Matthew 12:44

Matthew 12:44 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
• New International Version (NIV)Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Context of Matthew 12:44

42Also, the Queen of Sheba travelled a long way to meet King Solomon. She wanted to hear his wise words. When God judges everyone, she will stand up. She will speak against you who are alive today. She will show that you are bad people. She listened to King Solomon. But look! There is someone here now who is greater than Solomon was. But you are not listening to me.’ 43Jesus then said, ‘When a bad spirit leaves a person, it travels through dry places. It looks for a new place to live. But maybe it does not find anywhere. So it says to itself, “I will return to the place where I lived before.” Then it goes back to that person. It finds that the place is empty. Everything there is now good and clean. 45So the bad spirit goes out and it brings back seven other spirits. They are even worse than itself. They all go into the person and they live there. Now the person's life is even worse than it was before. The same thing will happen to you bad people who are alive today.’ 46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowd of people, his mother and his brothers arrived. They stood outside the house. They wanted to speak to Jesus.

Matthew 12:44 word by word

τότε λέγει· εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον. καὶ ἐλθὸν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα, σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenτότεtote · thenG5119
• he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• I will returnἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• houseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
• from whenceὅθενhothen · whenceG3606
• I came outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• and whenκαίkai · andG2532
• he is comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• he findethεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• emptyσχολάζωscholazō · be devoted/emptyG4980
• sweptσαρόωsaroō · to sweepG4563
• garnishedκοσμέωkosmeō · to arrangeG2885

Cross-references for Matthew 12:44

• Matthew 12:29Nobody can go easily into the house of a strong man to rob him. To do that, he must first tie up the strong man. Then he can take away all that man's valuable things.
• Luke 11:21When a strong man has all the weapons he needs to fight with, he can take care of his own house. Nobody will be able to rob him of the things inside his house.
• John 13:27When Judas had taken the bread, Satan came into him. Then Jesus said to Judas, ‘Do quickly what you want to do.’
• Ephesians 2:2You lived in a bad way, like the people who belong to this world. You were obeying Satan, who rules the powerful spirits in the air. Those spirits are working now in everyone who refuses to obey God.
• 1 John 4:4My little children, you belong to God. You have won against those people with a false message. You have been able to do that because God's Holy Spirit is in you. He is more powerful than the spirit that belongs to this world.
• Matthew 13:20Other seeds fell on soil with rocks in it. This is like some people who hear God's message. These people are happy to believe it for a time.
• Psalms 81:11But my people refused to listen to me. My people, Israel, did not obey me.
• Hosea 7:6But the leaders are planning to murder the king. Their anger is like the fire of an oven. It burns slowly inside them all through the night. But in the morning the fire is too strong to hold.
• John 12:6He did not say this because he really wanted to help the poor people. No, he said it because he wanted the money himself. He kept the bag of money and sometimes he took money from it for himself.
• John 13:2Jesus and his disciples were eating supper. The Devil had already put an idea into the mind of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son. The idea was to sell Jesus to his enemies.
• Acts 5:1But there was a man called Ananias among the group of believers. His wife was called Sapphira. Together they sold one of their fields.
• Acts 8:18Simon saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to people when the apostles put their hands on them. So he said to Peter and John, ‘Here is some money for you.
• 1 Corinthians 11:19Perhaps there must be separate groups among you. Then everyone can see clearly which group God accepts as right!
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9When the enemy of God appears, he will be doing Satan's work. Satan will give him the power to do great things and miracles that are false.
• 1 Timothy 6:4People like that think that they are very clever. But they do not really understand anything. They like to argue about things which are not important. They like to quarrel about words. As a result, people become jealous of one another, and they become angry with each other. They insult other people and they think bad things about them.
• 1 John 2:19These people used to be in our group of believers. But they left us. They never really belonged to our group. If they had been true believers, they would have remained with us. When they left us, it showed clearly that none of them really belonged to us.

Commentaries on Matthew 12:44

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 44Into my house - The soul of that person from whom he had been expelled by the power of Christ, and out of which he was to have been kept by continual prayer, faith, and watchfulness. He findeth it empty - Unoccupied, , empty of the former inhabitant, and ready to receive a new one: denoting a soul that has lost the life and power of godliness, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Swept and garnished - As signifies to be idle, or unemployed, it may refer…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 43-45Verses 43-45 When the unclean spirit … - The “general sentiment” which our Saviour here teaches is much more easily understood than the illustration which he uses. The Jews had asked a sign from heaven that should decisively prove that he was the Messiah, and satisfy their unbelief. He replies that, though he should give them such a sign a proof conclusive and satisfactory, and though for a time they should profess to believe and apparently reform, yet…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 38-45Verses 38-45 Though Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, yet those who ask amiss, ask and have not. Signs were granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham and Gideon; but denied to those who demanded them to excuse their unbelief. The resurrection of Christ from the dead by his own power, called here the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the great proof of Christ's being the Messiah. As Jonah was three…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 43-45The Messiah came in victory over evil spirits. But instead of turning back to God, the nation as a whole rejected him. Jesus said that when an evil spirit is cast out, it may return if the person is not ready to resist it. In the same way, judgment would come on this evil generation because they rejected the Messiah (God’s chosen one).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 43-4543-45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, &c.--On this important parable, in connection with the corresponding one (Mt 12:29) see on Lu 11:21-26. A charming little incident, given only in Lu 11:27, 28, seems to have its proper place here. Lu 11:27: And it came to pass, as He spake these things, a certain woman of the company--out of the crowd. lifted up her voice and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare Thee, and the paps which Thou…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 12:44

• Demons
• Impenitence
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Regeneration

In the dictionaries

• Adulterous
• Condemn
• Daemon
• Desolation
• Idle
• Judgment
• Restore
• Sin
• Wither
• Adorn

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