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MATTHEW 12:25 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 12:24Matt 12:26
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Knowing their thoughts, he said to them: every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. Jesus knows the Pharisees' thoughts — a recurring feature of Matthew's presentation — and addresses the logical incoherence of the Beelzebul charge directly. The divided-house argument is simple: a kingdom, city, or house divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan is casting out Satan, Satan is destroying his own operation.

Church Fathers on Matthew 12:25

The Pharisees ascribed the works of God to the Prince of the daemons; and the Lord makes answer not to what they said, but to what they thought, that even thus they might be compelled to believe His power, Who saw the secrets of the heart; 'Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them.'

Jerome · 4th century

Above they had accused Christ of having cast out daemons by Beelzebub; but then He did not reprove them, suffering them, if they would, to acknowledge Him from further miracles, and to learn His greatness from His doctrine. But because they continued to maintain the same things, He now rebukes them, although their accusation had been very unreasonable.

Chrysostom · 4th century · Hom. xli

For a city or family is analogous to a kingdom; as it follows, 'And every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.'

Hilary of Poitiers · 4th century
Read all 10 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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Matthew 12:25 — Community Reflections | HolyStudy