authority of God's Holy Spirit to do this. This shows that God has come to rule among you.

Matthew 12:26 word by word

καὶ εἰ ὁ σατανᾶς τὸν σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐμερίσθη· πῶς οὖν σταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• Satanὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• SatanΣατανᾶςSatanas · SatanG4567
• cast outἐκβάλλωekballō · to expelG1544
• he is dividedμερίζωmerizō · to divideG3307
• againstἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• shallἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932

Cross-references for Matthew 12:26

• John 12:31It is time now for God to judge the people in this world. Now he will throw out the ruler of this world.
• John 14:30I will not talk with you much more, because the ruler of this world will come soon. He has no power over me.
• John 16:11They are wrong about how God judges people, because God has already judged Satan, the ruler of this world.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4Those people do not accept God's good news. The god of this world has confused their minds. They cannot see the light that the good news brings. That message teaches about the great power of Christ, who shows us exactly what God is like.
• Colossians 1:13God has saved us from the dark kingdom where Satan rules. He has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves.
• 1 John 5:19We know that we belong to God. We know that Satan rules all the people who belong to this world.
• Revelation 9:11The king that ruled them was the angel of the deep hole. His name is ‘Abaddon’ in the Hebrew language. In the Greek language his name is ‘Apollyon’.
• Revelation 12:9Michael and his angels threw the great dragon out of heaven. The dragon is called the Devil or Satan. He is the snake who has been there since long ago. He tells lies to deceive the whole world. They threw him down to the earth, together with all his angels.
• Revelation 16:10Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the wild animal. As a result, the whole kingdom that the wild animal ruled became dark. People were biting their tongues because of their great pain.
• Revelation 20:2He took hold of the dragon. That dragon is the Devil and Satan. He is the snake who has lived since long ago. The angel tied up the dragon with the chain for 1,000 years.

Commentaries on Matthew 12:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26If Satan cast out Satan - A good cause will produce a good effect, and an evil cause an evil effect. Were I on Satan's side, I would act for his interest and confirm his influence among you; but I oppose his maxims by my doctrine, and his influence by my power.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-30Verses 22-30 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil - See the notes at Matthew 4:24. The same account, substantially, is found in Mark 3:22-27, and Luke 11:14-26. Matthew 12:23 Is not this the Son of David? - That is, Is not this the promised “descendant” of David, the Messiah? They were acquainted with the prophecy in Isaiah 35:5, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped,” and they inferred…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-30Verses 22-30 A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26Jesus said in essence, “If I drive out demons by the power of Satan, then Satan is fighting against his own kingdom. That would be foolish for him to do.”Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?--The argument here is irresistible. "No organized society can stand--whether kingdom, city, or household--when turned against itself; such intestine war is suicidal: But the works I do are destructive of Satan's kingdom: That I should be in league with Satan, therefore, is incredible and absurd."Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 12:26

• Jesus, the Christ
• Kingdom of Satan
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Satan
• Satan, devil, evil one
• Adulterous
• Condemn
• Desolation
• Devil
• Idle
• Judgment
• Restore
• Sin

Commentaries on Matthew 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings