Matthew 12:26

12:26 Jesus argued, in essence, “If I cast out demons under the influence of Satan, then Satan is dividing his camp, which obviously would be a foolish thing for Satan to do.”

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 12:26. Εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς τὸν Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, if Satan cast out Satan) Satan or the devil is one. I, says our Lord, cast out Satan. In the kingdom of darkness there is none greater than Satan. If therefore your words are true, it must be Satan who casts out Satan. But this is clearly absurd: one kingdom, one city, one house, is not divided against itself; neither is one spirit divided against himself. The noun is used for the reciprocal pronoun (ἑαυτόν) as in Exo 16:7; Lev 14:15; Lev 14:26; 1Ki 8:1; 1Ki 10:13; 1Ki 12:21; 2Ki 17:31. This does not however prevent the supposition, that the accusative τὸν Σατανᾶν, Satan, is put by synecdoche for his comrades. Thus, for example, you might say, “The Gaul destroyed himself,” if at any time one Gallic cohort should put another to the sword. Thus Satan would cast himself out, i.e., Satan, the prince, who is one, would cast out those whom he knew to be his own, his comrades.—βασιλεία, kingdom) which is however very stable. Satan is said to have a kingdom, and yet he is never called a king, for he is an usurper.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 12:26 applies the axiom to Satan, εἰ , introduces a simple particular supposition without reference to its truth. ἐμερείσθη : the aorist has the force of a perfect. Satan casting out Satan means self-stultification; ipso facto , self-division results. Against the argument it might be objected: Kingdoms and cities do become divided against themselves, regardless of fatal consequences, why not also Satan? Why should not that happen to Satan’s kingdom which has happened even to the Christian Church? Jesus seems to have credited Satan with more astuteness than is possessed by states, cities, and churches. Satan may be wicked, He says in effect, but he is not a fool. Then it has to be considered that communities commit follies which individuals avoid. Men war against each other to their common undoing, who would be wiser in their own affairs. One Satan might cast out another, but no Satan will cast out himself. And that is the case put by Jesus. Some, e.g. , De Wette and Fritzsche, take ὁ Σατανᾶς τ . Σ . ἐκβάλλει as = one Satan casting out another. But that is not Christ’s meaning. He so puts the case as to make the absurdity evident. Ex hypothesi He had a right to put it so; for the theory was that Satan directly empowered and enabled Him to deliver men from his (Satan’s) power.

Mat 12:27 . To the previous convincing argument Jesus adds an argumentum ad hominem , based on the exorcism then practised among the Jews, with which it would appear the Pharisees found no fault. οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν , not of course Christ’s disciples (so most of the Fathers), for the Pharisaic prejudice against Him would extend to them, but men belonging to the same school or religious type, like-minded. By referring to their performances Jesus put the Pharisees in a dilemma. Either they must condemn both forms of dispossession or explain why they made a difference. What they would have said we do not know, but it is not difficult to suggest reasons. The Jewish exorcists operated in conventional fashion by use of herbs and magical formulæ, and the results were probably insignificant. The practice was sanctioned by custom, and harmless. But in casting out devils, as in all other things, Jesus was original, and His method was too effectual . His power, manifest to all, was His offence. κριταί . Jesus now makes the fellow-religionists of the Pharisees their judges. On a future occasion He will make John the Baptist their judge (Mat 21:23-27 ). Such home-thrusts were very inconvenient.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 26. If 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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(26) If Satan cast out Satan.—In the Greek the name has the article in both places, as pointing to the one great adversary. It is not that one Satan casts out another, but that he, on the assumption of the Pharisees, casts out himself. Satan is not personally identified with the demon, the deaf or dumb spirit, that had possessed the man, but the language implies that where evil enters into the soul, Satan enters also. (Comp. Joh_13:27.) There is, as it were, a seeming ubiquity, a solidarité, in the power of evil, as there is admittedly in the sovereign power of good.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Wherefore I say unto you,.... This shows, that what follows is occasioned by what the Pharisees had said, concerning the miracles of Christ; imputing them to diabolical influence and assistance, when they were done by the Spirit of God, of which they themselves were conscious;

all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: not unto all men, for there are some, who, as they are never truly convinced of sin, and brought to repentance for it, so they never have the remission of it; but to such to whom God of his free grace has promised, and for whom he has provided this blessing, in the covenant of his grace; for whom the blood of Christ was shed, for the remission of their sins; and who, by the Spirit of God, are made sensible of them, and have repentance unto life given them, and faith in Christ, by which they receive the forgiveness of them: the sense is, that all kind of sin, whether committed more immediately against God, or man, the first or second table of the law, or against any of the divine precepts; be they sins small or great, secret or open, sins of heart, lip, or life, or attended with whatsoever aggravating circumstances; and all kind of blasphemy, or evil speaking of men, or of angels, or of the name of God, but what is hereafter excepted, there is forgiveness of in the grace of God, through the blood of Christ, even for all sorts of men and sinners whatever. The Jews have a saying (z), that God pardons all sins,

, "except lasciviousness".''

But this is not excepted by Christ, only what follows,

but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, shall not be forgiven unto men: by which is meant, not every ignorant denial of, and opposition to his deity and personality; nor all resistance of him in the external ministry of the word; nor every sin that is knowingly and wilfully committed; but it is a despiteful usage of the Spirit of grace, an opposing, contradicting, and denying the operations wrought, or doctrines revealed by him, against a man's own light and conscience, out of wilful and obstinate malice, on purpose to lessen the glory of God, and gratify his own lusts: such was the sin of the Scribes and Pharisees; who, though they knew the miracles of Christ were wrought by the Spirit of God, yet maliciously and obstinately imputed them to the devil, with a view to obscure the glory of Christ, and indulge their own wicked passions and resentments against him; which sin was unpardonable at that present time, as well as under that dispensation then to come, when the Spirit of God was poured down in a more plenteous manner.

(z) Tanchuma apud Buxtorf. Heb. Florileg. p. 126.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

Ver. 26. He is divided against himself] But so he is not. There is a marvellous accordance even between evil spirits. Squamae Leviathan ira cohaerent, ut earum opere textili densato quasi loricatus incedat Satan et cataphractus, as Luther elegantly and truly phraseth it. The devils in the possessed person were many, yet they say, "My name" (not our name) "is Legion." Though many, they speak and act as one in the possession. That kingdom, we see, is not divided.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. Cast out Satan — Our Lord here assumes, what doubtless the Jews would grant, that to cast out Satan is the strongest proof that can be visibly given of hostility to Satan. It is a case of the directest possible issue. It is a point where the kingdom of God and of Satan come into direct hostile contact. Certainly, as the general fights the battle for one side, the side of good, it is the highest possible proof that he is truly on that side.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then. The transposition in the Revised Version to how then shall brings out more distinctly the fact that then is not temporal, but argumentative (oun). His kingdom stand? To De Wette"s objection that Satan might perhaps do such a thing once so as to gain in other ways, Meyer answers that our Lord is referring to the practice of casting out devils, which, as such, is certainly directed against Satan.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

How shall his kingdom be established - Does not that subtle spirit know this is not the way to establish his kingdom?

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

26. If Satan casteth out Satan. If demons were cast out by the aid of Satan, then Satan was fighting against his own servants. His kingdom was divided against itself.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus continues to respond to the Pharisees' accusation that he healed the man by the power of Satan.

If Satan drives out Satan

The second use of Satan refers to the demons that serve Satan. AT: "If Satan works against his own demons" (See: Metonymy)

Satan ... Beelzebul

Both names refer to the same person.

How then will his kingdom stand?

Jesus uses this question to show the Pharisees that what they were saying was illogical. AT: "If Satan were divided against himself, his kingdom would not be able to stand!" or "If Satan were to fight against his own demons, his kingdom would not last!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

by whom do your sons drive them out?

Jesus uses another question to challenge the Pharisees. AT: "then you must say your followers also drive out demons by the power of Beelzebul. But, you know this is not true." (See: Rhetorical Question)

your sons

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. The phrase "your sons" refers to their followers. This was a common way of referring to those who follow teachers or leaders. AT: "your followers" (See: Metaphor)

For this reason they will be your judges

"Because your followers cast out demons by the power of God, they prove that you are wrong about me."

translationWords

Satan

cast out

demon

judge

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

(M) 26. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how therefore shall his kingdom stand?] Mk. has: “And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.” Lk. agrees closely with Mt.: “And if Satan be divided (διεμερίσθη) against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?” Lk. adds here: “because you say that by Beelzeboul I cast out devils”; cf. Mk v. 30.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He is divided [εμερισθη] . Lit., "he was divided." If he is casting himself out, there must have been a previous division.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.