The house divided (Mk 3:24-3:25)

“If a kingdom

Is divided

Against itself,

That kingdom will not

Be able to stand.

If a house is divided

Against itself,

That house will not be able

To stand.”

 

καὶ ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνη·

καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκείνη στῆναι.

 

There are similar statements to this in Matthew, chapter 12:25, and Luke, chapter 11:17.  Mark indicated that Jesus responded to the Scribes with his house divided remarks.  Jesus said to them that if a kingdom was divided against itself (καὶ ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ), that kingdom would not be able to stand (οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνη).  If a house was divided against itself (καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ), that house would not be able to stand or endure (οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκείνη στῆναι).  This was one of President Abraham Lincoln’s (1809-1865) favorite biblical passages about slavery.